All-electric living
By Werner Theinert
WE’VE done it! We’ve electrified everything! Every box on the sign has been ticked!
The Nissan Leaf (62kWh battery) has over 70,000kms on the clock and the BYD Seal (82.5kWh battery) which arrived in April last year, now has 20,000kms on the clock. The BYD Seal is a truly amazing car. Range anxiety is now a thing of the past with its claimed 600-650km range probably more like 500-550km. This “range anxiety” has been further reduced by the slow but continuing installation of additional EV Charging stations throughout the region.
WE’VE done it! We’ve electrified everything! Every box on the sign has been ticked!
The Nissan Leaf (62kWh battery) has over 70,000kms on the clock and the BYD Seal (82.5kWh battery) which arrived in April last year, now has 20,000kms on the clock. The BYD Seal is a truly amazing car. Range anxiety is now a thing of the past with its claimed 600-650km range probably more like 500-550km. This “range anxiety” has been further reduced by the slow but continuing installation of additional EV Charging stations throughout the region.
The addition of the BYD Seal to the family convinced us to install more solar panels to enhance available solar power during the winter months when the sun’s output is reduced. Winter is the period when the adage of Finn Peacock from Solar Quotes is spot on – “Put as many solar panels up on your roof as you can easily fit and afford.”
Wersula Power Station 3.2
We’ve still got a petrol-powered fire pump and a 2.0kW Honda Generator which is a leftover from Black Saturday. A backup to the backup just in case the ducks do line up again.
Bidirectional charging
I’m still waiting for Vehicle to Grid (V2G) to make an appearance. The legislation has been passed and approved, but the regulators are still working out the details of how the system is going to work. There is talk of possible approval of the technology in the coming months.
Bidirectional charging
I’m still waiting for Vehicle to Grid (V2G) to make an appearance. The legislation has been passed and approved, but the regulators are still working out the details of how the system is going to work. There is talk of possible approval of the technology in the coming months.
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One group is lobbying for a further government subsidy for the bidirectional V2G chargers, which would enable the car’s battery to be used as either a medium for the storage of electricity or the production of electricity.
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Imagine if one million of Australia’s 20 million vehicles were connected to the grid through their own bidirectional charger capable of importing or exporting at a rate of 10kW -
1,000,000 Vehicles X 10,000 Watts = 10,000,000,000 Watts = 10GW
Which means that those vehicles’ batteries which are now part of a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) could absorb up to 10GW of cheap excess Solar PV production during the day and power their respective homes through the night.
The National Electricity Market (NEM) operates at any instant in time, consuming between 20 and 30GW of power over a normal 24hr period. That’s three million cars’ worth of power.
Home battery or wait for EV Bidirectional?
Crystal ball, anyone? I’ve been waiting for bidirectional charging to get the go ahead for over five years now. Some people are saying that approval will be given later this year, and others are suggesting it will be 2030 at the earliest.
1,000,000 Vehicles X 10,000 Watts = 10,000,000,000 Watts = 10GW
Which means that those vehicles’ batteries which are now part of a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) could absorb up to 10GW of cheap excess Solar PV production during the day and power their respective homes through the night.
The National Electricity Market (NEM) operates at any instant in time, consuming between 20 and 30GW of power over a normal 24hr period. That’s three million cars’ worth of power.
Home battery or wait for EV Bidirectional?
Crystal ball, anyone? I’ve been waiting for bidirectional charging to get the go ahead for over five years now. Some people are saying that approval will be given later this year, and others are suggesting it will be 2030 at the earliest.
| I don’t regret installing our home battery two years ago as it has saved the day on many occasions. I believe that events such as last year’s storm which devastated Mirboo North and took off the power to Bass Coast for several days will become more frequent and more severe. Our transition to a more decentralised grid will also create an opportunity for many learnings on how the new grid will be operated as sources of renewable energy take over from the ageing fleet of fossil fuelled power stations. The installation of a home battery storage system will give us resilience to ride through grid fluctuations caused by the transition to renewables and the increasing incidence of major weather events. The recent Spanish/Portuguese blackout was a classic example of the growing pains we will experience during the decentralisation of our energy grid. |  The power trip continues March 22, 2024 - The lights stayed on during our recent prolonger power outage, reports Werner Theinert.  The power trip Oct 2, 2020 – Imagine a future where ordinary householders are part of a virtual power grid greater than Victoria’s coal-fired power stations. Werner Theinert explains |
The “Cheaper Home Batteries Program"
The Australian federal government is offering a discount of around 30% on the upfront cost of installing a home battery, starting July 1, 2025. This is an expansion of the existing Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES).
Key details of the federal program:
The Sigenergy SigenStor – an iPhone Moment?
The Australian federal government is offering a discount of around 30% on the upfront cost of installing a home battery, starting July 1, 2025. This is an expansion of the existing Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES).
Key details of the federal program:
- Discount: Around 30% off the upfront cost of a battery system.
- Rebate: Up to $372 per usable kilowatt-hour (kWh) of battery capacity.
- Eligibility: Homeowners, small businesses, strata schemes, and community facilities.
- System types: Both on-grid and off-grid battery systems are eligible.
- VPP readiness: On-grid batteries must be Virtual Power Plant (VPP) ready.
- Launch date: July 1, 2025, but systems installed from April 6, 2025, can still qualify if not commissioned before July 1, 2025.
- Rebate cap: Applies to the first 50 kWh of a battery's usable capacity, even if the battery is larger.
- Decline over time: The rebate amount will decrease each year until 2030.
The Sigenergy SigenStor – an iPhone Moment?
The Sigenergy SigenStor full option pack including the car charger The complete Sigenergy integrated package includes the following –
It all comes in one complete package which includes blackout protection and is expandable and further future proofed by being ready for bidirectional EV charging. It has rapidly become Australia’s bestselling home battery system. It also appears to attract the highest value Small Scale Energy Certificates (STCs) therefore making it even cheaper to install.
Talk to your local solar PV and battery installers about upgrading your system.
- Hybrid Inverter – SolarPV is DC coupled directly to the battery and to the inverter for house supply
- EV DC charger – 12kW or 15kW optional extra to the standard unit
- Battery PCS – power conversion system – DC to AC Converter
- Battery pack – 5kWh or 8kWh option
- EMS – energy management system
It all comes in one complete package which includes blackout protection and is expandable and further future proofed by being ready for bidirectional EV charging. It has rapidly become Australia’s bestselling home battery system. It also appears to attract the highest value Small Scale Energy Certificates (STCs) therefore making it even cheaper to install.
Talk to your local solar PV and battery installers about upgrading your system.
Source4: electrifyeverything.org.au We were lucky as we built our home with everything already electrified. The vacuum tube solar hot water system (they were available 6-7 years ago) is being replaced soon with a more efficient electric heat pump system.
Yes, it would be expensive to replace the petrol/diesel powered car, the gas hot water, home heating and cooking appliances all at the one time. However, if in the future when the car or appliance needs replacement, we replace it with a more efficient and healthier electrical alternative, then we will soon get there.
What’s the payback period and the return on investment (ROI)?
I get this question all the time but there are simply too many variables to do a quick calculation for each individual case. Saul Griffith’s new book – Plug In! The Electrification Handbook is essential reading for those interested in embarking on a journey to Electrify Everything. It clearly sets out the various costings and savings that can be had in each of the stages. He has even come up with some new acronyms –
ROC – Return on Comfort
ROE – Return on Environment
ROH – Return on Health (heard recently at a U3A Wonthaggi session)
ROR – Return on Resilience (at what price Resilience? This one is mine)
Yes, it would be expensive to replace the petrol/diesel powered car, the gas hot water, home heating and cooking appliances all at the one time. However, if in the future when the car or appliance needs replacement, we replace it with a more efficient and healthier electrical alternative, then we will soon get there.
What’s the payback period and the return on investment (ROI)?
I get this question all the time but there are simply too many variables to do a quick calculation for each individual case. Saul Griffith’s new book – Plug In! The Electrification Handbook is essential reading for those interested in embarking on a journey to Electrify Everything. It clearly sets out the various costings and savings that can be had in each of the stages. He has even come up with some new acronyms –
ROC – Return on Comfort
ROE – Return on Environment
ROH – Return on Health (heard recently at a U3A Wonthaggi session)
ROR – Return on Resilience (at what price Resilience? This one is mine)
Coffee in Cowes powered by the BYD Seal which was charged by the sun.
The BYD Seal has a 3kW Vehicle to Load option (a common feature on the newer EVs), which allows the car’s battery to make your tea and toast whilst travelling or camping. In this case it was making coffee for a group of enthusiasts at a PICAL information session on EVs.
Werner Theinert has been teaching us about the joys of renewable energy since 2019. His next U3A Wonthaggi session, Watt you need to know about Renewables, starts on July 24. Details at U3A Wonthaggi.