A new electrification project, set to impact 500 households in the 2515 postcode of New South Wales with the energy transition, was launched by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).
In collaboration with Brighte, Rewiring Australia, and Endeavour Energy, the project aims to provide valuable insights into the future of home electrification in Australia.
The “Electrify 2515 Community Pilot” will receive $5.4 million in ARENA funding to support the installation of energy-efficient electric appliances and other consumer energy resources (CERs) such as heat pump water heaters, home batteries, and rooftop solar panels.
These systems will be optimised using home energy management systems (HEMS) to study their impact on both consumers and the electricity grid.
ARENA CEO Darren Miller highlighted the significance of the project, explaining that it will help Australia better understand how residential electrification can contribute to grid stability while also cutting energy costs for homeowners.
“Flexible demand at a residential level is expected to be critical as homes electrify. By undertaking electrification in a managed way, we can reduce the need to upgrade our electricity network and reduce costs for all electricity consumers,” Miller said.
The pilot will closely monitor consumer behaviour and decision-making, offering insights into how home electrification can be scaled across the country.
The initiative also aims to address one of the main barriers to widespread adoption of CERs—upfront costs. ARENA’s funding will assist pilot participants in covering the cost of installing these technologies as part of a research program led by Rewiring Australia.
Brighte Founder and CEO Katherine McConnell said the pilot aimed to create the electric future in a real community.
“This project will allow us to learn locally so we can scale nationally, generating critical insights for consumers, tradespeople, industry and policymakers on how to rapidly and effectively scale electrification across Australia,” she said.
“We’re excited about the role we can play to demonstrate the power of homes brought to their full potential, lighting a pathway for every Australian community to electrify more easily and fast-forward to a smart, electric future.”
The project will also work within the constraints of Endeavour Energy’s local electricity network, testing the broader impacts of residential electrification on the grid.
By studying these effects, the pilot is expected to provide crucial data on how to optimise the energy transition in Australian homes.
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