Emerging business models in energy retail are designed to help consumers save money, and in some scenarios even earn money from the devices in their homes – flipping the traditional electricity retail model on its head. The industry is approaching a tipping point. In deregulated markets like Australia utility companies are operating in a highly regulated market, facing increased competition from new challengers and empowered consumers who can switch providers easily online.

How can we make sure everyday consumers benefit from the radical changes that are taking place in our electricity grid? That was the fundamental question we started with when we founded Amber Electric. Increasing renewable penetration is coincident with increased intra-day volatility in market prices, and increased volumes of distributed energy assets is enabling customers to participate more in the market.

In the rapid shift to renewables on Australia’s grid, there has been a good deal of focus on what can be done in the wholesale electricity market to harness the power of demand response. That is, what can be done by rule makers and market operators to allow big energy users to to reduce their load when spot market prices go sky high, and be compensated for the service. But what about at the retail level?

Wholesale electricity prices on the NEM can peak during heatwaves and when aging coal generators conk out. Amber Electric customers can both profit from but also bear the brunt of price spikes, but when they have solar+storage the upside is significant. Importantly solar homes can provide a valuable service to the grid, says Amber Electric Founder and CEO Chris Thompson.

While renewable energy technologies go from strength to strength in Australia, the policy path has been far from smooth. As Giles Parkinson writes here, where there might have been progress and vision, the federal Coalition has instead lurched even further to the right on climate and energy policies.