PV-Magazine, July 2020 – Landlords and renters in Victoria can now apply for interest-free loans in addition to generous rebates offered under the state government’s Solar Homes program. In so doing, eligible landlords will be able to cut the upfront cost of installing PV by up to $3,700.

Victoria’s landmark $1.3 Solar Homes program currently offers landlords a subsidy of up to $1,850 on a solar power system, which is now coupled with an equivalent interest-free loan to encourage more solar installations that benefit renters.

“In Victoria, not owning your own home shouldn’t stop you from having access to cheaper, cleaner solar energy,” Minister for Solar Homes Lily D’Ambrosio said on Monday. “We know renters often dream of the chance to cut their energy costs and this expansion will help thousands more get that chance.”

Under the boosted program, landlords can apply and pay for the entire solar system themselves, or work with their renters for a loan repayment co-contribution of up to $19.27 a month. These convenient conditions in Victoria come in addition to the national solar rebate that can get thousands of dollars off the PV system price.

As per eligibility criteria, the property value must be under $3 million and have no solar panels installed. The landlord can have no more than two properties receiving the rebate under the Solar Homes program. The tenants have to be already renting the place and their combined household income must be under $180,000 per year.

In addition, the landlord and renters have to sign a Solar Homes Landlord-Tenant Agreement that will specify whether or not the tenant contributes to the zero-interest loan repayment. The tenant’s contribution can be from 5-50% each month of loan repayment, or up to $19.27 a month.

So far, more than 550 rental households across Victoria have benefitted from the Solar Homes program, according to the state government. As is the case with all benefits offered under the Solar Homes program, the number of rebates for rental properties is limited in each round. At the time of writing, there were 66 rebates for rentals remaining in this release.

Residential storage solution with LG Chem battery, SolarEdge inverter

The South Korean battery manufacturer has integrated SolarEdge’s Energy Hub system into its RESU 10H battery, which has a capacity of 5 kW and offers 9.8 kWh of storage.JULY 30, 2020 EMILIANO BELLINI PV Mag

LG RESU10H with SolarEdge Energy Hub Inverter Image: LG Chem

South Korean battery manufacturer LG Chem has incorporated SolarEdge‘s single-phase Energy Hub Inverter and backup interface in its 400 V residential lithium-ion battery RESU 10H.

“The Energy Hub Inverter and RESU pairing with a generator can reach up to 28kW of power and 60kWh of storage,” LG Chem stated. “This cutting-edge solution is scalable while maintaining efficiency, to support any size household.”

The 5 kW RESU 10H battery offers 9.8 kWh storage capacity. The incorporation of SolarEdge’s inverters can optimize the storage systems with a 90.8% combined system efficiency and 200% DC oversizing, the company claims. The battery measures 744 x 907 x 206 mm and weighs 99.8 kg. The voltage range is between 430 and 450 V.

The SolarEdge inverter has a maximum efficiency of 99.2% and a rated AC power of 3 kW to 7.6 kW.

“SolarEdge’s Energy Hub Inverter rating requires fewer components in the system design which increases the aesthetics but reduces the complexity of the installation,” LG Chem said. “The Energy Hub Inverter also provides homeowners the ability to monitor both solar production and energy storage through an all-encompassing app, called mySolarEdge.”