A new "energy war" is in full swing around the world.

Energy storage, or more specifically, solar energy and energy storage revolution, this topic is now on everyone's lips.

Solar power has been on the market for decades, but the energy industry is still sticking to traditional positions – the Achilles heel of solar power is intermittent, and it cannot meet nighttime electricity on the premise of a large grid.

Solar energy plus energy storage makes this problem seem to be solved overnight. Of course, solar energy storage technology has accumulated over the years, but its impact on traditional power suppliers is very dramatic. The dynamic relationship between solar and fossil energy, government and consumers is now very complex and even more so in the future.

A new sign is that telecom companies now want to mix their feet – they have money, consumers, and huge market influence.

Telstra recently announced plans to launch a home solar energy storage solution with millions of consumers in Australia that will provide Internet + energy solutions for the entire home, including the Internet, mobile phones and solar energy, with a view to Can make Australia's solar cost more affordable.

Telstra's entry into the Australian energy market signal has brought a huge change to the industry, which could lead to a huge increase in the use of renewable energy across the country. Cynthia Whelan, the company's new business leader, said: "Telstra is looking for opportunities to help customers monitor and manage all aspects of their families, including energy."

“After more and more devices are connected to the so-called Internet of Things, energy can naturally be added to our 'digital home’ strategy,” she said.

Telstra has identified the huge potential of existing consumer groups to relocate to solar energy in the near future. It is foreseeable that with the rapid growth of solar energy storage, other large telecom companies will follow suit and everyone wants to share a piece of it. While Telstra and other followers are experts in the telecommunications and Internet industries, this does not mean that traditional power companies are easily defeated. After all, power companies have more experience.

The question now is: There is a long history in the energy industry, not only an advantage, but also a disadvantage. Because the status quo is difficult to change, traditional energy practitioners must have a "pain point" that they are not willing to change. What Telstra is looking for is this opportunity.

Power company (industry) weaknesses

Everything matters to consumer relations. This seems to be an obvious focus, but the history of energy companies and consumer relations is not focused on "customer service." The traditional relationship between public utility companies and customers has always been a unilateral supply relationship, giving power companies a lot of control over energy prices. In Australia, the reputation of energy suppliers is very negative. According to a survey conducted by IPSOS-Mori in the UK, only 22% of Australians have a positive view of the energy industry.

Bad relationships between Australians and energy suppliers include gas supply issues, high electricity prices, and more. Now these monopoly power companies need to cultivate or mend their relationship with customers. As the solar revolution is expanding and the entry of competitors like customer service experts like Telstra, power retailers are beginning to regret the “powerlessness” relationship with their customers. The 2014 Fairfax Business Intelligence Survey, which measures customer service satisfaction, shows that energy and power companies rank the worst in terms of customer service.

The consulting firm Accenture and the Australian Financial Review have issued recommendations for the energy industry to make changes. They suggest that consumer-centricity is key to the success of energy companies in an energy market that is full of variables and competition.

“Energy providers need to recognize that customers are irrational, and many consumers prefer to interact in new ways. Energy companies should make better use of digital, personalized and user-centric design,”

And this has been done by telecommunications companies for many years. The nature of the telecommunications industry requires telecom operators to have a high level of customer service, which gives them an advantage in consumer relations when entering the solar industry.

Accenture's report describes the energy market is undergoing "re-engineering in the future, in the future boom market, consumers can and will choose to completely remove the grid and have more control over their energy choices."

Mark Coughlin, the head of PwC's business, also emphasized that customer service as a central factor will determine one of the industry's successes. “The traditional power supplier model is that power companies control “electricity”, and consumers have no choice. This model is increasingly difficult to meet customer needs.”

The power of consumers has changed with the tremendous growth of the solar storage industry, and there is no doubt that self-sufficient energy demand is very high.

Consumer protection organization "Australian Solar" cites a data that has been seen since the beginning of this year as many consumers have sought to protect themselves from high electricity prices.

It is clear that the way each Australian family buys, stores and consumes electricity will change, including large public facilities and commercial markets – this is only a matter of time.