A FORMER Penola man is making his mark on the renewable energy sector from a humble workshop in Adelaide.
Tyler Jackman is working in partnership with Daniel Lawes under the Powerdiverter Australia banner in a bid to develop storage solutions to mitigate solar energy inefficiency.
“It is a very cliché setup,” Mr Jackman said.
“We are currently working from a garage in Adelaide’s suburbs.”
Mr Jackman said around 70pc of rooftop solar produced in Australia was exported back to the grid, with the duo working towards building innovative products to maximise the use of renewable energy.
“After the solar energy is exported back to the grid, people then have to purchase it back at a higher price as soon as the sun goes down,” Mr Jackman said.
“We are currently specialising in cost-effective alternatives to battery storage because the biggest problem we have seen is the battery storage is still very expensive.
“We are trying to tap into other resources for storage for a much lower cost.”
The duo is developing a system expected to divert excess solar into other household appliances such as electric hot water tanks, under floor heating and spas or pool pumps.
“Something people do not understand is that even with the investment of solar and a battery, an electric hot water tank still runs off grid power,” Mr Jackman said.
“We take advantage of this and charge it up during the day from the sun which can result in a household saving of up to $500 per year.”
Mr Jackman said the business was seeking investments as well as grants to continue its development.
“The way the energy industry will change over the next five to 10 years fascinates me,” Mr Jackman said.
“Because the whole world is going to change from buying power to being our own power generators but the problem is how to store it.
“We believe the next step for the energy industry is balancing supply and demand with smart technology to ensure there are never days the grid goes down with black outs.”
