A new poll has found that most Australians expect batteries, which store renewable electricity, to be a key foundation for affordable, reliable energy.
The Reachtel poll found that 74 per cent of people polled from across Australia expect household batteries to be commonplace in homes in the next decade. When asked what is the key motivation for adding a battery to rooftop solar power systems, over half said to reduce power bills.
“Australians love rooftop solar, and most now expect home battery storage to be as commonplace as dishwashers in our homes in a decade,” said Amanda McKenzie, chief executive, the Climate Council.
“Rising energy prices and a lack of a Federal energy plan are driving many people to take back control of energy. We’re getting smart to the fact that our energy system is changing.”
More than a third (38 per cent) of the respondents said they already own rooftop solar and 68 per cent of those people would consider adding a battery to their solar power set-up.
As well as the acceptance for smart energy storage in the home, the poll also explored the public’s understanding of the role of large-scale energy storage; like the world’s largest battery being rolled out in South Australia by Tesla. The majority polled (55 per cent) thought large-scale batteries like this would be commonplace in a decade too.
More than half of those polled (52 per cent) now understand that large-scale energy storage enables wind and solar to provide power 24/7, on demand.
When asked what is the key benefit that large-scale batteries deliver, Australians said:
- 25 per cent making our energy system more reliable
- 24 per cent making our electricity cheaper
- 19 per cent making our system more efficient
“Battery storage actually solves many problems – from storing excess energy, smoothing out spikes in demand and re-dispatching power during peak load