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SwitchedOn Podcast: The problem with community batteries

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As we embrace the renewable energy transition there’s a growing interest in ‘community’ batteries – they’re seen as a way for local communities to share energy resources, especially with people who can’t afford their own batteries or solar.

But Tristan Edis, the Director of Analysis and Advisory at the consultancy firm Green Energy Markets, says most of the medium sized batteries that have so far been installed in Australia and called ‘community’ batteries have failed to deliver value for energy consumers, or reduce energy bills.

He’s crunched the numbers and found the government has been funding big monopoly power companies to install ‘community’ batteries which produce power that is substantially more expensive than what a household battery can.

For more information about electrification and energy efficiency checkout SwitchedOn.

Reclaim Energy is a proud sponsor of the SwitchedOn Australia Podcast
https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1820377857

Anne Delaney is the host of the SwitchedOn podcast and our Electrification Editor. She has had a successful career in journalism (the ABC and SBS), as a documentary film maker, and as an artist and sculptor.

Anne Delaney

Anne Delaney is the host of the SwitchedOn podcast and our Electrification Editor. She has had a successful career in journalism (the ABC and SBS), as a documentary film maker, and as an artist and sculptor.

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