VAT relief on battery storage

Joju Solar Co-founder, Dr Chris Jardine, takes us through what’s included in this latest government VAT relief announcement on energy battery storage. We also hear Chris's view on why the announcement's been made, and why it’s a good time to store your own electricity at home for use when you need it most.

[@coniow]

I have had a Powerwall 2 since 2018 and am very pleased with it. BUT. Where I can charge the battery on the off peak rate with Octopus Flux, it only lasts for 3 hours (from 02:00 to 05:00), and only charges at 1.8k Not enough to anywhere near fill the battery. If I charge the car it will take 6k plus. So not the system, just the charge rate being throttled. So I have to use energy at the day rate for most of the day, with the battery covering the Peak (16:00 to 19:00), and the evening. I am toying with adding a Libbi to the system so I could charge the Powerwall and the Libbi at the same time, (doubling the charge), where as if I add another Powerwall I would still only get the 1.8k for 3 hours but over 2 batteries, not one. However, I find myself asking how long the Off Peak rates will last: When every body starts to charge their cars and house batteries over night, will the surplus be used up, to become a steady load more or less 24/7 as day usage would correspond with night usage? Certainly very good for the grid, but makes expanding my system a bit pointless. Still worth having a battery for Summer overnight use of stored Solar from the day, but of much less use during the Winter.