SwitchDin submission to National Battery Strategy Issues Paper

 

SwitchDin welcomes the Albanese Government’s proposal for a National Battery Strategy.

Australia has a unique opportunity to provide end-to-end solutions, beginning with the mining of raw materials, manufacture of battery cells and batteries, design of battery systems and integration of battery systems with smart capabilities into consumer- and utility- solutions.

Customers don’t want batteries per se  - they want solutions to problems. Software is the key enabling technology needed to turn a battery from a commodity product into a safe, smart consumer-focused solution. This is an area of competitive advantage for Australia that we should build upon to support the growth of our battery industry in domestic and export markets.

Australia is the world leader in the integration of consumer energy resources into distribution networks due to our exceptionally high and rapid uptake of rooftop solar, which has necessitated new approaches. Australian technology in this area is about 4 to 5 years ahead of the United States and Europe. 

This is a differentiator that Australia can capitalise upon, by value-adding with smart software, Australia can export full battery storage solutions, rather than just exporting battery components for commercialisation and value-adding by others.

SwitchDin’s key recommendations to the Minister for Industry and Science on the National Battery Strategy are:

  • Clarify that software for battery sub-systems and to enable smart integration of battery systems into user applications is within scope of the Strategy

  • Capitalise on Australia’s world-leading innovations in distributed energy systems (like virtual power plants, community batteries, microgrids and dynamic operating envelopes by supporting Australian solution providers to export end-to-end smart battery storage solutions, and

  • Support research, development, demonstration and early-stage commercialisation with a focus on bringing complete integrated solutions to market.

Read our full submission and recommendations here:

 
SwitchDin