Australia to Surpass 100,000 Small Battery Systems Registered

Strategic Insights -

As of the end of June, the number of small battery systems registered in Australia since July 1 stands at nearly 100,000, with a cumulative capacity of just under 2,000 megawatt-hours (MWh). This capacity is equivalent to covering the average daily electricity consumption of nearly 400,000 households and is 15 times the size of the original South Australian Hornsdale Big Battery.

Key Takeaways:

  • The capacity of household batteries registered in the 17 weeks since July 1 is just under 2,000 megawatt-hours (MWh), enough to cover the average daily electricity consumption of almost 400,000 households.
  • The market has been supply-constrained, with rapid growth in the first three weeks due to an initial learning and scale-up phase related to administration processes.
  • From the fourth week to the 12th week, the number of system installs plateaued at around 1,000 systems per working day due to constraints in obtaining battery equipment and electricians with the required accreditation.
  • Since the 12th week, the rate of system installs has increased to around 1,500 systems per working day, likely due to improved battery stock availability and the influx of electricians obtaining accreditation.
  • The average size of systems registered has increased significantly, with the seven-day moving average reaching close to 25 kilowatt-hours (kWh), much larger than the historical norm and often larger than households' consumption needs.
  • Households installing larger battery systems achieve major labor productivity gains and provide the power system with extra storage capacity at a lower economic cost than smaller systems.
  • Larger battery systems also enable households to soak up all their solar generation and redirect it into a higher-value period of the electricity market.

Statistics:

  • The capacity of household batteries registered since July 1 is approximately 1,964 MWh.
  • The number of battery systems registered per week has increased from approximately 1,000 systems in the first three weeks to around 1,500 systems per week since the 12th week.
  • The average size of systems registered has reached close to 25 kWh.
  • The average daily electricity consumption of nearly 400,000 households is equivalent to the capacity of the registered battery systems.

Sources:

  • Global Data Point (2022)