The introduction of charges for householders exporting solar electricity to the grid at times of low demand has prompted outrage among some solar owners, but experts say householders can do more to use their excess power at home.
Some electricity network companies have started to charge export tariffs to help cover the cost of upgrades to the energy grid so that it can securely manage more solar generation.
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Craig Memery, senior adviser, energy, at the Justice and Equity Centre (formerly the Public Interest Advocacy Centre) says how and the extent to which retailers passed on the export tariff is unclear.
“There’s plenty of transparency about how the cost plays out in the network tariff design, but not so much in terms of the outcome for people,” he says.
The Justice and Equity Centre didn’t campaign for export tariffs, and Memery says electricity prices are more of a concern.
“The impact of peak demand on networks from people’s electricity use is still a much bigger problem than the impact of export from solar,” he says.
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