Nearly a third of Queensland homeowners have a home battery storage system on their energy shopping list over the next decade.
Homeowners tell the annual Queensland Household Energy Survey they want to install electricity battery storage devices in their homes over the next decade to complement their rooftop solar panels, which will help power electric vehicles too.
The latest survey results are backed by householders’ enthusiasm for the government’s latest home battery grants programme, energy minister Dr Anthony Lynham says.
“Queenslanders embrace renewable energy, with one in three Queensland homes having rooftop solar panels,” he says.
“Battery storage is the next wave, and clearly Queenslanders plan to continue to stay on that wave to cut their power bills and their emissions.”
More than 2500 Queensland households have been approved for interest-free loans and grants to install rooftop solar and battery storage systems under the latest programme from the Government’s Affordable Energy Plan.
Lynham says electric vehicles (EVs) continue to grow in popularity with more than 2100 expected to be registered in Queensland late this year, eclipsing the number of hybrids.
According to the survey, interest in buying an EV has increased by 9% over the past two years, with respondents saying they would consider moving away from petrol vehicles once they have a charge range closer to 500km and the purchase price drops below $50,000.
However, Lynham is concerned about survey responses on tariff and rebate awareness.
The survey also showed the majority of Queenslanders are seeking to lower their energy costs, but more than two thirds of respondents didn’t know what electricity tariffs they were on and a quarter of concession holders were unaware of rebates available to them.
“I’d encourage consumers to talk to their retailers about what tariff options are available to them to reduce their costs,” Lynham says.
The survey asks 5000 people about their home energy usage and plans for their future energy use.
Energex and Ergon’s parent company Energy Queensland and Powerlink Queensland commissioned the survey, the largest study of its type in Australia, to help them plan for future power needs.
Energy Queensland chief executive officer David Smales says the results demonstrate Queensland continues to be ahead of the game in embracing the latest energy efficiency technology.
Powerlink chief executive Merryn York says the growing interest in household battery storage has important implications for the future planning of the electricity grid.
“The installation of battery storage is expected to ramp up once prices fall below $10,000 for an entry level system, which respondents highlighted as a financial tipping point for them to consider the technology,” York says.
Visit www.talkingenergy.com.au/qhes for more information.
