After the huge blackouts, this is what has been reported in the...

After the huge blackouts, this is what has been reported in the AFR today.......needless to say
the technology is

Technology Wall mounted, rechargeable lithium ion battery with liquid thermal control.

Here is the story



Tesla battery system demand jumps 30 times




Key points

   Consumers have become attuned to blackout proofing following recent storms.

   Some demand is aimed at taking homes off the national electricity grid entirely.  

   Demand for Tesla’s Powerwall home storage batteries has jumped more than 30 times at some large installers after power blackouts in two states.

   Installers say ‘‘blackout proofing’’ has become a new buzzword among householders.

   The surge in inquiries about home storage battery systems has been almost overwhelming as it adds a new level of demand from customers previously focused on environmental considerations and reducing power bills from weaning themselves off the traditional electricity grid.

   Natural Solar managing director Chris Williams, who runs a national firm with its headquarters in Sydney, said the biggest jump had been in South Australia and Victoria, but demand had spiked across the country after the blackouts put the future of electricity grids and renewable energy sharply into the national spotlight.

   ‘‘We have seen a massive pick-up in demand,’’ Mr Williams said on Thursday. ‘‘It’s been 30 times the normal levels’’.

   ‘‘The interest in back-up power is enormous’’. He said the biggest spike had come in the first five days after the South Australian power blackout on September 28.

   But the blackouts in parts of Melbourne after storms had added a wave of inquiries in Victoria and nationally and that had continued in the past few days.

   Another installer, Off-Grid Energy Australia, with headquarters in Adelaide and a large customer base in Victoria, has experienced similar strong demand.

   Emily McMahon, one of the cofounders of the business which started in 2011, said on Thursday that customers were now talking about blackout proofing, along with the environment and returns on investment from going off the grid.

   ‘‘Blackout proofing has become a really big point,’’ she said. Off-Grid installs Tesla Powerwall systems and RedFlow’s ZCell batteries among its offerings and Ms McMahon said the   blackouts had been a catalyst for many customers who may have been thinking about home storage batteries but hadn’t made firm decisions yet.

   ‘‘People are sick of the grid in general and the high electricity prices,’’ she said.

   The blackouts had jolted them into action. Tesla, led by the entrepreneurial Elon Musk, has been at the forefront of home battery storage products globally, while ASX-listed Redflow Ltd has a market capitalisation of $170 million and is a growing player in residential systems.

   While householders are taking action themselves in the wake of the blackouts, BHP Billiton was on Thursday gearing up for full production at its Olympic Dam mine after finally getting full power back at the site.

   The Olympic Dam mine has been without full power for 15 days because it was fed by a power circuit which electricity infrastructure provider ElectraNet was only able to finish repairing on Wednesday night.

   BHP Billiton Olympic Dam asset president Jacqui McGill said on Thursday the production impacts would be outlined on October 19 in the company’s September quarter production report.

   The Whyalla steelworks being operated by administrators KordaMentha had full power restored on October 11, and was hit with $30 million in extra costs because of the missed steel production and other maintenance issues.

   Tesla, which is better known as a pioneer in electric cars, opened a retail store in Melbourne’s Chadstone Shopping Centre on Thursday which showcases its latest model vehicles and attracted huge crowds.