Solar Analytics awarded $1.9m for smart home energy management system

Solar Analytics, a provider of solar energy management services for residential and commercial solar power system owners, has received a $1.9 million grant from the CRC Projects (CRC-P) Program to develop a holistic smart home energy management system.

A step up from the company’s current solar monitoring platform, this enhanced software service will provide solar owners with even greater visibility over their energy data and the ability to closely manage their energy usage, get more value from their system and drive down their electricity costs.

It is being funded by the CRC-P Program to provide ‘Integrated Smart Home Energy Management, Control and Data Visibility’, in response to unprecedented changes in Australia’s energy industry including the need for residential demand management solutions; distributed generation driving an industry-wide need for energy data visibility; and markedly increasing electricity costs, with consumers lacking visibility on how to manage or improve their position.

“We empower our users to navigate the changing energy landscape,” said Solar Analytics CEO Stefan Jarnason. “The smart home energy management system will provide consumers with the holistic solution to maximise the value from their residential and commercial solar power system. We want to make living a solar-powered life simple and rewarding.”

Solar Analytics will collaborate with a number of partners to deploy the innovative software platform, including energy utilities Ergon Energy and SA Power Networks, and research partner UNSW. Solar Analytics will also partner with fellow Australian energy technology companies Wattwatchers and SwitchDin, as well as other local smart energy partners, to deliver this end-to-end customer solution.

The smart home energy management system was amongst 15 highly diverse industry-led projects to share $33 million in funding from the fourth round of the CRC-P Program, announced last week by Assistant Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science Craig Laundy.

“The CRC Program has a long history of developing real-world solutions to improve the competitiveness, productivity and sustainability of Australian industries,” said Laundy. “The short-term collaborative research projects supported through this round will lead to direct impacts and improve the competitiveness, productivity and sustainability of Australian industries.”

Applications for round five of the program will be open from February 2018, with funding outcomes expected to be announced in June 2018. Information on all fourth-round recipients, and how to apply for the fifth round, is available from https://www.business.gov.au/crc-p.

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