Electric Vehicles (EVs) are on the rise internationally with an estimated 1 million vehicles sold worldwide to date, with approximately 300,000 of those purchased in the last 12 months(1). Uptake in Australia has been more limited, with approximately 1,500 EVs sold to date. A reason for the relatively low EV uptake in Australia is likely…
At Marchment Hill Consulting (MHC) we work with our clients to create value. An expression, which many of our clients will have seen on proposals, reports and presentations, proposes three necessary components to the value of a consulting intervention. Rather than being additive, these components are multiplied together, so that if any piece is under-played…
Battery storage is a hot topic. The recent launch of the Tesla Powerwall has taken the conversation from industry insiders and enthusiasts to a global talking point. For small-scale electricity consumers, the focus has been on storage behind the meter – a block of batteries in your garage or down the side of your house…
Recent hype regarding battery technology advancements and the potential for grid defection led MHC to reflect on the realities of living off-grid and managing your own electrical systems, whilst raising a family. Here, we provide some insights from a family who have been living off-grid for the last five years. David, along with his family…
The Senate Inquiry into Stormwater Resources in Australia, due to report on 19 August 2015, is a reminder of the complex set of challenges faced when we plan and manage stormwater systems. Challenge #1 – Floods are costly and dangerous Photo courtesy of Steven Riddle The Insurance Council of Australia estimates the insured costs of…
Outsourcing, typically of maintenance services, has become widespread practice for cost reduction and service level performance improvement in the water industry. Some water businesses are now entering the third, or even fourth, generation of outsourced services while others are just starting to consider and test the benefits that may be available. Viewed on a continuum,…
The Australian smart metering market emerged in 2006, when the Victorian Government approved the rollout of meters for all customers with an annual consumption of less than 160MWh. The rollout has since been completed with over 2.5 million smart meters deployed. The Victorian rollout was marked by a number of issues (e.g. cost overrun, implementation…
The agricultural output in our client’s region is forecast to double by 2030 which requires 50% increase in water availability. In order to accommodate this growth, our client will need to invest significant capital in upgrading and expanding its network. However, it could not increase its current debt levels or raise pricing. A 20% growth…
The uptake of alternative energy technologies by Australian electricity consumers (e.g. solar PV, demand solutions, energy efficiency, eventually energy storage, etc.) often in creative business models, such as Alternative Energy Sellers, is already impacting the conventional major energy players in terms of declining market shares, with concerns for asset value at risk. The conventional energy…
Perhaps climate change is not the only reason, but there is fresh attention being paid to the challenges of uncertainty in water management and supply. Like its counterpart, risk, uncertainty can generate opportunity as well as downside. Intelligent networks help generate opportunity from uncertainty, as they give us the means to link distributed system awareness,…