AGL’s Virtual Power Plant - $3,849 [Metropolitan Adelaide Only & Other Conditions Apply] [Limited Offering Initially]

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aglsolar.com.au

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  [Deactivated] on 31/03/2017 - 15:38

  3 phase compatible?

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    1Kenobi on 01/04/2017 - 10:59

    It is single phase unit
    That said I have it connected to my 3 phase system
    I needed to rewire a bit to maximise the battery use on the house circuit.

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  cryinoutloud on 31/03/2017 - 16:29

  +1

  Why is it a "virtual" power plant? It's physical and real. A virtual power plant would imply that you buy in to some large-scale power plant (perhaps a wind farm) and own your own virtual part of it, say, 1kW of power.

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    froodh on 31/03/2017 - 16:38

    +4

    Its virtual in the sense that it is not in a single physical location, but rather distributed, and AGL can take control of each unit to export out to the grid in unison. 1000 inverters outputing 5kW each = 5MW of power. Not as much as the SA Government's proposed 100MW battery system, but nothing to sneeze at either.

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      JohnHowardsEyebrows on 01/04/2017 - 18:36

      +1

      And the concept is very much the future of power generation and distribution. As the price of panels continues to fall, and the efficiency continues to rise, and batteries become affordable, energy will be produced in abundance in the most efficient place possible - unused rooftop spaces - that will reduce the need for investment in generation and transmission assets, and turn into a mass marketplace.

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      danyool on 02/04/2017 - 08:36

      it is not in a single physical location

      So should be called a Decentralised power plant!

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        froodh on 03/04/2017 - 19:45

        The AGL marketing department would disagree

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    callum9999 on 31/03/2017 - 16:47

    I don't think many people would describe a (comparatively) small battery as being a powerplant. Its virtual because theyre effectively linking together all these systems to create a quasi-powerplant.

    Perhaps an argument could be made that it doesn't fit the exact definition, but it certainly makes sense.

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  freemoneyhunter on 31/03/2017 - 18:11

  +5

  Virtual power is the ultimate! It's really cheap too, I just plug my heater into the wall socket and pretend it is on, works really well after 2 glasses of cabsav.

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    Kangal on 01/04/2017 - 01:53

    That's either some cheap cabsav, or a really expensive energy alternative.

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  tunzafun001 on 31/03/2017 - 18:31

  +1

  I live in far north SA…the majority of mid summer or winter..pure sun. Plus a big tidal gulf of kinetic water.

  Build a solar, wind, wave, tidal, thermal heat plant here and we're sorted.

  AGL, I will even volunteer my property for an install location… but charging people for a 'battery'…genius…and then convincing people to pay $900 more again for a tradie to do a basic job that they could organise their own tradie to do for far less… you've got a thinker in your ranks.

  Maybe we should just start a kick-starter/ crowd funding campaign and get this sorted ourselves!

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    Kangal on 01/04/2017 - 01:55

    Nah, let's wait for AGL's IndieGoGo campaign first.
    It's not like Elon Musk would be there to help the South Aussies.

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  holdenmg on 31/03/2017 - 21:23

  Damn, SA could have kept Port Augusta Power Station for $23-5 Million with strings attach'd until mid-2018. lol

  If the "Liberal's" remaining in SA recycle the old "Turn on the lights, Australia" slogan, I think I'll sell the TV and go live in a cave.

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  havebeerbelywillsumo on 01/04/2017 - 22:36

  Must admit I'm confused as to where the bargain is here (and no disrespect to the OP & contributors to the thread)

  I pay for a battery in a technology that seems to be on the verge of concentrated development so you would reasonably expect significant technological improvements in the relatively near future.

  The battery has a depreciating performance…I realise that is part of the technology so to speak but I am locked in here, that is the bad part

  I am locked into a single supplier for x (10?) years, sorry didn't see where the time was specified.

  I pay to get the battery to operate for me if the grid goes down (this is a doozy IMHO, I feel I am paying extra to have the system operate as it should)

  The provider gets to "milk" my battery as they see fit and pay me (ha!) way under their charging rate. Is there ate a battery protecting limit on the amount they milk it eg stops at 30% chatged so as the battery is not stressed? I do know about deep cycle(?) batteries or whatever the term is so perhaps this is not an issue.

  The installation is rent free for the provider using my premises…what happens if I sell the property and move on?

  It may be a good idea for the battery to be installed in a location isolated from the house for safety reasons….provision of that location to be at my expense presumably…or would the installation be "forced" to be in the place deemed cheapest to install by the provider?

  As I say, no disrespect to any poster, but this seems to be a poor "deal" for the consumer. I've read this thread a couple of times and have noted the detailed figures some have provided but I am still confused as to the "bargain".

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  [Deactivated] on 02/04/2017 - 09:03

  Just buy an inverter to plug into your cigarette lighter and use your car battery
  If your going to open your fridge then you'll need your own genny.
  It's more likely that most power produced in a brown out will be from large diesel generators with these battery banks held up as window dressing.
  Would be very happy to be proved wrong, but really doubt AGL has even heard of ethics, let alone has any

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