Meet Tom. His sheep graze under Neoen's Dubbo Solar Farm and he reckons the panels have made the land more productive, especially in the drought.

Whether you already have rooftop solar panels or are thinking about installing them in your home, tech enthusiast Harold thinks you should consider a solar battery system to complement them. 

With solar panels and a solar battery powering their home, Terry and his wife are part of a small but growing community of Australians who are ahead of the energy curve, taking energy production into their own hands.

Solar panels and batteries have seen a surge in popularity over the last decade, as technology rapidly evolves and consumers demand for a clean energy future. With prices dropping and governments injecting financial incentives across Australia, rooftop solar is becoming more of an expectation rather than a luxury choice, and solar batteries aren’t far behind.

So, what’s changed? And why should you invest in a solar battery now?

So, you’re getting a solar battery. You’ve done a ton of research online, made a few calls and chosen a qualified and accredited electrician to install your system. But you’re still confused by the details around solar batteries and want to know more.

Here are six questions you should ask your installer to ensure you’re in the know about your new solar battery system.

Have you been thinking about installing solar batteries in your home?

We live in a time where smart, renewable energy technology is becoming increasingly accessible and affordable.

If you want to boost your energy efficiency and reduce your environmental footprint, there are a few things you should consider before you purchase your solar battery system.

We saw last week that while the Morrison Government still warns against the rapid transition to renewable energy that the market has other plans.

As Australia’s renewables industry continues to boom, the uptake of home solar batteries is slowly on the rise.

If you’re on the fence about getting solar batteries for your home, let us help you make the switch. Here are four reasons why you should invest in this up and coming new technology.

There’s a world of difference between where the major political parties stand on repowering Australia with clean, renewable energy. Over the last 6 years, the Federal Government has attempted to derail the transition by reducing the large-scale Renewable Energy Target (RET), slashing funding for the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), and trying to stop the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) from funding solar and wind projects.

Now, the booming clean energy industry is facing bust because we still have no national energy policy to provide investment certainty when the RET finishes next year. Australia can’t afford another three years of anti-renewable attacks and energy policy uncertainty – it’s risking thousands of new jobs and billions worth of investment in regional areas.

See how the different parties’ energy policies compare before casting your vote on Saturday.

The Australian Labor Party

The ALP have committed to:

• Implementing a 50% renewable energy by 2030 target via the National Energy Guarantee policy framework;
• Allocating a further $10 billion to the CEFC;
• Creating a $5 billion fund to upgrade transmission infrastructure to allow for the transition;
• Providing a $2,000 rebate for 100,000 households to purchase and install battery systems;
• Establishing community energy hubs to support community renewable energy projects, including in Western Sydney;
• Establishing a Just Transition Authority to assist communities transition;
• Requiring electricity generators give three years notice before closure;
• Implementing a national electric vehicle target of 50% new car sales by 2030 and a government electric vehicle target of 50% of new purchases and leases of passenger motor vehicles by 2025;
• Creating a $200 million fund to roll out charging infrastructure across the country;
• Allocating $1 billion of CEFC funding to support the development of the clean hydrogen industry;
• Investing $3 million to establish a National Hydrogen Innovation Hub in Gladstone;
• Funding $75 million towards apprenticeship incentives and retraining workers for the growing clean energy industry;
• Supporting 4,000 schools become virtual power plants by installing rooftop solar PV.

The Greens

The Greens have committed to:

• Extending the RET to 100% renewable energy by 2030;
• Investing an additional $500 million in ARENA, with a rolling $300 million annual budget;
• Allocating an additional $10 billion in funding to the CEFC;
• Creating a $1.7 billion Clean Energy Export Development Fund;
• Establishing a $6 billion Grid Transformation Fund to build new publicly-owned transmission infrastructure to support the transition;
• Implementing an Energy Storage Target to help meet the total 419 GWh of dispatchable power required by 2030;
• Establishing a $1.2 billion Solar for All program to support landlords and apartment dwellers to install rooftop solar PV on their property or participate in local solar gardens.
• Investing $100 million in an Indigenous and remote communities power fund to assist with the transition;
• Investing $25 million in a community renewables program to support regional and community renewable hubs across the country;
• Creating a Household Solar Storage Scheme to provide household battery storage loans of up to $7,000 per household battery or 15,000 for small businesses;
• Aiming to double energy productivity by 2030;
• Banning new internal combustion vehicles by 2030;
• Creating a $1 billion Clean Energy Transition Fund to support workers to reskill.

The Liberal/National Coalition

At the moment, the LNP have enacted or committed to:

• Building Snowy Hydro 2.0;
• Building a second interconnector between Victoria and Tasmania;
• Helping households and businesses improve energy efficiency as a part of their $3.5 billion Climate Solutions Package;
• Developing a National Strategy for Electric Vehicles;
• Funding a $10 million feasibility study into a new coal-fired generator in Queensland;
• Underwriting electricity generation, potentially including new gas generators and an upgrade to the Vales Point coal-fired generator;
• Introducing a default market offer to act as a price safety net for electricity consumers;
• Implementing “big stick” legislation to protect electricity consumers;
• Investing $50.4 million to help regional communities invest in new micro-grids.

Written by Ainsley Kelso, Solar Citizens intern.

With the NSW state election just days away, it’s necessary to take a look back at what energy commitments the parties have made before casting your vote. Each of the following parties have policy commitments in place regarding their views on renewables and the future of NSW. Solar Citizens has three policy asks of the parties; support solar for 100,000 renters, a fair price for solar owners and 4,000 MW of new large-scale renewable and storage capacity. So far, NSW Labor has committed to two out of three of those asks, while the NSW Government has committed to none.

Liberal Party/Nationals have committed to...

• Assist up to 300,000 households access rooftop solar and battery systems across NSW over the next 10 years by providing no-interest loans;
• Support a government agency target of 25,000 megawatt hours of energy a year from rooftop solar by 2021 and 55,000 megawatt hours a year by 2024;
• Change strata laws to make switching to solar easier for people living in apartments;
• Allocate $20 million to purchase up to 900 batteries with a total 13 MW capacity for schools and hospitals;
• Add another $20 million to the Emerging Energy Program to encourage private investment in dispatchable generation, taking the total spent on the program to $75 million;
• Provide $30 million to the Regional Community Energy Program;
• Create a $10 million program for recycling solar panels and batteries;
• Change to 10% hybrid or electric government-owned vehicles by 2020 with $5 million allocated for charging stations.

Labor Party have committed to...

• Implement a fair price for solar;
• Invest $100 million to install solar systems at 350 schools in NSW;
• Support a minimum of 50% renewable energy by 2030 including powering all government agencies with clean energy by 2025;
• Create a rebate of up to $2,200 to support 500,000 households to install solar by 2030;
• Work towards 4 GW of reverse auctions for clean energy and storage by 2023 and 6 GW by 2030;
• Create 1 GW of publicly-owned clean energy and storage by establishing a state-owned renewable generator;
• Provide $11 million to train electricians in solar and battery storage;
• Review the energy performance of rental properties and bring in minimum efficiency standards by 2025;
• Change to 25% electric government-owned vehicles by 2025 with $10 million allocated for charging stations.

The Greens Party have committed to...

• Implement a fair price for solar;
• Create a publicly-owned renewable electricity supplier and retailer, PowerNSW, to build 100% renewable energy supply by 2030.
• Advocate for mandatory solar and batteries for all new homes;
• Introduce a $2000 rebate for the introduction of solar panels and storage for 500,000 homes over four years;
• Establish a community solar offset scheme for apartment owners and renters, with the aim of involving 200,000 participants over four years;
• Invest $250 million in all public housing and government buildings to get solar panels, helping 110,000 public housing tenants receive electricity rebates.

Shooters, Fishers, and Farmers Party have committed to...

• Support the immediate construction of a new high efficiency, low emission coal power plant in the Hunter Valley;
• Oppose the use of taxpayers money to subsidise intermittent energy sources like solar or wind;
• Support the utilisation of nuclear energy.

In summary, the NSW Government’s renewable commitments fall well short of the scale that we need to responsibly transition NSW to clean, renewable energy, and their policies do little to help all NSW households access rooftop solar.

Labor has taken a substantial step forward by aiming to build 4GW of new renewable generation over the next term of government, although again, they have no plan to assist NSW’s thousands of renters and apartment dwellers access cost-cutting solar.

With a wide range of energy policies on the table this state election, the outcome will shape the future of NSW and determine how far we progress towards clean, affordable renewable energy for all.