RNZ's Eloise Gibson has taken another look at the energy sector and found there are lessons to be learned from Australia, where around one third of homes have rooftop solar. In New Zealand, the number is a lot lower, but it's growing quickly and that's largely because it makes economic sense over the long term, especially if you've electrified your appliances and vehicles. Batteries and solar combos are also becoming more common and every home with a battery basically removes themselves from the peak period. "But Mike Casey of clean energy charity Rewiring Aotearoa said battery prices were falling quickly, and combined solar and battery systems were now the cheapest source of energy available to households - even including the upfront cost of buying the equipment ... Casey said if households had better access to low-cost loans, they could buy household batteries themselves and take pressure off electricity generators by using their own power in times of shortage. They could also sell their surplus to others, taking more pressure off the grid when supply is tight."