SwitchedOn Australia

Why Australia’s energy devices need a common language

Australia’s energy system is increasingly relying on households. With more than four million homes now sporting rooftop solar, and batteries, EVs and smart appliances rapidly growing, consumer energy resources are becoming central to how the grid operates. But there’s a problem emerging beneath this transformation - many of these devices still can’t properly communicate with each other. Dani Alexander from the UNSW Energy Institute explains the importance of interoperability, the technical standards and systems that allow solar, batteries, EVs, retailers and networks to ‘talk’ to each other, and how a lack of interoperability could lock consumers into closed ecosystems and reduce consumer choice.

Opening the front door to the sustainable energy transition

Ahead of Sustainable House Day, Helen Oakey, CEO from Renew explains how Australians are retrofitting, electrifying and rethinking the places they live. What began more than 40 years ago as a niche showcase for solar homes has evolved into a nationwide snapshot of the energy transition playing out in real houses, apartments and renovations around the country. With ageing housing stock leaving many Australians too hot in summer, too cold in winter and burdened by rising energy bills, more households are pursuing homes that are healthier, more comfortable, cheaper to run and more resilient. From insulation and draught-proofing to heat pumps, batteries and all-electric upgrades, Sustainable House Day gives people a chance to see what these changes look like in practice — and ask householders what’s genuinely worked, what hasn’t, and what they’d do differently.

How I Electrified: the unexpected payoffs from ditching gas at home

Richard Smithers and his partner Lisa have taken their family home in Melbourne fully off gas, but it wasn’t part of some long-held masterplan. When they renovated in the early 2000s, climate concerns were there, but electrification wasn’t the priority. Several years later, a mix of timing, technology and circumstance pushed them to go all in - they ditched the gas, installed solar, a battery and new electric heating systems, along with draught proofing and more insulation. Richard is candid that financial capacity made the switch possible. But they haven’t only achieved emissions reduction and bill savings – their house is now much more comfortable, and they have greater control, resilience and independence from the grid.

Why are some home batteries so cheap?

Home battery installations are surging under the federal rebate scheme, alongside a wave of marketing promising massive systems at bargain prices and energy independence. But installing a battery involves more than plugging in a piece of hardware. How its installed is just as important, as well as having an installer who’ll be around to fix any problems. Whilst most batteries are of a high standard, the Clean Energy Regulator recently found more than 60% of installations are substandard. Dan McCabe and Matt Williams from GI Energy unpack why some batteries are so cheap, what consumers should watch out for, and how to get a system that actually works as intended.

The tax tweak that could cut renters energy bills

Gas prices are rising as global conflicts tighten supply and expose Australian households to volatile international markets. But millions of renters remain locked into using gas, even though cheaper electric alternatives like heat pump hot water systems are easily available. The barrier is a split incentive - landlords pay for appliances that tenants have to use. Harry Barber from Electrify Yarra is calling on the Treasurer to use the upcoming budget to fix that, by extending instant tax write-offs to landlords for heat pump installations. He argues this would bring landlords into line with small businesses and unlock investment in rental properties. Without that signal in the budget, the shift to cheaper, cleaner energy risks leaving renters behind as the energy transition ramps up.