SwitchedOn Australia

A new campaign urging the federal government to invest in local energy hubs in regional areas has kicked off. It follows the release of a recent report by the Regional Australia Institute that suggests Australia’s net zero targets are under threat unless regional communities are given a seat at the table to help drive the renewable energy change. Sally Hunter is a farmer from Gomeroy country, near Narrabri, in north west New South Wales. Her family farm is one of the first in the region to go all-electric. She’s also the founder and managing director of Genie Energy, a not for profit that provides information about renewable energy to the Narrabri community. Genie Energy is seen as a template for local energy hubs. For more information about electrification and energy efficiency https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au

Zero Emissions Noosa (ZEN) – a community energy group in Queensland – is currently working with the Noosa Council to install a community battery in the Noosa region. They’re the only non-industry group in Queensland to receive a federal grant for a community battery. ZEN has published a recent report that acknowledges community batteries aren’t yet financially viable without government grants, but they argue community batteries are still necessary for the energy transition. Vivienne Griffin is one of the report’s authors and co-convener of ZEN’s community batteries initiative. For more on electrification and energy efficiency https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au

Household hot water systems account for a quarter of a household’s power load. Finding ways to save on the cost of producing hot water, and reduce emissions, has been the focus of much recent research. But it’s not just what we heat our water with, but when. Energy experts argue we should shift our hot water heating to the middle of the day when there is abundant solar going into the system. Not only will this reduce our emissions, it could save billions of dollars. Recent research shows there is a $6.7 billion missed opportunity if newly electrified hot water systems aren’t used as a flexible resource. Dr Gabrielle Kuiper is a specialist in distributed energy resources, and a guest contributor to IEEFA, the Institute for energy economics and financial analysis, who argues we have to get smarter about hot water. For more information about electrification and energy efficiency https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au

22 years ago the Solar Schools initiative was founded to help schools better monitor and manage their energy use, and also educate kids about energy. The program has been ‘incredibly successful’ at helping students and schools take charge of the energy they use. In 2023 the 600 schools they work with reduced 45,000 tons of CO2 and saved taxpayers about $7.8 million. But with increasing amounts of technology now being used in Australian schools, our schools are consuming energy at an ever-increasing rate. Rob Bruer, the co-founder and CEO of Solar Schools, outlines a case for installing solar and batteries in every school in the country, making it core to the energy mix in the country, and making energy literacy core to the school curricula. For more information about electrification and energy efficiency https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au

Deputy Chair of Zero Emissions Noosa, Mark Purcell, is on a mission to get 50,000 households to electrify and install batteries. He's electrified three homes, and now wants to spread the word to other householders about electrification and decarbonisation. He’s calculated that if he can get 50,000 households to electrify and install batteries one less gas peaker plant will be needed during critical hours of peak demand. But although he's fully committed to household electrification and decarbonisation, Mark didn’t start his own electrification journey for sustainability reasons. For more information on electrification and energy efficiency https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au

Electrifying and decarbonising our homes isn’t always straightforward – we might not know where to start, what to prioritise, who to trust, what products to install, how much it will all cost, what rebates and incentives are available, can I get finance, what’s the best energy retailer that won’t rip me off. And despite the financial incentives that are now available for households and businesses the uptake on rebates remains low. The process can be a minefield, and many people end up thinking, why bother. A new website is now trying to take some of the pain out of the process. The founder of Upgrade IQ, Leigh Simpson, discusses how the site links customers with tradies and installers who they’ve already vetted, who can provide tailored information on government incentives, and design solutions for individual households, along with financing options. For more information about electrification and energy efficiency https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au

Energy Efficiency Council's Jeremy Sung discusses energy standards for lighting and heat pumps and the federal government's Consumer Energy Resources Roadmap. For more information on electrification and energy efficiency https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au

In last year’s federal budget the Government allocated $1 billion to a Household Energy Upgrades program to help homeowners fast track their transition to cleaner, cheaper energy. Grace Tam is the Head of Consumer finance at the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, the CEFC, the agency responsible for rolling out the program. She discusses the importance of green finance for householders, and how difficult it was to get Australia’s banks, mutuals, and other lenders to offer truly green finance that can turbo charge household decarbonisation and electrification. Also, why lenders should provide access to service providers and information, not just ‘green discounts’. For more information on electrification and energy efficiency https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au

Brendan Lang runs an electrification business in Melbourne that helps householders and businesses transition from gas-fuelled appliances to efficient electric ones. He’s a passionate environmentalist who has swapped his Amarok ute for a Tesla model Y. Brendan discusses why he opted for a Tesla, and provides some practical advice on the best forms of heating, when you need 3 phase power or should rewire your house, how to find a good electrician, and why peer to peer training for electricians is so important. For more information on electrification and energy efficiency https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au

In the absence of bipartisan support for solutions to the climate crisis, local community groups and individuals are taking it upon themselves to help drive the transition to a clean energy economy. ClearSky Solar is just one community initiative that is helping businesses divest from fossil fuels by supporting investments in clean energy and sustainable projects. They do this by linking community investors to local solar projects that need financing. Clearsky has helped finance solar installations on car washes, breweries, retail outlets, hotels, utilities companies, supermarkets, and bakeries. In just ten years they have raised $26 million, installed 95 solar projects, and generated 20 mega watts of rooftop solar energy. Dr Christina Kirsch is a director at ClearSky Solar. For more information on electrification and energy efficiency https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au

Two years ago Brody Kenrick embarked on a journey to not just make his late 60s house carbon neutral, but carbon negative. He wanted to make sure his own house had zero carbon emissions and also displace emissions from the grid. Since upgrading his own home Kenrick has also decarbonised his son’s preschool, his parents’ house, and his in-laws. They all now make big savings on their energy bills. While he admits being a trained electrical engineer and tech savvy has been an advantage, and he and his wife were fortunate to have the upfront capital, Kenrick says many of the energy upgrades they did can be achieved by other people. He hopes his house will be a ‘proof of concept’ for others who want to electrify and decarbonise.

Australia’s Energy Market Operator predicts that in the future over 30 per cent of Australia’s electricity generation and flexible demand services will come from VPPs. And many energy retailers are literally banking on consumers signing up to one. VPPs are seen as one way to coordinate and manage all the numerous small-scale, decentralized energy resources like solar panels, EVs, and home batteries. But not everyone thinks that’s going to happen. Tim Washington is the co-founder and CEO of one of Australia’s largest electric vehicle charging services, Jetcharge. And he doesn’t think many Australians will need to join a VPP when they have an electric vehicle with bidirectional charging that will not only be able to charge from their solar, it will send energy back to the grid or into our homes. He predicts this will make electricity free, for many of us. For more information about electrification and energy efficiency https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au

Most energy retailers make money by accessing the wholesale energy market, whacking on a big mark up, and then selling power to consumers. The more energy we use, the more money they make. But Amber Electric is not playing the usual retailer game. They give consumers direct access to the wholesale energy market. Co-founder and Co-CEO of Amber Electric, Dan Adams, outlines how Amber is disrupting the energy retail industry, why the massive energy resources consumers are installing won’t be fully optimised without first building consumer trust, and why retailers must be more transparent and give customers full control of their energy assets. For more information on electrification and energy efficiency https://switchedon.reneweconomy.com.au

Electric bikes are taking Australia by storm as more people recognise they can be used for commuting. Bike advocates argue e-bikes, and active transport, should have a large part to play in our transport future. 50% of all trips across our cities are now less than 5 kilometres – a perfect distance for e-biking. Peter Bourke, the General Manager of Bicycle Industries Australia and the Executive Officer of We Ride Australia, estimates that if we increase the number of e-bike commutes by just 5%, it will not only have a massive impact on traffic congestion, the environment, and our health, but also carbon emissions. To help achieve net zero transport we need to change our thinking about bike riding and active transport and ensure people feel safe riding by building more infrastructure and dedicated spaces to active transport. But just when we need e-bikes to help decarbonise our transport, we’re seeing an increase in poor quality and potentially dangerous e-bikes entering the country. For more information about electrification and energy efficiency https://switchedon.reneweconomy.com.au

A popular refrain of the renewable energy transition is it will deliver an energy system that is more democratic, as well as decarbonised. That the political power of generating energy will shift from big power companies to households, as a result of us being able to generate and control electrical power from our rooftop solar, batteries, electric vehicles, etc. But this decentralised, democratic narrative isn’t a foregone conclusion. For many years Dr Bjorn Sturmberg, the Research Leader at the Battery Storage and Grid Integration Program at the ANU, has worked towards energy equity – he implemented Australia’s first solar and storage microgrid for an apartment building, and led a startup that makes solar work for rental properties. But Bjorn now believes trying to address energy equity in our privatised energy market is flawed, and we need to expand our imaginations so we can have energy equity for everyone. He’s proposing a basic energy scheme where every household is provided with free electricity to cover essential, non-discretionary uses of electricity – cooking, heating and cooling – and excess consumption is paid for through existing market mechanisms. For more on electrification and energy efficiency https://switchedon.reneweconomy.com.au

In the last couple of weeks the Federal Government has brought down a budget that does nothing to help householders electrify, and a gas strategy based on the premise that fossil “gas is needed through to 2050 and beyond.” Whilst the Government has promised a $300 rebate on every household’s energy bill, this one-off sugar hit is seen by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) as a missed opportunity to deliver permanent energy bill relief to those most in need. Permanent bill relief could have been achieved if householders were helped to get off gas and electrify by installing rooftop solar and batteries. Furthermore, the looming gas supply gap the government wants to fill with more gas, could be plugged by reducing household gas use. Joshua Runciman is the lead analyst for Australian gas at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, IEEFA. For more information about electrification and energy efficiency https://switchedon.reneweconomy.com.au

As we embrace the renewable energy transition there’s a growing interest in ‘community’ batteries – they’re seen as a way for local communities to share energy resources, especially with people who can’t afford their own batteries or solar. But Tristan Edis, the Director of Analysis and Advisory at the consultancy firm Green Energy Markets, says most of the medium sized batteries that have so far been installed in Australia and called ‘community’ batteries have failed to deliver value for energy consumers, or reduce energy bills. He’s crunched the numbers and found the government has been funding big monopoly power companies to install ‘community’ batteries which produce power that is substantially more expensive than what a household battery can. For more information on electrification and energy efficiency https://switchedon.reneweconomy.com.au

Amory Lovins has been writing and talking about energy policy, renewable energy, sustainability and energy efficiency for over 50 years. His views have been crucial to our understanding of energy efficiency. Lovins has advised major firms and numerous governments, authored hundreds of papers and books, and taught at several universities most recently Stanford. Time magazine named him one of the world’s most influential people. Lovins joins his colleague, Dean Walter, Principal of Strategy at RMI (the Rocky Mountain Institute), to discuss the enormous and still untapped potential of energy efficiency in the transition to a net zero future. For more information about electrification and energy efficiency https://switchedon.reneweconomy.com.au

Australians are installing an estimated 940,000 new gas appliances and 800,000 new resistive electric appliances -panel heaters, oil heaters and older style electric hot water systems - every year, which are locking in significant long-term costs for heating and cooking. The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis(IEEFA) found these inefficient appliances will force Australians to rack up $3.4billion in unnecessary energy costs because, whilst they may be cheaper to buy, they are more expensive to run. The problem is Australia has no minimum energy standards for space heaters, water heaters or cooktops which would enable consumers to make informed decisions about these important home appliances. Jay Gordon, IEEFA’s Energy Finance Analyst, says the government could fix the problem with a single intervention. For more information about electrification and energy efficiency https://switchedon.reneweconomy.com.au

A recent report from Rewiring Aotearoa has shown the rising cost of petrol and gas in New Zealand now means electric homes and EVs are more affordable than fossil fuel alternatives. Even accounting for higher upfront costs, and the interest you pay if you need to borrow to buy these appliances, the report shows a combination of EVs and electric appliances are cheaper over the lifetime of the machines. The average home that uses gas and petrol vehicles could save around NZ$1500 per year at current interest rates (around AUD$1400). Even more – NZ$4,500 - if they get a low interest loan and get their electricity from a combination of rooftop solar, a home battery, and the existing electricity grid. Mike Casey, the Chief Executive of Rewiring Aotearoa, discusses their Electric Homes report, and how he fully electrified his own cherry farm. For more information about electrification and energy efficiency https://switchedon.reneweconomy.com.au/

The federal government recognises electrification and energy efficiency can save householders money, make our houses more comfortable to live in, and reduce emissions. But some energy experts say their National Energy Performance Strategy (NEPS) lacks the details on regulatory reform, financial support, and urgency, that can make it happen. They want less planning, and more doing. Senator Jennifer McAllister, the Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy, discusses the NEPS and what the government has identified as ways to help householders and businesses overcome the hurdles of the energy transition, and current cost of living. For more information on electrification and energy efficiency https://switchedon.reneweconomy.com.au

While suspicion and resistance to big renewable developments is growing in some regional areas, local community energy projects around the country not only provide additional renewable energy to the grid, they enable communities to feel involved and directly benefit from the renewable energy transition. Whereas large scale renewable projects are invariably focused on industry needs, community projects are more likely to win hearts and minds for the energy transition because they focus on the needs of the community first and foremost and are usually run by passionate, committed volunteers with less vested interests. Dr Jarra Hicks, the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Community Power Agency, discusses the role of community energy in the energy transition, how Local Energy Hubs can help people move from being confused bystanders to active participants in, and beneficiaries of, the transition, and the barriers that currently impede the sector. For more information about electrification and energy efficiencyhttps://switchedon.reneweconomy.com.au

Australia is currently seeing a massive increase in hot water heat pump installations, largely fuelled by government incentives and rebates. But concerns are growing that Australia is at risk of being flooded by cheap, unreliable products, installed by inexperienced operators, and we could become a dumping ground for heat pumps that do little to reduce climate change, or the cost of living. That's because we don't yet have minimum energy performance standards for hot water heat pumps. Chris Taylor, the Managing Director of Reclaim Energy, estimates that 90% of the heat pumps now being sold and installed in Australia are what he calls “faux heat pumps.” For more information about electrification and energy efficiency https://switchedon.reneweconomy.com.au

Even those of us who want to electrify our homes and cars can’t always do so because of the high upfront cost of buying efficient electric machines. Rewiring Australia has come up with a plan to help every Australian household – regardless of income – fully electrify. They're recommending the Federal Government provide low-cost Government loans for all Australian residences to install solar panels, batteries, efficient electric appliances, and an EV, which could save households up to $5,000 annually on energy and petrol bills. These HECS-style loans would be paid back when a property is sold and help Australia meet our emissions targets and dramatically ease our cost of living crisis. Francis Vierboom, Market Transformation Manager at Rewiring Australia, developed the scheme. For more information about electrification and energy efficiency https://switchedon.reneweconomy.com.au

In the Northern Territory remote First Nations communities have to battle power outages, a reliance on diesel, and mandatory prepaid metres for their electricity that are regularly disconnected when residents don't have the money to top up their power cards. Without access to functional, reliable and affordable power, the basics for a healthy home and community just don't exist. Now, a small, grassroots, indigenous led community development and capacity building organisation, Original Power, is working with First Nations communities to solve long standing energy security problems by helping them move towards lower cost, clean energy. Their latest project will install the first Indigenous owned utility scale renewable energy project in Borroloola.Lauren Mellor, Chantelle Johns, and Madison Sturgess, from Original Power, spoke to the SwitchedOn podcast. For more information on electrification and energy efficiency https://switchedon.reneweconomy.com.au

Embedded networks allow for the bulk purchase of energy – electricity, gas, or water - from an energy retailer usually at a discount. The number of embedded networks are growing rapidly and being installed in apartment blocks, caravan parks, retirement villages, and also for commercial tenants in shopping centres. But Professor of Law at Macquarie University, Cathy Sherry, says many owners and tenants are getting locked into an embedded network and forced to pay well above ordinary retail rates for their power and water because of developers are making cosy deals with suppliers. For more information about electrification and energy upgrades https://switchedon.reneweconomy.com.au

Australia has around 3.7 million solar rooftop systems but only a small fraction of them, about 180,000, also have a battery. Electricity networks have been reducing the feed-in tariffs they pay solar owners in recent years and will soon start charging solar owners for feeding their excess solar into the grid during the day. But they'll pay owners to feed-in during the evening when demand for power is greater. Independent sustainable energy advisor, Norman Koslowski, from Sky High Energy Control, says the only way solar owners can deal with the changes is to buy a battery. Find more information about electrification and home energy efficiency switchedon.reneweconomy.com.au

Sarah Aubrey lived in her federation house in the inner west of Sydney for 12 years before she embarked on her electrification journey. By then she was fed up with being cold in winter and paying ever increasing energy bills. So she ditched the gas, went fully electric and efficient, and now uses a quarter of the electricity she used to. Find more information about electrification and home energy efficiency switchedon.reneweconomy.com.au

Urgent, courageous action is needed to better integrate consumer energy assets into our electricity system if we want to underpin Australia’s future economic prosperity with lower electricity and transport costs, and eliminate our dependency on gas. A new report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) has for the first time analysed the full range of benefits that flow from householders and businesses installing consumer energy resources, also called distributed energy resources (DER). Dr Gabrielle Kuiper, a specialist in distributed energy and author of the IEEFA report argues distributed energy resources must not come second in policy, planning and regulation to transmission and large-scale generation. Find more information about electrification and home energy efficiency https://switchedon.reneweconomy.com.au

Every time a sparkie walks out of a house, chances are they leave it more energy efficient than when they walked in. But Australia has a shortage of electricians. And we will need 35,000 more sparkies than the 170,000 we already have by 2030, and another 80,000 on top of that by 2050 if we are going to electrify everything. It's a scary prospect but one that Michael Wright, the National Secretary of the Electrical Trades Union is optimistic about. Find more information about electrification and home energy efficiency https://switchedon.reneweconomy.com.au

Former conservative energy minister Josh Frydenberg kyboshed Lord Howe Island’s plans to build a wind turbine which would help reduce its reliance on dirty, expensive diesel electricity generation. But the world heritage island community kept pursuing plans for renewables and now generates nearly 70% of their electricity from solar and battery storage. Stuart Watson, community solar and EV pioneer, and solar yachting sailor, sailed out to the island to check on the solar panels he’s installed on several private residences and resorts, and gives the low down on the island’s full electrification plans. Find more information about electrification and home energy efficiency https://switchedon.reneweconomy.com.au

The Climateworks Centre has modelled ways for Australia's leaky homes to become 'climate ready' using thermal upgrades and electrification, which would enable us to avoid building an oversized energy grid. Gill Armstrong, the Project Impact Manager for the Climateworks project discusses what it will take to kick-start the renovation wave. Find more information about electrification and home energy efficiency https://switchedon.reneweconomy.com.au

Lucinda Flynn is a home energy efficiency assessor working in Melbourne who has conducted hundreds of energy assessments that have saved householders thousands of dollars. She explains why your reverse cycle air conditioner feels blowy, why old homes can be easier to make energy efficient than new builds, and tips for retrofitting an energy upgrade on a budget. Find more information about electrification and home energy efficiency https://switchedon.reneweconomy.com.au

The anticipated exponential increase in battery electric vehicles and battery storage systems over the next decade means lithium-ion battery recycling will become imperative if we're to get to net zero. Gavin Collis from the CSIRO discusses the future of Australia's battery recycling industry.

Ireland is developing one of the most sophisticated residential energy efficiency ecosystems in the world, built on a foundation of serious government funding, pilot projects & trials, grants, mandatory efficiency standards, financing, and one-stop-shops. Josephine Maguire from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland discusses the program and why taking the time to learn what matters to householders is key to its success.

When Katherine McConnell started her finance company Brighte, her mission was to get more solar panels on rooftops – to make more houses sustainable - by offering zero interest loans. Brighte has since evolved and grown into a one stop shop helping to finance and install solar, batteries, heating, cooling, heat pumps, EVs, and induction cooktops.

Sage Briscoe, Director of Federal Policy for Rewiring America, discusses the landmark US $500 billion Inflation Reduction Act, which is designed to help electrify American households, revolutionise how they interact with energy, modernise the electricity grid, and reshape American manufacturing.

Gordon Noble from the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology, Sydney, discusses why we can't rely on government grants to electrify and green retrofit our homes - we need accessible finance from lenders.

Chef and kitchen consultant Luke Burgess on why induction stoves are so efficient and why he thinks they are unlikely to be superseded any time soon.

Half of Australia's lighting is still inefficient 'tubes and bulbs'. Harry Verhaar from Signify, the largest lighting company in Australia, discusses how efficient LED lighting is one of the easiest, ready-to-implement technologies that can help transition to a low carbon economy.

Rob Murray-Leach from the Energy Efficiency Council discusses how we can get to net zero faster, easier and cheaper if households adopt energy efficiency measures like insulation and efficient electric appliances.

Dr Hedda Ransan-Cooper from the ANU discusses her focus group research that shows many people don't trust private companies with vested profit interests when it comes to energy technology and electrification. But they trust other householders on the same energy transition journey.

Rather than a ‘hub and spoke model’ where all our power generation is centralised, and the home is just a consumer, we hear how the all-electric home of the future could become 'intelligent.' Raghu Belur, the Chief Product Officer for Enphase, a high tech clean energy company based in California, provides a vision of what it can do.

Professor of Sustainability at Curtin University and lead author on transport for the IPCC, Peter Newman, says electric transport not only provides an opportunity to produce healthier, net zero vehicles, it enables us to rethink and build healthier, better cities.

For the last 14 years Mayor R. Rex Parris has led Lancaster's transition to net zero. Lancaster has built solar farms, made it compulsory for new homes to have solar panels, challenged the power of the energy utilities, put solar on all public buildings, etc. Now they're overseeing the development of green hydrogen, and hoping to bypass the control of the electricity companies.

Independent energy consultant and founder of the My Efficient Electric Home Facebook page, Tim Forcey, discusses why people would never consciously choose gas for their new home if they knew how dangerous, hazardous and expensive it is.

Alison Reeve from the Grattan Institute discuses how banning new gas connections now will mean dealing with a bounded problem, not a growing one, and enable householders, policymakers and the gas industry to plan for an all-electric future.

Stephanie Unwin, the CEO of Horizon Power, discusses how 400 residential and business customers had just one year to electrify after the local gas distribution company made a business decision to cut the gas off to the town of Esperance.

One-stop shops like Mac Trade Services are seen as one method to help households navigate the process of electrifying their homes. Merrily Hunter, the company's CEO, discuses the crucial role of trades and best practice.

The ACT is small enough to be a test case for Australian cities wanting to electrify, but big enough to manifest the challenges the rest of the country will face. Shane Rattenbury, the ACT Minister for Energy, shows how the Territory leads Australia's electrification journey.

Kristen McDonald and Francis Vierboom from Electrify 2515, one of the local community groups in Australia working to become fully electric. Their big vision is to swap out all the household machines in their postcode, 2515, that run on fossil fuels – from gas cookers to combustion vehicles – and replace them with electric alternatives run on renewable energy.

The process of fully electrifying his own home was difficult, but it helped, Jon Jutsen, the CEO of Race for 2030, identify the challenges we must overcome to scale up Australia's electrification journey.

Craig Memory from the Public Interest Advocacy Centre on why Australia needs a plan to ensure everyone benefits from the electrification journey, and the most disadvantaged who are least able to pay aren't left connected to the gas network.

Dr Jan Rosenow from the global think tank, Regulatory Assistance Project, discusses why electric heat pumps are the most efficient heating technology ever invented, why overall energy demand will reduce by 40% if we electrify everything, and why energy efficiency is a key part of the electrification journey