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It’s tempting to think energy trading is simple: always charge at 5c, always sell at 30c. Many new users ask for this because it matched what happened this week. But the market never sits still.Prices move every five minutes. Some weeks 5c never shows up. Other weeks, 30c is just the beginning of a spike to $15. If you hard-code rules from one week, you’ll miss the next opportunity—or worse, buy high and sell low.This is the classic trap of overfitting: learning too fast from too little data. At Powston we train softly at the start, gathering more history before adjusting. That way, when the real volatility arrives, the system isn’t locked into last week’s patterns.The goal isn’t to win a single week. The goal is to capture value across seasons, price shocks, and weather events. That’s why we’ve been refining this, five-minutes at a time, for years.More on overfitting: <a data-mce-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overfitting" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overfitting">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overfitting</a>

Why We Don’t Just “Buy at 5c, Sell at 30c”

<blockquote>The algorithm’s job is to keep you safe — mostly from yourself. Manual buttons are like playing with sharp objects. Please don’t hurt yourself. Machines are better at this. Go watch media. — Murderbot</blockquote>Powston’s Magic Mode makes 288 trading decisions every day. It reacts to prices, forecasts, and your usage in seconds — far faster (and calmer) than any of us can.Manual actions are tempting, but here’s the reality:Export/Import: Fun in the moment, usually worse in hindsight. Auto/Charge/Discharge: Runs the house mostly on self-consumption, but can miss opportunities. Auto-Curtail: Handy if you want zero exports, but Magic Mode often handles that automatically.Stories about why prices move (“people turned on their heaters”) are comforting, but markets don’t work that way. You’re up against pro trading desks and unpredictable events. The only thing that matters: prices settle in 20 seconds — and that’s when Powston gets to work. Think Flash Boys, not fairy tales.Manual controls are there if you need them. But for everyday trading, the smart move is simple: leave it in Magic Mode and Powston does the work.PS If you can't tell, I am a <a data-mce-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Wells" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Wells">Martha Wells</a> fan. If you have time, check out her books or the <a data-mce-href="https://tv.apple.com/us/show/murderbot/umc.cmc.5owrzntj9v1gpg31wshflud03" href="https://tv.apple.com/us/show/murderbot/umc.cmc.5owrzntj9v1gpg31wshflud03">Apple TV series</a>.

Manual Actions: A Cautionary Tale

<h3>...and Get Ahead with Powston</h3>For many Australians, the upfront cost of a home battery is the biggest hurdle to energy independence. But what if you could swap your electricity bill for a green loan repayment — and have that loan paid off faster using the very energy savings and profits your battery generates?That’s exactly what’s possible when you combine federal battery incentives, green loans, and Powston’s AI-powered battery trading platform.<h3>From Bill to Battery</h3>With a green loan, your monthly repayments replace your electricity bill. Instead of paying a retailer for power you’ll never own, you’re paying down an asset that belongs to you — one that earns its keep from day one.The new federal battery rebate offers just over $17,000 for a 50 kWh system, slashing the upfront cost and reducing the amount you need to finance. The result? A shorter payback period and a faster path to profit.<h3>The Powston Advantage</h3>Powston was built around one big idea:What if every Australian home battery acted like its own private power station?Our platform connects your battery to Australia’s 5-minute wholesale electricity market — buying low, storing smart, and selling high — without the profit-clipping of traditional VPPs. That means:<ul><li>Your Battery. Your Profit. You keep 100% of wholesale energy revenue.</li><li>Retailer Optimisation. We match you with the retailer in your state that delivers the best returns.</li><li>AI-Driven Trading. Instant response to market spikes, weather changes, and your household energy patterns.</li><li>Full Flexibility. Integrate EVs, appliances, and stay in control.</li></ul><h3>Pay It Off Faster — Or Bank the Profits</h3>Your savings and trading profits can go straight back into your green loan, paying it down years ahead of schedule. Once the loan is gone, the revenue is yours — to fund more home improvements, reduce other bills, or simply grow your savings.<h3>Double Up on the Win</h3><ul><li>Federal Rebate + Green Loan = minimal upfront cost</li><li>Powston AI Trading = maximum energy profits</li><li>Retailer Selection = the best deal in your state, automatically </li></ul><h3>Your Home, Your Power Station</h3>Energy independence isn’t just avoiding high bills — it’s creating a household asset that earns money. With Powston, your battery doesn’t just store power; it works for you.Powston: Turning Batteries into Power Stations. Your Battery. Your Profit.

Swap Your Power Bill for a Green Loan

Blue digital battery logo and futuristic circle HUD with big data processed on grid line background and technology ai icon screen abstract background power reserve concepts

Imagine a mode where your battery knows what to do - when to charge, when to sell, and when to sit tight. That’s what we call Magic Mode, and it’s powered by something surprisingly rare in the energy world: aligned incentives.Unlike retailers or traditional VPPs, Powston doesn’t make money when you use energy - we only succeed when you do. That means our AI is tuned to one thing only: maximising your savings and profits. We reward it for every cent it keeps in your pocket, every network fee it dodges, and every perfectly timed export when the market spikes.Behind the scenes, Magic Mode is constantly adjusting using:<ul><li>5-minute AEMO pricing</li><li>Tariff rules</li><li>Weather forecasts</li><li>Satellite cloud data</li><li>A premium commercial PV forecasting service (we pay for this, so you don’t have to)</li></ul>All of that feeds a machine learning model that doesn’t chase vague benchmarks. It chases your bill, aiming to drive it as low (or as negative) as possible.The result? You stay in control, avoid giving up your battery to someone else's profit model, and start playing the energy game like a pro.Magic Mode isn’t magic. It’s just what happens when control, intelligence, and incentives finally align.

Unlocking Magic Mode: When Your Battery Works for You, Not Someone Else

Ever sent us a screenshot of your inverter app or a graph from Home Assistant and wondered why we replied with “Can you file a bug report in Powston instead?” — this post is for you.<figure id="figure-7orgncqgrimdy4rdak"><img id="7orgncqgrimdy4rdak" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/395xxpZIKgoTrxRy9RnGTMPK24AbYSbPSvCLf5EIiTkBIA95Db1XZqpRH4x84Ssh.png" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-2xl md:rounded-3xl lg:rounded-4xl" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: 50% 85%;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="50%" data-positiony="85%" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/395xxpZIKgoTrxRy9RnGTMPK24AbYSbPSvCLf5EIiTkBIA95Db1XZqpRH4x84Ssh.png" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: 50% 85%;"></figure>Let me explain why that matters, and what I can and can’t help with.<h3>Why We Can’t Debug Your Graph Screenshot</h3>Other systems — inverter apps, dashboards, automations — only show a piece of the puzzle. They don’t tell us: &nbsp; &nbsp; • &nbsp; &nbsp;What Powston actually asked your system to do &nbsp; &nbsp; • &nbsp; &nbsp;What prices were at the time &nbsp; &nbsp; • &nbsp; &nbsp;If there were export limits, SOC caps, or manual overrides &nbsp; &nbsp; • &nbsp; &nbsp;What your site-specific rules looked like under the hoodThat’s like showing your mechanic a photo of the dashboard after you’ve already pulled the engine apart.What does help? Filing a bug report from inside Powston. When you tap “Report a Problem” in the app, it sends: &nbsp; &nbsp; • &nbsp; &nbsp;Full telemetry from that time &nbsp; &nbsp; • &nbsp; &nbsp;Pricing, forecasts, decisions, rule evaluations &nbsp; &nbsp; • &nbsp; &nbsp;Any tuning or override informationThat’s the only way we can see what really happened and fix it — in our system, on our terms.<h3>Magic Mode vs Hacker Mode: Choose Your Adventure</h3><figure id="figure-aw588p59rmdy4tg8l"><img id="aw588p59rmdy4tg8l" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1140916919/photo/red-pill-blue-pill-concept-the-right-choice-the-concept-of-the-movie-matrix-the-choice-of.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=TPExonr5jur_HtedYfCNH7ff44axyypA4hPA3uC9fyk=" alt="Red Pill Blue Pill concept. The right choice the concept of the movie matrix. The choice of tablets" title="Red Pill Blue Pill concept. The right choice the concept of the movie matrix. The choice of tablets" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-2xl md:rounded-3xl lg:rounded-4xl" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1140916919/photo/red-pill-blue-pill-concept-the-right-choice-the-concept-of-the-movie-matrix-the-choice-of.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=TPExonr5jur_HtedYfCNH7ff44axyypA4hPA3uC9fyk=" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure>Here’s how Powston works for two different kinds of users:<h3>Magic Mode</h3>Let us drive. The system tunes itself based on: &nbsp; &nbsp; • &nbsp; &nbsp;Your usage patterns &nbsp; &nbsp; • &nbsp; &nbsp;Market prices &nbsp; &nbsp; • &nbsp; &nbsp;Forecasts &nbsp; &nbsp; • &nbsp; &nbsp;What’s worked well across the fleetYou get: &nbsp; &nbsp; • &nbsp; &nbsp;Set-and-forget automation &nbsp; &nbsp; • &nbsp; &nbsp;Continuous tuning &nbsp; &nbsp; • &nbsp; &nbsp;Full support (as long as it’s my code)Heads-up: If it says “PowstonAutoTuned” in rules name, and you had your own rule there… it might’ve been overwritten. If you’re tweaking code manually, keep a copy — the system doesn’t merge, it resets.<h3>Hacker Mode</h3>You write the rules. You get full control — and full responsibility.If your logic says import if price &gt; 5c and it doesn't wait for 2c… well, that’s your rule. We can give you data, forecasts, and advice, but we can’t debug code we didn’t write or tune.And if you find reading our auto-tuned rules confusing? That’s fair — we feel the same when we look at yours. It’s a two-way street.<h3>TL;DR</h3><table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;" border="1" data-mce-style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td style="width: 25%;" data-mce-style="width: 25%;">Mode</td><td style="width: 25%;" data-mce-style="width: 25%;">Who Writes the Rules?</td><td style="width: 25%;" data-mce-style="width: 25%;">Who Fixes It When It Breaks?</td><td style="width: 25%;" data-mce-style="width: 25%;">Who Tunes It?</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 25%;" data-mce-style="width: 25%;">Magic Mode</td><td style="width: 25%;" data-mce-style="width: 25%;">Powston (us)</td><td style="width: 25%;" data-mce-style="width: 25%;">Powston (us)</td><td style="width: 25%;" data-mce-style="width: 25%;">Powston (us)</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 25%;" data-mce-style="width: 25%;">Hacker Mode</td><td style="width: 25%;" data-mce-style="width: 25%;">You</td><td style="width: 25%;" data-mce-style="width: 25%;">You</td><td style="width: 25%;" data-mce-style="width: 25%;">You (mostly)</td></tr></tbody></table>So if you’re on Magic Mode, report problems from inside the app. That’s where we live, and it’s where we can help you best.If you’re on Hacker Mode, enjoy the power — but remember, with great power comes great support boundaries.Thanks for staying in your lane so we can stay in mine — and keep the wheels turning for everyone.

Staying in My Lane: How You Get Help (and When You Don’t)

A customer recently nailed it when they said:<blockquote>Why does everything run smoothly for weeks on end when there’s no money at stake — and then as soon as there’s a spike, everything falls to pieces?</blockquote>That’s not bad luck. That’s physics, networks, and Murphy’s Law working together in perfect disharmony.The days when real money is on the table—those big trading spikes that come once or twice a month—are also the days when everything is under stress:<ul><li>The grid is under pressure.</li><li>Voltage sags trip weaker systems.</li><li>Everyone's hitting APIs at once, throttling cloud platforms and overloading vendor servers.</li><li>Wi-Fi gets flaky under power disturbances.</li><li>Poorly configured systems misfire or go offline right when they should be cashing in.</li></ul>If you’re serious about trading and maximising your battery returns, these are the days you’re preparing for. And you only get one shot each time.Here’s how to stay in the game:<ul><li>Hardwire everything. Wi-Fi is fine for idle weeks—not for market warzones.</li><li>Use reliable, well-supported brands. These aren’t the days to learn about firmware bugs.</li><li>Avoid control that relies solely on third-party clouds. When their servers buckle, you want local fallback and edge control.</li><li>Test your setup in real-world spikes, not just pretty dashboards.</li></ul>Most months, there’s one really profitable day, and it might not give any warning. Like all random events, they don’t arrive evenly spaced—they bunch, overlap, or leave long gaps. You don’t get to pick the timing, but you can choose to be ready.<figure id="figure-6fd7p8rgkpmdgj1mum"><img id="6fd7p8rgkpmdgj1mum" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/16VcXQUxvFxfXwwtnzuBbmYCHonJ0ejivqyyPOAf3fdUHfygTfKMsQMLPHI7hpaH.png" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-2xl md:rounded-3xl lg:rounded-4xl" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/16VcXQUxvFxfXwwtnzuBbmYCHonJ0ejivqyyPOAf3fdUHfygTfKMsQMLPHI7hpaH.png" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;"></figure>With Powston, we build for that. Resilient logic. Local fallback. Automation that doesn’t flinch when things go sideways.Because the moment it gets serious is not the moment to find out your battery app went to sleep.P.S. The customer ended up earning $500 that night. Despite a Home Assistant change they made that interfered with control, Powston still managed to get the sell signals out—and the battery was exporting.

When It Rains, It Pours: Why Quality Matters Most on the Big Days

Powston

Powston is an Australian energy technology company transforming how households and businesses use and profit from renewable energy. Our AI-driven platform and plug-and-play controller connect batteries, solar, and smart devices directly to the 5-minute wholesale energy market. This lets customers cut their electricity bills, optimise consumption, and even earn revenue—without relying on traditional retailers or Virtual Power Plants.
With integrations across leading brands like Sungrow, SAJ, iStore, Powston empowers users with real-time energy monitoring, cost optimisation, and automation tools for appliances, EVs, and backup planning.
Headquartered in Brisbane, Powston is committed to building a more sustainable future by enabling everyday Australians to reduce environmental impact while achieving financial independence from power bills

Blog

Why We Don’t Just “Buy at 5c, Sell at 30c”

Manual Actions: A Cautionary Tale

Swap Your Power Bill for a Green Loan

Unlocking Magic Mode: When Your Battery Works for You, No...

Staying in My Lane: How You Get Help (and When You Don’t)

When It Rains, It Pours: Why Quality Matters Most on the ...