Renew 152 out now: energy storage guide

Renew 152 is out now, and features our updated guide to household battery systems. We look at features to look for (including blackout backup) and provide a table of the systems available. We also look at how the industry has changed since 2017: this time we found many more examples of energy storage systems ‘in a box’, particularly in Adelaide where thousands of battery systems have been installed in homes as part of a virtual power plant that’s providing benefits to the grid and householders.

The recent coronavirus lockdown and enforced home working has made many of us reconsider our home offices. At Renew, some staff members who’ve never worked from home before have faced computing and heating challenges. We hope our guide to the energy-efficient home office can help all those experiencing both short and longer term home-based working.

Renew’s not-for-profit publisher is calling for Australia’s COVID-19 recovery to build resilience in cities. We list seven practical steps to get there, including building and retrofitting energy-efficient housing, investing in local industries that make clever use of our renewable energy resources and using the opportunity to rethink the ways our transport systems and suburbs are built.

As always, there’s more. We look at the sustainability of compostable plastics, an issue that raises many questions about the larger problem of plastic waste. We present our solar modelling calculator’s approach to calculating the impacts of overshadowing on solar systems. We hear about a project in Timor Leste that’s using open-source plans to build plastic recycling machines that are cleaning up the beaches and providing an income for locals. And we look into whether using your EV’s battery to power your home is just around the corner. Plus much more—enjoy!

Renew 152 is out now! Buy it online and get free shipping, find it on news stands, or become a subscriber to get every issue delivered.