World-first battery testing taking place in Canberra will reveal critical information about the best ways to store renewable energy for when the sun's not shining and the wind's not blowing.
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ITP Renewables' new Lithium-ion Battery Test Centre at the Canberra Institute of Technology will run a $600,000 world-first trial, which will test the unproven claim that lithium-ion batteries charge faster, last longer and take up less space than traditional lead-acid batteries.
Five lithium-ion batteries will be tested over three years against one conventional lead acid battery, one advanced lead battery and the Tesla Powerwall in a climate controlled building at the CIT Bruce Campus.
The much-hyped Tesla Powerwall is a battery system which generates and stores solar energy during sunny periods and can then transmit electricity to your home during peak hours. It also transmits energy directly from the grid during off-peak periods and stores it in the Powerwall battery for later use via a hybrid inverter which converts direct current (DC) energy to alternating current (AC).
For the first time ever, these batteries will be tested under Australian conditions for the temperature they would experience in homes.
ARENA Chief Executive, Ivor Frischknecht, said the research would inform home owners, suppliers and investors of the different batteries' performances.
"Usually the manufactures will give you a specification but they tend to be done under lab conditions," Mr Frischknecht said.
"But that's not how people use their batteries. Some days are cloudy, some days are sunny, some days are cold and some are hot, so people will be able to see how they do in real conditions, and every six months data will be publicly made available so people can go online and see which ones perform better."
As plummeting battery costs and an increased reliance on renewables puts the county on the cusp of a home energy revolution, Mr Frischknecht said the research was vital.
And it's particularly important for Canberra, given the ACT government's commitment for the city to be fully powered by renewables in four years.
Environment and Climate Change Minister Simon Corbell said the ACT was leading the way in battery storage, after he announced in April that thousands of homes and businesses across Canberra will soon have access to stored renewable energy. Mr Corbell claimed this to be the largest rollout of subsidised battery storage outside Germany.
The provision is expected to attract $25 million of funding for batteries, supporting about 36 megawatts of energy storage, to be rolled out to more than 5000 homes and businesses across the ACT over the next four years.
"This test bed facility is critically important as part of that overall work as it helps to inform the real world experience of the rollout of batteries across Australia," he said.
Mr Corbell said Australian energy ministers will be meeting in Canberra on Friday to discuss how to plan the electricity market for more battery storage.
