SunPower, a manufacturer of crystalline solar PV modules, said it has been selected to offer off-grid solar energy storage to Australia.
The company will announce a pilot project in Australia’s second most populous state in the next two months.
SunPower will test a combination of rooftop photovoltaic (PV) panels and battery storage, giving houses off-the-grid electricity access during the daytime and during clear, sunny weather conditions with sufficient storage capacity to power appliances for extended periods of poor sunlight and during nighttime.
Households that generate solar energy in Australia can sell the surplus energy to utility companies at around 8 cents per kilowatt hour. However during night and cloudy days, they end up paying up to 30c/kWh for the energy they draw from the grid. This is unfair for the customers.
With battery storage, solar PV users can store excess energy on-site, and sufficient battery storage would mean consumers could disconnect from the grid entirely, SunPower said.
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Australia is the ideal market for off-grid storage. Majority of its landmass gets excellent sunlight throughout the year. The deregulated power sector also gives freedom to consumers to select their energy usage policy.