We are a nation that has fallen in love with rooftop solar. Australia is the leader of the world when it comes to adoption.

This massive penetration has created both challenges and possibilities. This means Australian companies are in an excellent position to benefit from sustainable house solutions powered with intelligent software resulting from creative R&D.

Queensland’s Redback Technologies is one such company that makes a splash for its innovative thinking. It is a fast-growing startup whose goal is to help ensure that Australian homes and businesses will be powered entirely by renewable energy sources.

At ARENA WEB, we are proud to celebrate the achievements of Australian companies that drive innovation and accelerate the transition to a future powered by renewable energy.

Redback offers products that integrate hardware and software seamlessly to help customers optimize their generation, storage, and power management.

Redback’s Managing Director Philip Livingston explains that “our smart software uses machine-learning to predict solar production and customer usage using inputs such as weather data and then makes intelligent decision on how to best use energy for customers.”

Its capabilities enable effective energy management at the customer site, lowering bills and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

What it does

The Smart Hybrid System is the company’s flagship. It consists of an inverter with a power output of 4.6kW and a battery enclosure that can store up to 9.6kWh.

The system can provide both a continuous power supply and a backup power source.

The system uses machine learning, which gathers intelligence from the user’s habits and external factors, such as weather conditions to reduce energy consumption.

Redback also gives consumers the ability to control their energy consumption.

Solar panels produce their energy during the day, but the peak time is just before and after work for most people.

A cloud-based intelligent system that allows remote control and analytics allows households to send the energy they generate daily to their devices directly.

Redback’s solar system optimizes self-consumption to allow households to use their electricity when they choose – maximizing the return on investment from solar panels.

But that’s not it.

Redback’s software allows thousands of systems to be aggregated into a virtual powerplant to provide grid services and demand response and to support increased renewables integration in the grid.

The devices will be part of EnergyAustralia’s demand response project and ARENA’s and AEMO’s three-year, $35.7 million trial of demand response that will take place this summer.

Redback is on a rapid rise, and it has announced plans to hire 30 more staff in the next six-month period to boost its research and technology capabilities.

This expansion was made possible through an equity investment of $7 million by The Clean Energy Innovation Fund, Right Click Capital, and The Clean Energy Innovation Fund, announced last month.

The Innovation Fund draws upon the combined expertise and experience of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and ARENA.

Redback recently received US$ 5 million (approximately A$ 6.42 million) from the fund, which invests in innovative clean energy projects and companies.

Click Capital is an investment company specializing in identifying and investing in high-growth Internet businesses and technology companies in Australia, New Zealand, and South East Asia. It has invested around $ 2.55 million.

Redback will also benefit from the firm’s expertise supporting its expansion throughout Asia-Pacific, including Australia.

Mr. Livingston said that the equity investment would allow the company’s research and development capabilities to be expanded, as well as the development of the intelligent software suite.

Redback is committed to innovation. “Our vision is for Australian homes and businesses to be powered entirely by renewables,” said Mr Livingston.

This investment allows us to increase our expertise in software engineering, data science, engineering, and electrical engineering to continue developing our next-generation energy intelligence platform.

Ivor Frischknecht, ARENA’s Chief Executive Ivor Frischknecht, said that the investment announced by the Innovation Fund last month was a good move.

He said: “We are proud to support Australian innovations that help Australian businesses and households make better use their rooftop solar panels and battery storage. We also want to improve energy efficiency and reduce costs.”

Ian Learmonth, the Chief Executive Officer of CEFC, echoed these comments.

He said: “We can be the leaders in the development of innovative technologies such as Redback so that households and businesses reap the maximum benefit from their investments.”