The cost of electricity has risen about 20% in the last two years, and households and businesses are looking for ways to reduce their power bills.

Local businessman Mike Haydon has been working to change how we use energy and have power delivered to our homes and businesses.

"The biggest problem for most people is they install solar panels but are at work all day and don't get to use the energy generated," Mike explained, "Energy companies then likely sell this power to the businesses where people work, making a profit."

While installing batteries is a solution, it can be costly. However, Mike says that quality batteries from Australian-made companies like Powerplus and Vaulta are now financially viable.

"We are at a tipping point where you can finance quality components, and it's cheaper to pay a finance company than an energy company," he explains.

Mike has been collaborating with several businesses in the local area to ensure that profits from locally produced solar and battery power stay within the community. This initiative also aims to increase solar feed-in tariffs, which have been decreasing over the years.

Working with the team at GetLocalvolts.com, a peer-to-peer energy trading platform, The Off Grid Shop has been able to orchestrate the sharing of solar and battery power from residential homes to local businesses.

In July, local businesses such as Chicken Mania and Miller's Bakery purchased over 50% of their energy needs from local residents. Homeowners with solar panels and batteries now have the opportunity to become energy suppliers.

This achievement has been made possible through collaboration with local manufacturers like Localvolts, Powerplus, and Vaulta, as well as companies like Noark, one of the world's largest manufacturers of electrical safety gear and battery inverters.

The energy markets and the team from The Off Grid Shop aim to ensure that those who invest in solar and batteries reap the benefits locally.

For local business owners interested in learning more about how to benefit from buying energy from their customers, The Off-Grid Shop and the Lismore Chamber of Commerce are holding a breakfast event at Southern Cross University this Wednesday, September 4.

Click here for more information and to book your free ticket.

Some of the world's firsts in the renewable energy transition have started here in Lismore.