Hide message
Based in Brisbane, Redback Technologies is a trailblazing Australian-focused energy technology start-up that's aiming to change the way households consume electricity. It takes an innovative ‘Internet of Things' approach to energy usage and is committed to finding new methods to reduce dependency on fossil fuels.
We at EnergyAustralia have joined forces with Redback Technologies to offer our customers the Redback Smart Hybrid Solar Inverter and the Smart Hybrid Battery Enclosure solar technologies with compatible battery storage options.
The idea
Essentially, this smart tech solar system allows you to optimise the energy you use, whether it's coming from the grid, your solar panels, or a battery. The Smart Hybrid system identifies the most efficient energy source and lets you easily point that energy in the most effective direction for your needs, whether that's to different home appliances, to a battery if you have one, or back to the grid. Ultimately, it aims to reduce utility bills by helping you use more of the renewable energy you produce yourself.
The components
Redback's Generation II range features the Smart Hybrid Solar Inverter which comes with an integrated internet-enabled energy management system and can be paired with the Smart Hybrid Battery Enclosure.
Redback's Smart Hybrid Solar Inverter is battery ready, meaning it's built to integrate with compatible batteries providing up to 13kWh of energy storage. If you're not ready for a battery just yet but plan on adding one at a future date, this system could save you from having to change your inverter further down the line.
The Hybrid Solar Inverter
The Redback Smart Hybrid Solar Inverter System is a 5kWh inverter. Roughly speaking, a standard solar inverter converts DC solar power to AC power. A hybrid solar inverter has the ability to convert both the DC energy produced by your solar panels and the DC energy stored in a battery into the AC energy that your household appliances run off. The inverter is IP65 rated – meaning it's dust-tight and protected against nozzle-force water projections - and can be mounted either inside or outside your home.
The control system
Redback's Smart Hybrid Solar Inverter comes with generation and consumption monitoring included, meaning no external devices are required. The system's energy management software uses smart algorithms to send energy where it's needed in your house from the most appropriate source, whether that's from solar panels, a battery, or imported from the grid.
A solar panel tends to generate electricity during the middle of the day when residential homeowners tend not to be in to use it. Conversely, more energy tends to be used in the morning and evening when solar panels aren't producing.
The system features programmable relays that allow you to direct your power to the appliances that you've connected to your solar pv system. This lets you switch loads - such as hot water heating - on when you have excess solar pv energy and off when it drops.
Additionally, it comes with an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) option. In the event of a power outage, the system will automatically switch to backup mode, enabling you to use energy generated by your solar panels and any energy you have stored to help get you through.
The Redback Smart Hybrid System will help to change how we use the solar power we generate. It gives you the choice of selling your energy back to the grid or using it yourself, and in the future may even eventually help to facilitate peer-to-peer energy trading once it fully arrives.
App management
The system is controlled through an internet-enabled interface with a cloud-based monitoring suite that can be managed via a handy app from your smartphone or tablet. It allows you to easily review how much energy you're producing, storing in batteries and consuming, as well as letting you direct your energy to different appliances even when you're out and about. The system architecture is hosted on Microsoft's Internet of Things platform, Azure, ensuring all data communication to inverters in the field is encrypted and safe.
The Smart Hybrid Battery Enclosure
The Smart Hybrid Battery Enclosure is an optional extra and can be included with the Hybrid Solar Inverter. This solar pv technology is compatible with a range of lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries, and its unique design comes complete with fan ventilation to help increase battery life. All cables are supplied for quick battery set-up. The enclosure has an IP54 protection rating (this means it's protected from a certain amount of dust and water splashes) and can be easily mounted on the floor or in any location.
Both Redback's solar inverter system and battery enclosure are scalable, meaning you can add additional storage to suit your needs.
Savings
In addition to the savings you make by using the energy you both create and draw down from the grid more efficiently, both Redback's inverter and the battery enclosure have been prewired and switchgear tested for easy integration and a super quick installation time.
Partnership
EnergyAustralia announced its investment of $9.3 million in Redback Technologies in October 2016. This partnership comes as part of EnergyAustralia's commitment to supporting the development of reliable, affordable, and cleaner energy technology that puts customers in control of their energy usage. We at EnergyAustralia can now offer Redback's Smart Hybrid Solar Inverter and Battery Enclosure for order in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, and South Australia.
Interested? Click here to get a quote for the Smart Hybrid Solar Inverter.
