LEDs could slash street light energy usage by 97%
By Matthew Wright on 29 July 2014
LED streetlights could achieve efficiencies of 97% by 2020 – much higher than domestic or commercial lamps. But are our governments enlightened enough?
Articles by Matthew Wright
LEDs will slash energy use for lighting by 95%
By Matthew Wright on 21 July 2014
LEDs will slash energy use for lighting by 95%, delivering huge savings to consumers but adding another ingredient to the death spiral for utilities.
Corporate cannibals: Electricity sector may have to kill gas to save itself
By Matthew Wright on 15 July 2014
The best opportunity for electricity sector growth and security is to cannibalise the gas networks.
Saudi solar robot cleans desert PV panels – water free
By Matthew Wright on 9 July 2014
Saudi University developed NO-water Mechanical Automated Dusting Device can clean solar panels in the desert daily, using no water at all.
Grattan capacity tariff idea still prices electricity unfairly
By Matthew Wright on 8 July 2014
A slight improvement on the current model, the Grattan Institute’s proposed electricity capacity tariff would still fail most consumers.
Solar’s new weapon – knowing the weather forecast
By Matthew Wright on 3 July 2014
Soon, all hybrid inverters will be able to process weather data, allowing solar households to get power at the cheapest price possible at all times.
Lousy weather won’t save Victorian networks
By Matthew Wright on 27 June 2014
Victorian’s can live without their grid if they’re forced to through unfair pricing. Even with that state’s fickle weather.
Frugal households subsidise rich and profligate energy users
By Matthew Wright on 24 June 2014
Households are being forced by incumbent energy monopolies to pay electricity supply charges for grid capacity that they don’t actually need.
PCM hot water storage: the next energy efficiency super star?
By Matthew Wright on 18 June 2014
For hot water storage, phase change materials should rank as the most important household energy efficiency product after insulation, heat pumps and solar.
Hybrid storage inverters to seal the deal for solar
By Matthew Wright on 13 June 2014
Grid operators and supportive governments may try and stymie solar, but the new wave of battery hybrids means the horse has already bolted.
Solar unlimited: How to use inverters to get past export limits
Solar panel system owners are becoming more and more ambitious about what they want from their PV systems, and are now installing 10kW + PV arrays and over-sizing their inverters.