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14 E L EC TR I C AL CONNEC T I ON
AU T UMN 20 1 6
INDUSTRY NEWS
EVS TOPOWERHOMES INWA
The Government of Western
Australia has enabled owners of
home batteries and electric vehicles
to export electricity to the grid.
The state’s Energy Minister, Dr
Mike Nahan, told a conference that
he has embraced the ‘Uber-fication’
of the electricity sector, saying it
was important to challenge the
largely state-controlled market.
“This arrangement nowmeans
eligible customers can install
battery storage or EV facilities to
complement their solar systems and
export unused electricity onto the
network,” Dr Nahan says.
“This is an important
development given the emerging
future trends which forecast
widespread installation of PV plus
storage systems.”
The Australian Competition and
Consumer Commission (ACCC) is urging
businesses to closely review the
standard form contracts they use when
dealing with other businesses.
A new law will take effect on 12
November 2016, following a 12 month
transition period, that offers small
businesses protections against unfair
contract terms offered by other (usually
larger) firms.
This law supplements the existing law
on unfair contract terms for consumers.
The ACCC, Australian Securities and
Investments Commission (ASIC) and
state and territory offices of fair trading
are responsible for enforcing the law.
“This new law is a positive step for
small businesses that are presented
with standard form contracts,” ACCC
deputy chair, Dr Michael Schaper says.
“For every business that deals with
small businesses, now is the time to
check that your contracts are compliant.”
The law applies to standard form
contracts between businesses where
one of the businesses employs less than
20 people and the contract is worth up
to $300,000 in a single year or $1 million
if the contract runs for more than a year.
Standard form contracts provide little
or no opportunity for the responding
party to negotiate the terms – they are
offered on a ‘take it or leave it’ basis.
“The new protections will help
address significant imbalances or
disadvantages to small businesses in
their dealings with other businesses
by allowing the courts to declare void
unfair terms within standard form
contracts,” Dr Schaper says.
If you’re from a small business and
you’re offered a standard form contract
that includes a term you think is unfair,
visit the ACCC website to find out about
your protections under the law.
RECALL:MR16DIMMABLELEDDRIVER
There is a product recall on LEDified’s
10W MR16 dimmable LED driver. An
internal fault in the driver can cause it
to fail.
Identifying features
Batch numbers 1351, 1418 and 1424
for model numbers MR1650270700D
and MR1650400700D.
What are the defects?
An internal fault in the driver can
cause it to fail, which may expose live
parts or cause a fire.
What are the hazards?
Risk of electric shock and fire.
Dates available for sale
1 January 2014 to 31 December 2014
Where the product was sold
Victoria
Traders who sold this product
This product sold direct to customers
through LEDified only.
Supplier
LEDified Lighting Corporation Pty Ltd
What should you do?
If possible, avoid using the
downlights. LEDified Corporation will
be contacting the affected consumers.
For further information on this recall,
contact LEDified Corporation for
replacement of LED drivers.
ACCCURGESBUSINESSES TOCHECKTHAT THEIRCONTRACTSARE FAIR
DESAAUSTRALIA JOINS THE ENGIE GROUP
DESA Australia has announced that
global energy and services company
ENGIE has formally assumed 100%
ownership of the shares of the
company through its subsidiary: ENGIE
Energie Services S.A.
The DESA acquisition is in line with
ENGIE’s strategy to help customers
achieve their energy efficiency,
environment, operations and
maintenance objectives by offering
customers a one-stop shop for multi-
technical services, asset-based energy
performance and environmental
solutions.
“With the ability to draw on ENGIE’s
extensive expertise and our other
businesses in power generation and
retail, we have the opportunity
to grow DESA even further,” says
Jérôme Tolot, executive vice president
in charge of the Energy Services
Business line.
DESA chairman and founder Dennis
Middleton said that the move into
the ENGIE group created exciting
opportunities for DESA’s employees in
terms of the diversity of services the
business will now be able to offer its
customers.
“It’s a great step forward for DESA
and puts the business in a unique
position in our industry. It will also
generate exciting development
opportunities for staff,” Dennis says.
DESA managing director Gerard
Whitely paid tribute to the role Dennis
and his co–founders Stephen Scott and
David Dewar had played in building
DESA into what it is today.
“Dennis, David and Stephen have
built a fantastic business as evidenced
by ENGIE’s interest in it. They will
always be recognised as the founders
of the business and I know they look
forward to seeing what the business
can achieve under ENGIE’s ownership,”
Gerard says.