Off-grid living now a reality

Modern off-grid living is not only an attractive prospect for Australian households, but also an attainable reality, according to energy systems company ZEN Energy.

The company’s chief executive officer Richard Turner said off-grid living is now a viable alternative for Australians seeking refuge from rising energy costs.

“In the past people generally had to sacrifice lifestyle comforts to achieve an off-grid existence often powered by large antiquated diesel generators or big lead acid batteries in a shed out the back,” he said.

“With solar energy storage technology breakthroughs, householders can now continue to enjoy every modern comfort at less than the current cost of electricity. Pristine land that is not connected to the grid can also be purchased at far lower costs as utilities will generally charge $100,000/km to connect power.”

ZEN has begun the first production run of its Freedom PowerBank energy storage units, to feed growing residential demand for off-grid living across the country.

The Freedom Powerbank allows for the storage of home-produced solar electricity and makes it available 24-hours-a-day. This allows householders to either reduce their reliance on the national grid or step off it altogether.

The base system is capable of managing and storing 20kW hours of energy per day, which is the daily consumption of an average Australian home. For larger properties, additional 20kWh energy storage modules can be easily added.

“Looking to the future, the Powerbank will be electric vehicle charge station ready, offering householders the ability to generate power to run their own home and car,” Mr Turner said.

Mr Turner said off-grid living for the average modern home could be achieved through the installation of a 7-10kW solar panel system, a ZEN Freedom Powerbank and a 10kW generator at a cost of 29c per kWh over the life of the system.

“This compares with 30-35c/kWh most homes are currently paying for their power with expectations of further increases in the near future,” he said.

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