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As Victorians install solar in droves, what are the next steps to make sure everyone can be part of the change?

More and more Victorians are putting solar on their rooftops thanks to the Vic Solar Homes program, making a dent in emissions and helping people cut down on electricity prices. But there is still more to do, and there is a clear need to increase access for renters.

As the world transitions to renewables, Australia’s shift to wind and solar is ramping up, with close to 40% of the country’s electricity generation in 2023 coming from renewable sources as compared to just 17% in 2017, an increase in 23 percentage points or 19.6% increase over 6 years. Wind (13.4%) and grid-scale solar (7%) accounted for 20.4% of electricity generation in the National Electricity Market (NEM) in 2023, with rooftop solar contributing close to 11.2%, hydropower 6.5% and bioenergy 1.4% to the total electricity mix. 

According to the Australian Energy Market Operator, the pathway to shifting our energy system to renewables requires building three times current grid-scale variable renewable energy by 2030

At the same time, installing rooftop solar and battery storage on many more households, increasing home energy efficiency will be vital to help reduce electricity demand overall. 

Recent analysis published by Adam Morton at The Guardian Australia found that Australia’s total rooftop solar generation capacity is now greater than that of coal power. 

This is already benefiting solar households in the form of reduced energy bills, and helping cut emissions and pollution from fossil fuels.

Making sure more people can access rooftop solar, including renters, people living in apartments, social and public housing would help share the benefits of renewable energy even more widely, and help create a more stable grid overall.

Such smaller renewable energy units, also called, distributed energy resources, would be essential to achieve the required pace of transformation of our energy system from emissions intensive fossil fuels to safer renewable alternatives for the home planet.

Let’s take a look at how Victoria is tracking as it rolls out solar as part of the Vic Solar Homes program.

The Victorian government’s Vic Solar Homes program is driving significant growth in renewable energy, directly benefiting households through cheaper electricity bills while cutting greenhouse gas emissions. But how does it work?

The program enables a faster transition for households to renewables through rebates and interest-free loans for solar panels, hot water, and solar battery storage systems. Since the program began in 2018, nearly 400, 000 applications have been approved and $650 million in household rebates have been delivered.

In addition to helping homeowners and mortgage holders put solar on their roofs, the program also supports low-income households run by not-for-profit community housing organisations to transition to renewables through rebates on rooftop solar. This is a good step, and something that would need to be expanded to make sure everyone can benefit from the shift to renewable energy.

As the number of solar homes expands, the Victoran government has a huge opportunity to help households get off gas too by electrifying the home.

Around 7.3% of Australia’s energy needs came from natural gas in 2023, with domestic use of natural gas in Victoria being the highest in the country, accounting to a third of the total, according to a recent report ‘Saving Rental Energy’ by FoE’s No More Gas Collective. The report also demonstrates that there is growing awareness among home occupants that burning gas in the home is a risk to people’s health. 

All-electric Victorian homes - a vision made possible

One third of Victorian households are rentals, which are often less energy efficient than owner-occupied housing. This represents a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions, but there are limited options for renters to change this. Furthermore, burning natural gas for heating buildings, hot water and  for cooking has major implications on our global carbon budget for a below 2 degree world, with natural gas, mostly composed of methane, having 28 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide emitted from coal-powered energy.

Yes2Renewables volunteer and renter Tamya Lu is excited about the possibility of living in a solar powered home:

I'm looking forward to live in all-electric homes with solar panels. The majority of Victoria's electricity is still coming from brown coal, which can cause massive greenhouse gas emissions making each summer hotter than previous ones. On the other hand, the energy bill keeps going up every year, becoming a burden. With solar panels and electric heating, I won't have to worry about the bills any more and can keep the room in a comfortable temperature all year round. Plus, it makes me feel better that I’m doing my bit to reduce emissions and slow climate change! Tamya Lu, renter

Many renters would love to electrify their homes and access solar, whether it's for the benefits for their own health, the climate and cost of living.. But with power over these decisions reliant on the support of landlords, there is a clear need for governments to offer clearer pathways for renters to access the same benefits as homeowners.

A large number of Victorian homes have installed rooftop solar – it is now up to 30% of homes. The Solar Homes program has been critical to getting there, delivering 2 gigawatts of rooftop solar within 6 year, close to twice the capacity of Yallourn power plant. An additional $16 million for Solar for Apartments has been recently announced for eligible residents living in townhouses and units as part of the program, a great sign.

The success of Vic Solar Homes is  an encouraging step forward towards  ‘all-electric’ households. All-electric homes would see a transition away from traditional water heaters, gas heaters, ovens, stovetops, and would cause  a significant reduction in emissions by making use of rooftop solar. These are all ways that households can be part of the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy. If we’re going to shift to a totally renewable energy system that benefits everyone, there is a clear need to expand access to solar and electrification so everyone can be part of this change whether you own a home or rent.

Find out more about the Solar Homes program here at https://www.solar.vic.gov.au/solar-homes-program

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