Is It Time for Australia to Bring Renewable Energy Manufacturing Home?

Edge Utilities_Renewable Energy_Wind Turbines

Australia’s renewable energy sector is facing a litany of challenges, with a number of recent wind project delays marking just the tip of the iceberg. The halt in investment for the Karara Wind Farm, due to delays in turbine parts and escalating costs, highlights a broader problem. Queensland’s ambitions of generating 50 per cent of new renewable energy within the state now hang in the balance, a setback that underlines the pressing need for an overhaul in our approach to green energy.

As the Conference of Parties (COP 28) approaches in November, and with Australia seemingly off-course to meet its 2030 climate targets, international pressure is increasing. Engie Australia’s CEO, Rik De Buyserie, suggests that to even approach the 2030 climate targets, Australia would need 10,000km of new transmission, 44GW of new renewables, and 15GW of firming capacity.

Key figures in the industry, such as Markus Brokhof, COO of AGL, and De Buyserie have been vocal about the urgency of the situation. They argue that the current investment in renewable electricity is woefully inadequate to compensate for the looming closure of coal generation. Brokhof posits that it might be time for Australia to not just invest more, but to also bring the manufacturing of renewable energy components home.

The notion of upskilling our workforce and developing our own green manufacturing industry is a compelling one. With the logistical challenges of imports, scarcity of components, and rising costs, it may be the most feasible path towards our 2030 climate targets. Thus, echoing the sentiment of the famous 1996 football anthem, it might indeed be time to bring renewable energy ‘home’, transitioning Australia towards a self-reliant, green energy future.

This is a summary article from Edge2020 – read the original article.

The team Edge Utilities are passionate about renewables and sustainability, we are energy brokers with an eye on the planet. We are committed to helping councils and business communities reach their net zero goals through renewable power purchasing agreements (PPAs) and smart portfolio management.
To discuss options and plans for your community contact us at save@edgeutilities.com.au  or call us on 1800 334 336 to discuss. 

LIQUID BATTERY

Is metal battery technology the next game changer? Bill Gates has put some of his money behind the concept supporting a Massachusetts company to commercialise and grow its long duration energy storage systems.

Ambri has obtained $196M in funding from its largest shareholder, Bill Gates with Reliance Industries Limited from India and various other institutions including a Japanese Energy Fund.

Currently Ambri’s batteries have capacities of between 400kWh and 1,000kWh. 250kW batteries can provide storage from 4 to 24 hours.

Liquid metal batteries are constructed of a liquid calcium alloy anode, a molten salt electrolyte, and a cathode comprised of solid particles of antimony. The material used in the construction are relatively low cost and easy to assemble keeping the overall price down.

Ambri claim calcium and antimony electrodes are less than one third the cost of lithium, nickel, manganese, and cobalt currently used in lithium-ion batteries.

The new battery technology is also likely to last 20 years with very little performance degradation over time.

Batteries are likely to cost up to 50% less than equivalent lithium-ion systems from 2022 to 2030.

The longer-term plan for Ambri is to construct high volume manufacturing facilities in the United States and globally while in the short-term Reliance New Energy Solar will develop and manufacture the batteries in India.

3 MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT ENERGY BROKERS

Securing the best Energy Deal for your business should be one of the easiest things to do in a business, right? Wrong! Without the right guidance and information, it can also be one of the costliest.

A simple way to reduce the stress and increase your chances of locking yourself into the wrong deal is to reach out and sort the help of an Energy Broker. Not only will they save you time and energy, but they’ll also get you the best deal for your business.

Despite this, many people are still under the misconception that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. We’ve picked the top three misconceptions about Energy Brokers.

  1. Are Energy Brokers expensive?

Simple answer, nope.

This is probably the biggest mix-up out there. Energy Brokers help you at their own expense and are free for businesses like yours.

Most Energy brokers are paid a commission. At Edge Utilities, we earn between 1% – 2.5% on the energy component, paid by your chosen retailer, should you wish to contract with them.

If you decide not to contract, we don’t get paid. No deal. No pay!

  1. Do Energy Brokers act in your best interests?

You may be wondering… if an Energy Broker is free and gets commission, won’t they just go with their favourite retailers for the highest commission?

It’s easy to see how this could happen… and yes, it does happen! If a retailer is offering more commission, it seems obvious which deal, they would recommend, right?

This isn’t the case at Edge Utilities. Our biggest interest is to help a business owner choose a contract that’s right for them. What would you think would happen if the business is unhappy with their bill when they receive it?

They’ll go elsewhere and let other business around them know. Consequently, so does the commission. So, keeping everyone happy for as long as possible is the goal for Edge Utilities.

  1. Wouldn’t a retailer prefer working with the individual over a broker?

Not necessarily! A broker will assess your contracts and find a retailer with T&Cs to match your business needs. We do all the leg work and will also ensure all documents are filled out correctly, so you can do what you do best.

Another thing to remember is that most retailers love Energy Brokers. Paying a broker’s commission to bring in customers is a lot cheaper than paying employees to develop business.

Edge Utilities works for you

We will offer expertise, access to many options, and the ability to negotiate the best rates. Our job is to ensure your timing to enter a retail contract considers the underlying markets that ultimately drive your costs (which we analyse daily), to ensure you don’t end up on penalty rates, and to go to market to get you the best deal on the day we both decide to do that.

And did you know, we can also invoice?

Now is a good time to talk about your current agreements and if you have other sites that need this attention, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Call us on 1800 334 336 or email save@edgeutilties.com.au