Solar homes should be able to sell extra power to neighbours, report says

Households powered by solar energy should be able to sell, share or donate any extra electricity they generate, researchers at two Melbourne universities say.

Solar-powered households should be able to sell their excess energy to other residents or even donate it to charity, a report has suggested.

Residents were so disillusioned with power companies that they wanted to opt in to a sharing economy in the energy market, according to the report by RMIT and Monash University researchers.

Consumers were enthusiastic about generating and storing their own energy, and wanted to share extra electricity rather than deal with power companies, the Engaging Households Towards The Future Grid report found.

LARGEST SOLAR SYSTEM ON MELBOURNE FACTORY

CALLS FOR SOLAR PANEL SUBSIDIES TO BE SCRAPPED

CROWN HARVESTING THE SUNSHINE

Homes that produce more electricity than they use can store it in batteries or feed the power back into the system for a credit on their bill.

The current minimum feed-in rate is 9.9c per kilowatt hour. That minimum rate is due to rise to 12c in July.

The falling price of electricity storage units has meant households have energy to spare.

But energy-rich homes could still sell excess power, and at well below the Victorian average of about 28c per kWh.

Consumers were keen to sell, share or donate, said the report’s lead author, Larissa Nicholls, from the RMIT Centre for Urban Research.

“It’s so easy to find a spare room to rent on Airbnb, or catch a ride in an Uber, and it could be just as easy for Australians to trade, share, or even donate their spare energy,” Dr Nicholls said.

“The concept of sharing or donating energy is appealing as a response to this widespread concern for vulnerable people, who may struggle with the cost of energy or be unable to access renewable power.’’

About 2 million Australian homes now have solar panels.

The research found households in Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide wanted to provide home-­generated electricity to other people rather than boost ­energy company profits, Dr Nicholls said. While technology for “peer-to-peer trading” does not exist, smartmeter technology could allow the idea to be put into practice.

The researchers urged that rather than allowing the disruption of the accommodation and taxi industries that was caused by AirBnB and Uber, governments should co-­ordinate the sharing of solar energy from an estimated 2 million Australian homes.

“Ideally, it (the system) would to have to be clear and comprehensive for consumers,’’ Dr Nicholls said.

The expected take-up of electric vehicles in coming years would also increase the demand for domestic energy.

[e-mail]

@IanRoyall