Batteries
Should you buy a battery and sell at the peak rate?
The best feed-in tariffs are all evening rates — so why not buy a battery and sell at the peak? I ran the numbers on my own house, with a Tesla Powerwall.
Feed-in tariffs
What is a feed-in tariff?
It's the payment for solar you don't use yourself. Here's where that money comes from, and why it can never be very big.
Feed-in tariffs
The best solar feed-in tariff in Australia is 55.99 cents. You can't have it.
The highest rate in the country is 55.99 cents — and you almost certainly can't get it. Here's why, and the number on your bill that matters far more.
The Grid
What is a smart meter, and why you're getting one
The meter that finally makes your energy visible — and under new rules, every home in the national market is getting one by 2030.
The Founder's Note
The house I couldn't see into
I'm an environmental scientist with solar, a heat pump and an 8-star home — and I still couldn't tell you what any of it was actually doing. That gap is why this newsletter exists.
Batteries
Do you need a solar battery yet?
A battery runs nine to eleven thousand dollars installed. Before you spend it, there's something cheaper you almost certainly already own — and it's full of hot water.