It seems likely the next wave of grid defectors will use Li ion batteries known to have overheating problems. It is a worry when an estimate of the payback period for Tasmania is 12 years when lithium batteries need replacing after 10 years. That makes the idea of leasing them from a power company (who use wireless control) more attractive. The benefit to the homeowner is free repair and replacement but I think the power company would need thousands of largish home batteries to use as a source of peak power.

It's also a worry that AEMO's report on emerging technologies predicts 8 Gwh of stationary battery storage by 2035 when nationally we use 248,000 Gwh a year. I make that less than half an hour of supply. An earlier OLO article by Richard Di Natale's off-grid neighbour recommended 5 days of storage.

Sometimes provocation is used as a defence. If diesel generators are coming to the suburbs I foresee sledgehammer attacks at 11 pm. Homes staying on the grid may end up paying more. Apart from conflict between neighbours I don't think home generators are a sign of progress.

Martin Nicholson,

Excellent post thank you. There is nothing like real world experience to provide a reality check for those who haven't had the experience.

I am very familiar with being off grid. I grew up on a property and we were off grid for the first 18 years of my life. I can still remember my father's enormous relief and celebrations when the transmission line came through. We had to get the very large 100 year old house rewired and connected at huge cost to us. But a really great relief for everyone. Our pumps for pumping water from the river to reservoirs and our shearing shed were all converted from diesel engines to mains power supply.

Before the transmission line came through we had a Lister diesel engine and 110 V generator and large room with rows of large lead acid batteries. The batteries had to be replaced around every five years or so at great expense. When the batteries were new we had to run the generator about two or three ties a week. When the batteries were getting towards the end of their life the generator had to run every day and whenever any major appliances were being used and also at night until we all went to bed.

Thanks Taswegian. I hadn't thought of the Li-ion batteries issue being known to have overheating problems. I wonder how Tesla will deal with that and the property insurance companies.

MN lithium battery problems is one of the theories behind the fate of flight MH370. If a home battery did overheat it will be like pink batts causing fires. The 10 year guarantee given by Tesla on Powerwall batteries is apparently for manufacturing defects not loss of performance. We need an early adopter to honestly report performance for that decade.

Less troubled nickel-iron batteries might need a shed or a fair chunk of garage space. The standard 0.1 ha house block could get a bit crowded with batteries, rainwater tanks, undercover parking for the EV, vegie patch etc.

A bush block dweller near me had tracking PV and an ex-Telstra lead acid battery pack. Along with the diesel backup the gear was problem plagued. He said 'I'm getting too old for this {excrementatious reference} why can't everybody just have cheap nuclear power?' So incorrect.

Lithium cobalt doesn't seem to have overheating problems? And I daresay the inclusion of graphene will make batteries ten times better in capacity and recharge time?

A handy deposit of graphene recently discovered near Sydney seems promising, as does a graphite deposit near the Isa.

I just can't wait to replace my reticulated electricity with a battery wall, given I make more than enough power for my entire needs with a 4.2 Kw solar system.

the fact I'm paying as much as $250.00 a quarter to the power company, proof I believe, that I and many more just like me are being ripped off?

Given I was earning just an 8 cent kilowatt hour tariff for my electricity contributions, the company's lowest charge was 11 cents per kilowatt hour and therefore making money on my small, costless to them, contribution. I'm going off grid at the first opportunity! I'm ropable at being ripped off!?

Let them study the profit graph when I and thousands like me exercise the off grid option!
Rhrosty.

Rhrosty, let us know when you get the battery system you need for your 4.2kW solar system. I estimate you would need a 10 kWh battery system probably costing $12,000. This battery will last about 10 years - so it would cost you $1,200 a year - more than you are paying for grid connection. Anyway good luck and let us know how it goes.