Lithium Australia subsidiary, Soluna Australia, has received approval from Australia’s Clean Energy Council, or the “CEC”, for its battery energy storage systems. The company said CEC accreditation ensures Soluna products meet all necessary standards and are safe to install across the country.
Late last year, the Perth-based company joined forces with Chinese firm, DLG Group, through the formation of a 50:50 incorporated joint venture known as Soluna Australia Pty Ltd to sell lithium-ion battery and energy storage products as it seeks to disrupt the rapidly expanding Australian renewable energy market.
Lithium Australia said Soluna’s Power Bank systems for residential applications include lithium-ion battery storage, a hybrid inverter and an advanced battery management system. Now CEC-approved, Soluna’s product range will soon be available for installation country-wide and management said that post COVID-19, additional stock has been ordered and delivery is expected in early July.
CEC accreditation gives national power grid operators confirmation that its products meet all relevant Australian and international standards. Lithium Australia said only products on CEC’s approved lists are eligible to receive small-scale technology certificates under the Small-Scale Renewable Energy Scheme and other Government incentive programs.
After receiving the CEC accreditation, Lithium Australia said it expects Soluna to make its battery energy storage systems available to a broader market around the Oceania region during the second half of this year as product supply improves from next month.
Lithium Australia Managing Director Adrian Griffin said: “Gaining CEC approval for all the products it markets is a great achievement for Soluna and opens the door for sales of its high-quality, flexible product range to those wishing to save on their energy bills. Lithium Australia’s investment in Soluna complements its other business units; together, these comprise a practical circular economy for battery products, ranging from a reduction of waste in the mining phase through more efficient battery production to battery sales via Soluna and, ultimately, the recycling of spent batteries through Envirostream Australia. Soluna, then, is an integral part of the circular economy, for which Lithium Australia is providing ethical and sustainable solutions.”
With residential solar companies experiencing something of a resurgence over the last few years, the missing link is still the availability of storing the energy somewhere after capturing it from the sun.
It is not unthinkable that the lithium household battery industry could become every bit as big as the solar industry and ultimately the two should end up operating in lockstep.
Like many things lithium, Lithium Australia appears to be an early starter in this infant industry that may well grow into an 800 pound gorilla in time.
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By Matt Birney
