As rooftop solar and battery installation accelerate across the country, GloBird Energy is evolving its offerings to meet the demands of a changing grid.
With some of the best solar resources in the world, it’s no surprise that Australia takes the cake for the highest solar photovoltaic installations per capita.
The solar boom over the last 15 years has transformed how energy is generated, but not necessarily how it’s used.
As millions of homes and businesses pump power into the grid from their rooftop solar systems during sunny midday hours, grid demand dips. In the evening, solar output reduces as the sun sets, but households ramp up their energy use, causing demand to surge.
This mismatch in supply and demand, known as the duck curve, is a significant challenge for stability and efficiency in the electricity network. One way to ease pressure on the grid is through batteries, storing solar when it’s in high supply and then exporting it to the grid when it’s needed most.
GloBird Energy developed its ZEROHERO energy plan to help customers align their household solar and battery capacity with broader network needs and reward them in the process.
ZEROHERO integrates individual home batteries into a virtual power plant (VPP), offering incentives for strategic energy use and export.
The energy retailer said the plan benefits solar battery customers in three key ways.
ZEROCHARGE
Free power between 11.00am – 2.00pm, enabling households to charge their battery directly from the grid – even when solar generation is low due to poor weather.
ZEROHERO
Customers can earn $1 every day if they draw less than 0.03 kilowatt hours (kWh) per day from the grid during the evening peak, helping to offset their daily supply charge and allowing them to earn up to $365 per year.
SUPEREXPORT
Higher feed-in tariffs apply to the first 10kWh of energy exported to the grid during the evening peak each day – rewarding customers who discharge their battery with increased returns for their energy. These are designed to help customers unlock the full potential of their solar battery system, rewarding them for storing solar when it’s abundant, reducing energy use during peak times and exporting it during high-demand periods.
GloBird Energy said ZEROHERO isn’t just about individual savings for customers; it’s about creating a collective energy solution. To do this, the company consolidates the energy of those who join the plan to create a VPP. As more households join, their collective energy becomes more valuable, and it can be monitored, managed and dispatched with greater precision and to greater effect.
GloBird believes effective coordination always delivers better results than individuals acting on their own. The same principle applies for the VPP.
By pooling it all together, GloBird Energy achieves what it calls a critical mass of valuable energy, enabling it to export the critical mass to the grid during peak demand, when prices are higher.
The result is a win for all involved. GloBird Energy benefits from the flexibility and efficiency of a solar battery network, while customers can enjoy lower electricity bills and a higher return on solar and storage investments. The grid benefits from a better-balanced supply.
The duck curve won’t disappear overnight, but with solutions like GloBird Energy’s ZEROHERO, it can be ironed out one rooftop at a time.
For more information, visit globirdenergy.com.au
