Energy storage battery speech

Why is energy storage important?

Operating a reliable low-carbon power system means that energy storage is imperative – and AEMO also makes this clear. It says building the energy storage to manage daily and seasonal variations in solar and wind generation is the most pressing need of the next decade.

What role do community batteries play in Australia's energy transition?

Community batteries are in their infancy in Australia and we have yet to see the role they will play in the energy transition. There is likely much to be gleaned from the rollout of the federal government’s program, which will deploy 400 community-scale batteries serving up to 100,000 households across Australia.

What is the future of energy storage?

Households and businesses also feature heavily in forecasts around energy storage. Of the 46 GW of dispatchable storage required by 2050, about one-third – 16 GW – will come from utility-scale batteries and pumped hydro. The remaining two-thirds – 31 GW – will come from virtual power plants, vehicle-to-grid and other distributed technologies.

Why do we need more electricity & storage?

Capacity from these quarters needs to increase from current levels of 1.5 GW to 46 GW, a 30-fold increase. And we could need even more storage. The more we electrify our homes, our businesses, our heavy industry and our transport, the more renewables and storage we will need.

How long do household batteries last?

Accordingly, the typical payback period for household batteries has fallen from 19 years to just over 10 years. What this means is that many households can now recoup the cost of their investment within the life of the product.

Will Australian households embrace batteries at home?

There is likely much to be gleaned from the rollout of the federal government’s program, which will deploy 400 community-scale batteries serving up to 100,000 households across Australia. And we don’t yet know whether households will embrace batteries at home as enthusiastically as they put solar panels on their rooves.