"South Australian home battery scheme now half the size of Tesla big battery"

Tesla Powerwall 2 (Source: One Step Off the Grid)

The South Australian government’s Home Battery Scheme has reached a major milestone, securing 5,500 installations and orders, and adding significant new storage capacity from the “virtual power plant” [VPP] technology that enables their resources to be combined.

The 5,500 home battery systems already installed or on order can store up to a combined 62MWh of electricity, the equivalent of around half of the state’s Tesla big battery, officially known as the Hornsdale Power Reserve.

The South Australian government aims to install 40,000 additional residential battery systems through its VPP scheme, which it is supporting with the provision of subsidies of up to $6,000 per system. Owners of home batteries in the VPP scheme are paid a premium price for their energy when it is needed during peak demand times. Batteries can release the energy immediately thus providing effective grid support and helping avoid blackouts.

The home batteries’ VPP together with 3 big grid scale batteries (with three more being built) will help South Australia balance wind and solar power through grid services. Having ample storage of renewable energy helps the South Australian government move towards its goal of net 100% renewable electricity by 2030.

Read more: South Australian home battery scheme now half the size of Tesla big battery. RenewEconomy, January 14, 2020.