We’re all pretty busy nowadays, whether it be with work, family, friends or binge watching a few series on Netflix. Most of us really don’t have the time to monitor our solar electricity usage (unless it’s the first few days after you get a mammoth bill and you end up pacing around the house turning off all the lights), but without monitoring it can be difficult know when to switch from solar to stored power. We wanted to change all that, not only so you can get back to your shows, but also because saving the environment and your cash is pretty much a win-win.

So our team of tech-savvy scientists got to work on plans for Australia’s first intelligent home solar and battery management system, launched today with renewable energy start-up Evergen.

How does it work?

The system chooses the most efficient source for the household’s electricity supply at any given time, switching from solar to stored power as required.  There’s even an app for it (because what’s new technology these days if it doesn’t have an app?!), where you can see the system going through the motions of performing diagnostics, analysing weather forecasts, charging and discharging the battery, and of course powering the home with solar energy. It also has the added bonus of showing you just how much money you’re saving with the system.

A powerful idea

Our Energy Director Dr Peter Mayfield is excited to see our very own technology available in Australian homes.

“CSIRO has been at the forefront of solar and battery technology research for many years, and we are committed to the development of intelligent systems and tools which change the way we use energy,” Dr Mayfield said.

“We know that consumers are viewing their household electricity differently and taking more control; intelligent systems allow them to do this with ease.”

Evergen is expected to generate an additional 20 per cent savings over existing domestic solar and battery solutions, and will also extend battery life through the use of our smart technology. Aussies can purchase the system in an early release program now, with a second-stage release program due to be rolled out in January 2017.

Want to find about more of our bright ideas? Check out our other energy work here.