this post was submitted on 25 Feb 2025

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State Labor promises $5,000 home battery rebate to slash bills, soak up rooftop solar - One Step Off The Grid (onestepoffthegrid.com.au)

submitted 3 months ago by Gorgritch_umie_killa@aussie.zone to c/perth@aussie.zone

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Western Australian Labor has unveiled plans to slash the cost of home battery storage, with state government rebates of up to $5,000 per household, or $7,500 for households on the regional Horizon Power grid....

Eligible households would have up to 10 years to repay the no-interest loans of $10,000 or less....

Cook has also promised to invest $50 million of public money to a Battery Manufacturing Program of direct grants and low-interest loans to support the development of a home battery supply chain in the state.

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[–] Gorgritch_umie_killa@aussie.zone 5 points 3 months ago (1 children)

What a policy winner!

I love the Manufacturing program part especially. I think it could be a great sustainable manufacturing industry for the Bunbury area.

A full production line from raw lithium, to ready to install batteries sent out of Bunbury port could be such a value add industry for the Southwest.

[–] Funky_Beak@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Issue being that lithium is underneath the state forrest and jarrah trees need it to grow. I'd rather trees. Not saying we don't need lithium just be smart where we get it from.

[–] Gorgritch_umie_killa@aussie.zone 2 points 3 months ago

Yeah, i was definitely skipping over that part about the forrests. Hadn't clocked the need for Lithium for a trees' nutrients.

[–] Dimand@aussie.zone 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Whilst trace lithium is important for many biological functions, it seems unlikely to me that a particular tree would require significant quantities of lithium to thrive.

Having a quick google it seems the issue is a particular forest that exists in a place that companies wished to prospect for lithium. I couldn't find any evidence of a high lithium dependence for Jarrah trees.

I would be very surprised if it's not possible for us to mine lithium deposits and also have healthy forests. Though typically companies just care less about flattening acers to get to the money making rocks.

[–] Funky_Beak@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 3 months ago

Interesting. It seems to be scrubbed. They seem to be more worried about water supplies as a reason. But the reason that rehabilitation isn't possible is that the two things these forrests need are bauxite and lithium.

[–] Dimand@aussie.zone 5 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Yep. Great idea and seemingly decent implementation. Even with some hiccups the net benefits will be unmatched to any other energy policy for the price.

[–] Gorgritch_umie_killa@aussie.zone 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Thats the thing. I's saying to someone just last week that it almost doesn't matter about the climate benefits of the solar and battery energy combination for homes.

When you've got a legitimate amount of energy independence on the table, thats such a compelling argument for so many who aren't necessarily committed to climate goals for whatever their overly personal reasons.

Its a market making allignment of interests.

[–] Dimand@aussie.zone 3 points 3 months ago

Yep. Doesn't matter if you're the biggest redneck or the greenest hippy on the street the common factor is everyone wants the lights to stay on and they don't want to pay through the nose for it. Solar has already won, we can't even come close to touching it with any other tech.

[–] Eyekaytee@aussie.zone 4 points 3 months ago

This needed all across Australia, especially in SA where it could save SA households thousands

[–] quokka1@mastodon.au 2 points 3 months ago (2 children)

@Gorgritch_umie_killa What's the ROI on batteries these days? When I've done the maths in the past it just wasn't worth it. A 10 year loan sounds like you'd just finish paying for it when it needs replacement?

[–] kronicd@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

A ten year interest free loan ends up being a massive discount on the battery as inflation and wage growth reduce the real cost of the loan.

Of course this depends on wage growth actually occurring, but that's the theory.

[–] Gorgritch_umie_killa@aussie.zone 1 points 3 months ago

I'd hope the batteries would last more than ten years. But yeah i suspect this is why its a no-interest loan, otherwise ROI on such a depreciating asset could be killer.

Personally i've never felt in a financial position to get on the Solar and Battery train, (been doing slow, and costly reno's). After a coversation with my partner today, i think this has now changed our calculus. So i suppose over the next few months i'll be looking for a more solid idea myself.

If you have any links that cover this stuff that you used before, i am very interested!