Another major milestone for groundbreaking electrification pilot

Stage one of the Illawarra’s Electrify 2515 Community Pilot has been completed, marking a major milestone for the project which launched in 2024.

“The way this community is mobilising to reduce household emissions brings a whole new meaning to ‘people power’,” Rewiring Australia Co- Founder and Chief Scientist Dr Saul Griffith said.

“The pilot shows individuals and families are willing to make changes to their homes to use renewable, locally made energy. This community effort will help pave the way for energy resilient communities across the country,” he said.

By the end of the pilot, it is hoped 500 homes will be all-electric.

“The pilot will reach much deeper into the community than existing studies of electrification. Expanding beyond the early adopters will provide critical insights that will help accelerate the transition to efficient, low-cost electric living across the population,” said Dr Griffith.

Participants who take part in the Electrify 2515 Community Pilot are eligible for subsidies to install electric appliances, such as heat-pump water heaters and induction cooktops.

The Pilot received funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) as part of ARENA’s Advancing Renewables Program. Rewiring Australia’s project partner Brighte helps deliver the upgrades with accredited installers.

“What we’re learning from the pilot is invaluable for scaling home electrification across Australia,” said Brighte Founder and CEO Katherine McConnell. “We’re seeing firsthand how critical it is to have streamlined processes that work for both homeowners and installers.”

Thirteen installers, the majority local, have been accredited by Brighte and are participating in the pilot.

“Our installer network is at the heart of this transition – they’re the ones on the ground making electrification happen, and we’re committed to giving them the digital tools and financial solutions they need to grow their businesses and help more Australian homes make the switch,” said McConnell.

A new report assessing the opportunities and challenges from stage one of the pilot will help deliver the remaining 440 homes, to reach the target of 500.

There is a mix of people in the pilot so far, with applications received across diverse household categories. Applications from renters and landlords are a fraction of the demographic’s actual presence in the area however, reflecting the split incentives for tenants and landlords to upgrade to efficient homes more broadly.

“We need more rental properties to participate to help their tenants reduce their cost of living, as well as learning from them for the research component of the pilot,” said Dr. Griffith.

As a key partner in the Electrify 2515 Community Pilot, Endeavour Energy has increased grid monitoring across the area to better understand how increased load and renewable energy in the community impact the local electricity network.

With households transitioning away from gas and adopting technologies like batteries and electric vehicles, managing network performance and reliability is essential.

“This pilot is a valuable opportunity to understand how our electricity network can support widespread electrification as well as better forecast and adapt to changes”, said Dr James Hazelton, Endeavour Energy’s Manager of Future Energy Strategy.

“By closely monitoring these homes, we’re gaining critical insights that will help us support a smarter, more resilient grid, one that can keep pace with the energy needs of tomorrow,” Dr Hazelton said.

Official offers for the main rollout stage of the pilot are expected to begin in the next few weeks.