iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 01/06/2025

Battery power in South Australia is starting to look really interesting. We're going to see the same in other states over the next few years.

000

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 26/05/2025

You should get in the habit of looking for credible sources of information before quoting numbers here. For example, ourworldindata.org/homelessness

100

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 07/05/2025

This is a major problem for me. They only support logins via your Google or Facebook logins. I have neither. But even if I did, I don't give these details to third parties. I'll set up a temporary Gmail address to play with this service some more.

000

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 04/05/2025

After 17 months with @amberelectric.bsky.social, the numbers are looking good. Average FiT is 22 cents vs my average usage rate of 21 cents. So, that's nice.

020

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 07/02/2025

Use the @brave.com.web.brid.gy browser and crush those ads. Data from my iPad…

000

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 04/02/2025

You should spend some time with AEMO's ISP, specifically, page 69. We only need 15 GW of gas generation in 2050. Gas generation is a trivial part of our overall energy mix.

110

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 22/12/2024

I still have my original Lord of the Rings (1974 edition and since re-bound) and The Hobbit. But otherwise, my minimalist and digital tendencies take over. 🤓

110

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 20/12/2024

Have a look at your bill, you'll see something like this. How much electricity you consume and export, and a separate per day charge for your DNSP connection. Or keep making shit up. I don't much care.

000

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 17/12/2024

What do you think happens? You seem to not understand that modern household inverters can be remotely instructed to limit or stop solar exports. They can also be remotely instructed to stop solar generation and operate entirely from the grid. You have some research to do! 🤣

000

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 17/12/2024

Ah, some content. Excellent. Now explain how "power balance and voltage rules" mean South Australia can't run a grid with… checks notes… 111.6% renewable generation at 11 am today.

110

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 17/12/2024

Nah, my a/c is on now, powered by solar, while I'm charging my EV. You still fail to understand how Aussie weather works. When it is very hot, the sun is inevitably shining. Sweet! The temp on my verandah is 39C right now. Even the pool is hot.

110

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 17/12/2024

Now you're just making shit up. Gas prices in Australia have gone through the roof. If you think coal generation is expensive, wait until you see gas generation prices. Gas is used for firming only for a reason.

100

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 17/12/2024

Sure, it's hot and sunny. Which is nice if you want to run the air con and charge the EV. Bugger the FiT. 🤣

000

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 16/12/2024

I've generated 13.3MWh this year, half of which supplied my household consumption. I needed to buy about 3MWh from the grid. I'm way ahead financially.

110

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 16/12/2024

If you don't have enough PV (I have 13kW), or a battery (I have 10kWh) or a modern inverter that supports export curtailment, or an EV, then Amber may not be the right choice. They make this pretty clear. If it's not a good fit, then you can swap to another retailer without notice.

100

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 16/12/2024

I don't mind having my solar export curtailed. But if AEMO wants to force me to import grid power, then they had better pay me for the privilege. Otherwise, I'll switch off the grid at my distribution board.

260

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 12/12/2024

Pro bsky tip. Create a list of the posters that you *really* want to follow closely. Pin the list. Then add this subset that you are following to this list. Then select this list at the top of your feed. Bliss!

000

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 08/12/2024

For the record, @amberelectric.bsky.social do honour their guarantee as evidenced by this recent email.

100

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 08/12/2024

@amberelectric.bsky.social estimates that 639km of EV range has cost me $5.90 in grid power over the last week. The rest comes from my roof. Their new EV charging controls are pretty slick. This is the new RE-enabled grid that will transform our economy over the next couple of decades.

210

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

Robert Parker's idiotic nuclear model forecasts that "CER investments" will magically cease growing. How? Why? He does say. The PV genie is out of the bottle. It is entirely rational to expect that every new home build or renovation will include rooftop solar from here on out.

210

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

What's analog about how my inverter communicates with my retailer in real-time via the internet? 🤣

100

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

If you say so. I have also seen negative grid prices, at which point @amberelectric.bsky.social turned off my rooftop PV and switched to the grid so that I was paid to consume power. This is how competitive markets work.

100

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

No, that's not what I said and that's not what the OpenNEM screenshot shows. The screenshot show "average" prices depending on the time period and state filter. Wind and solar prices are (almost) always lower. This shows NEM prices over the last 7 days.

100

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

Again, another pivot to a different topic. Some FiT offerings work this way. It depends on your retailer. I use @amberelectric.bsky.social so I am exposed to the wholesale market for both grid and FiT prices. This works out very well for me as I can sell power when prices are high.

100

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

NSW needs more power right now and so QLD, SA & VIC are supplying that power. This is how national grids are supposed to work.

100

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

I understand the need to pivot. Comparing electricity prices across countries is tricky. Our bills separate the cost of electricity (per kWh) and the cost of the network connection (per day). Last month, I paid 18.38 cents/kWh (AUD).

140

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

Over the last 12 months, SA has imported 9.9% of their electricity and exported 6.7%. SA has also operated in islanded mode on several occasions. So, this is not a valid criticism.

100

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

Aussies are investing in rooftop PV and batteries in large numbers. Retailers are investing in new products to service these customers. The benefits of these investments are now obvious.

110

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

And topping up the EV with cheap weekend electricity. Sweet! 🤣

120

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

The combination of an advanced app from @amberelectric.bsky.social, predictive analytics, and device integration is very powerful. Using the EV charging option, I've added 639 km of charge to my Tesla MY for $5.90. Weekends are excellent times to charge from the grid!

110

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

That how markets respond to price signals. What's important about Amber is that they are controlling my inverter in real-time in response to multiple signals. For example, I can specify that my EV will be charged if its SOC < 30% and the grid price < 30 cents.

010

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

It's a pretty interesting day in the electricity market. It appears that I'm getting paid 75 cents/kWh to charge my EV. Amber Electric AU has paused my PV in favour of grid power. Plus, I am running all the air conditioners on a hot day.

010

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

It looks like folks with PV & batteries near Sydney did well today. It's certainly sent my credit balance through the roof.

010

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

On the other hand, those of us with rooftop PV and batteries will be making money again today.

010

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

Amber has also just set up functionality for price-optimised EV charging. I'll probably turn this feature on shortly. It looks pretty comprehensive. help.amber.com.au/hc/en-us/art...

010

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

The Amber app lets me override its algorithm. I've played with this feature, but, in truth, the system seems to make better (aka optimised) decisions. Retailers who rat-fuck their consumers generally have a short and inglorious life in the market. 🤣

110

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

In Australia, gas generation is a higher price option than wind and solar. It won't "displace" renewables in our transparent, competitive market.

000

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

This means I get immediate feedback on my consumption and cost. Weekends have the cheapest grid power, so that's when I charge my EV if necessary. I also have a range of "optional" loads like a spa and pool heater, which I can turn on/off from my phone.

100

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

Net metering (in Oz: "smart" meters) and consumer demand response make no sense if consumers don't have visibility of their price and the ability to make a meaningful decision in response to a high or low price. I have an app showing prices and the automated response by my retailer.

100

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

The retailer. The FiT price can go negative. But then, so can my grid power price. So that seems fair enough. 😂

100

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

You might want to catch up on recent developments. In any event, the current turmoil in the US market suggests that Australia is better served by our transparent and competitive generation market. www.canarymedia.com/articles/sol...

110

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 17/11/2024

At which point we might consider building nuclear power plants here. But then the question will be whether nuclear power can be profitable in our competitive generation market. On current evidence, this is unlikely.

100

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 17/11/2024

Australia is fortunate that we have separated generation, transmission and retail into different ownership and created competitive generation and retail markets. This type of monopoly behaviour is impossible here. Rooftop solar & BTM batteries have led to lower consumer prices.

130

Roo Bar @roobar99.bsky.social · 13/11/2024

No one from Australia on that list? Not Saul Griffith? Simon Holmes à Court? Ross Garnaut? South Australia is on track to a 100% RE grid and no one qualifies? Our ISP target of 300GW by 2050? That sucks.

110