<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/practical-equitable-cute-labors-free-solar-plan-sparks-call-for-more-electrification-and-flexibility/>
"The federal energy minister’s plan to make electricity free for three hours in
the middle of each day for customers in Default Market Offer regions has made a
big splash in the energy world, and sparked calls for more electrification and
demand flexibility.
Chris Bowen told
ABC radio Tuesday morning that the basic principle of the
proposed Solar Sharer offer is simple: “Use the abundant excess daytime solar
from Australia’s millions of rooftop PV systems to help make the default market
offer (DMO) “as attractive as possible for those who are on it.”
After all, Australia’s rooftop solar riches often mean daytime electricity
prices are either negative or negligible, so why not compel energy retailers to
pass through those benefits to DMO consumers.
But the detail – and the application – of the proposed reform is a bit more
complicated. And some are worried that, without additional policy mechanisms to
drive electrification and flexible energy management, it could miss the mark or
have unintended consequences.
Rewiring Australia says it’s a smart reform that will lower bills and
emissions, but has also seized the opportunity to push for more government
support to electrify homes.
“Today’s announcement is a big win for consumers across the energy system,
especially for renters and apartments who often miss out on savings from having
their own solar panels,” Rewiring Australia CEO Francis Vierboom said.
“In the middle of the day, our grid is humming with cheap solar. The underlying
price of that electricity is often zero or negative. This Solar Sharer reform
means energy retailers will have to pass on those ultra-low prices to consumers
for at least three hours.
“That’s enough time to heat up a hot water tank, blast the air conditioner to
cool a home on a hot day, run a pool pump, or charge an EV, and each one of
those could mean hundreds of dollars of savings per year.
Here’s a round-up of other reactions to the proposed market reform, so far."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
