3 ms·

Australia has so much solar that it's offering everyone free electricity

12 points by Bender 1y ago

gnabgib 1y ago
From Australian press (9 points, 1 day ago) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45806497 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45806497
scorpioxy 1y ago
That's a misleading title. A better source is at https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11-03/energy-retailers-offer-free-power-three-hours-dmo/105965472 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11-03/energy-retailers-offe... Basically, it is 3 hours in the middle of the day and not everyone qualifies. If you have solar, then you wouldn't be paying anything during most of the day anyway. If you don't and you're a working adult, then you wouldn't be home anyway. Just from my observation, there's a lot of solar installations here and the power companies were starting to complain about grid stability and negative prices. The feed-in tariff(what I get paid for exporting my power back to the grid) is now very close to zero and I believe will actually drop to zero next year. Some states are now contemplating charging customers for the export. So all in all, I think this announcement will have no effect on people's ability to afford the ever-rising energy prices here. The government did start a rebate for solar batteries recently though. And that had a beneficial effect on the prices and uptake for residences. Before that, the batteries would take too long to repay themselves and people were reluctant to install them.
- precommunicator 1y ago
  > and you're a working adult, then you wouldn't be home anyway As of 2024, 36% of Australians work from home (https://www.ceda.com.au/research-and-policy/research/economy/2024wfh-data-update https://www.ceda.com.au/research-and-policy/research/economy...)
  - scorpioxy 1y ago
    From what I can see, it's been decreasing rapidly especially this past year. Hybrid arrangements used to be offered at 1-2 days in the office and now it's down to 1-2 days at home. I've also seen quite an increase 2024 onward of full time at the office. Coincidentally, that's when the AU job market took a hit and layoffs started becoming a weekly occurrence.
    - toomuchtodo 1y ago
      Victorians could soon have the right to work from home two days a week under Australian-first laws - https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/aug/02/victoria-work-from-home-two-days-a-week-law-jacinta-allan-labor-party-state-conference https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/aug/02/victo... - August 1st, 2025
asdefghyk 1y ago
There is an excess of solar in the middle of the day, because there is no economical way to store it for when sun is not shining, typically at night time and when cloudy weather. The hard, and $$$ expensive, challenging, problem that has to be solved is storage of renewable energy on a massive scale. ( Personally I would just like the cheaper electricity that country was promised, instead of the price rises over the last few years.)

12 points by Bender 1y ago

From Australian press (9 points, 1 day ago) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45806497 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45806497

scorpioxy 1y ago

That's a misleading title. A better source is at https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11-03/energy-retailers-offer-free-power-three-hours-dmo/105965472 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11-03/energy-retailers-offe... Basically, it is 3 hours in the middle of the day and not everyone qualifies. If you have solar, then you wouldn't be paying anything during most of the day anyway. If you don't and you're a working adult, then you wouldn't be home anyway. Just from my observation, there's a lot of solar installations here and the power companies were starting to complain about grid stability and negative prices. The feed-in tariff(what I get paid for exporting my power back to the grid) is now very close to zero and I believe will actually drop to zero next year. Some states are now contemplating charging customers for the export. So all in all, I think this announcement will have no effect on people's ability to afford the ever-rising energy prices here. The government did start a rebate for solar batteries recently though. And that had a beneficial effect on the prices and uptake for residences. Before that, the batteries would take too long to repay themselves and people were reluctant to install them.

precommunicator 1y ago
> and you're a working adult, then you wouldn't be home anyway As of 2024, 36% of Australians work from home (https://www.ceda.com.au/research-and-policy/research/economy/2024wfh-data-update https://www.ceda.com.au/research-and-policy/research/economy...)
- scorpioxy 1y ago
  From what I can see, it's been decreasing rapidly especially this past year. Hybrid arrangements used to be offered at 1-2 days in the office and now it's down to 1-2 days at home. I've also seen quite an increase 2024 onward of full time at the office. Coincidentally, that's when the AU job market took a hit and layoffs started becoming a weekly occurrence.
  - toomuchtodo 1y ago
    Victorians could soon have the right to work from home two days a week under Australian-first laws - https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/aug/02/victoria-work-from-home-two-days-a-week-law-jacinta-allan-labor-party-state-conference https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/aug/02/victo... - August 1st, 2025

asdefghyk 1y ago

There is an excess of solar in the middle of the day, because there is no economical way to store it for when sun is not shining, typically at night time and when cloudy weather. The hard, and $$$ expensive, challenging, problem that has to be solved is storage of renewable energy on a massive scale. ( Personally I would just like the cheaper electricity that country was promised, instead of the price rises over the last few years.)