The NSW government has launched a new program, incentivising households and businesses with rooftop solar to install batteries.
Category
đŸ“º
TVTranscript
00:00 Roughly one million homes across NSW can generate electricity from the sun. Energy that isn't
00:07 used can be stored in batteries attached to solar panel systems. These batteries can help
00:13 people get the most out of their solar panels as well as boost the reliability of the state-wide
00:18 grid. But the NSW Government says the uptake of batteries, which is at about 20% for homes
00:24 with solar panels, can be much improved. That's why it's today announced a new incentive under
00:31 its Peak Demand Reduction Scheme. This discount can also be considered for homes wishing to
00:36 install a new solar or battery system. And there's also up to $400 for connecting a battery
00:42 to a virtual power plant, which groups power produced from rooftop solar and batteries
00:48 to be used in the grid only when it's needed. This is a cost of living measure that helps
00:53 them deal with energy prices. But for NSW as a whole, these kind of systems are setting
00:59 us up for the future where we can manage price spikes. The people who will be exporting their
01:06 energy into the grid at times of peak demand, when it's really, really hot and we need as
01:11 much energy as possible, they'll get paid for that. But importantly, they'll help the
01:15 cost of electricity for everyone else across the grid. I'm here at Arndale Park in Sydney's
01:20 West, the home of Blacktown's Reposit Power. It's facilities like this one that distribute
01:25 household batteries. Today's announcement comes just one day after Origin and the state
01:30 government signed a deal which allows Araring Power Station at Lake Macquarie to stay open
01:36 for another two years past its original 2025 closure. Under the agreement, the state government
01:43 would not make upfront payments to Origin, but would cover losses of up to $225 million
01:49 a year. The announcement has been met with mixed reaction. Minister Sharpe said Araring
01:54 would not impact the state government's emission reduction targets for 2030, but admitted that
01:59 there needs to be more renewable energy in the system to meet those targets. Full detail
02:04 of the agreement between Origin and the state government will be tabled in NSW Parliament's
02:09 next sitting. Households can access these new solar and battery incentives from November 1.
02:15 [BLANK_AUDIO]