The home battery lock-in no one warned you about
From SwitchedOn Australia by RenewEconomy
February 9, 2026 · 35 min
About this episode
Simon Hackett discusses the implications of closed home battery systems in Australia and advocates for open software solutions.
Australia’s home battery rollout is accelerating, but many households may not realise they’re buying systems that are effectively locked to a single manufacturer’s software. Tech entrepreneur Simon Hackett explains why a lack of interoperability strips consumers of real control over batteries they’ve paid for and how closed, cloud-controlled systems risk higher costs, stranded assets, and weakened trust in virtual power plants. He outlines an alternative vision where open software allows households to optimise their energy use, respond to real-time prices, and create real power plants rather than virtual ones which serve someone else’s business model. At stake is whether Australia’s battery boom empowers households, or quietly hands control back to manufacturers and retailers.
People in this episode
Host: RenewEconomy
Guest: Simon Hackett
Topics covered
- home batteries
- interoperability
- energy control
- virtual power plants
- consumer rights
Keywords
- home battery
- interoperability
- energy use
- virtual power plants
- consumer control
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: RenewEconomy
Places: Australia
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