Brighte – Electrify 2515 Community Pilot

Summary

Need

Households are critical to the energy transition. 70% of energy used in the average Australian home is for cooking, hot water heating, space heating, and cooling. Transitioning these appliances to efficient electric appliances will significantly reduce household emissions.  

If homes can be brought to their full potential for demand management and self-generation, tens of billions of dollars in infrastructure costs can be avoided.2 This project aims to demonstrate that a significantly lower cost energy transition is both possible and achievable at a rapid pace, and to demonstrate how to manage the impacts this will have on the electricity network. 

The pilot aims to identify key financial and regulatory barriers and create the knowledge and experience needed to accelerate household electrification across the nation. 

Action

Supported by Brighte, Rewiring Australia, and Endeavour Energy, the Electrify 2515 Community Pilot aims to upgrade 500 households with efficient electric appliances, household batteries and Home Energy Monitoring Systems (HEMS).  

• Brighte – as Australia’s leading administrator of energy efficiency and electrifications programs, Brighte’s Sustainable Homes platform will be used to connect households, vendors, products and rebates. 

• Rewiring Australia – building on their groundbreaking research on the benefits of household electrification, Rewiring Australia are responsible for household engagement and recruitment, research and knowledge sharing. 

• Endeavour Energy – Local DNSP Endeavour will undertake network monitoring, data analysis and tariff investigation for the project to understand how residential electrification at scale will impact the electricity network. 

The pilot will collect critical data and participant feedback to inform the transition to electrification across the nation, while actively managing the impacts on the local grid. 

Outcome

The Electrify 2515 Community Pilot aims to: 

• evaluate consumers’ behaviour towards electrification including purchasing decisions, degree of energy literacy and willingness to transfer varying levels of smart appliance control; 
• evaluate installation soft costs, challenges and opportunities when retrofitting smart appliances and batteries;  
• demonstrate home energy monitoring systems (HEMS) capability and level of integration with smart appliances, as well as the degree of control (self-managed vs aggregator or Virtual Power Plant (VPP) controlled); and 
• quantify the impact of electrification on the local network and understand future network investment needs and tariff structures. 

Additional outcome

The Electrify 2515 Community Pilot is a community initiative that aims to bring many benefits to the local area. Over two years, the pilot aims to:  

• Provide subsidies and finance options to reduce the upfront costs of transforming local homes with efficient, healthier, lower-emissions appliances that are cheaper to run over the long-term; 
• Provide support and guidance to local households, making going electric a whole lot easier; 
• Boost the local economy by creating project coordination and installation jobs; 
• Provide skills, training and support to local tradespeople involved in the roll-out; and 
• Make life healthier, more affordable, and more comfortable for local families. 

Beyond the local community, the Electrify 2515 Community Pilot aims to: 

• Gain insights to the regulatory barriers to inform policy decision and provide a model for electrification across Australia; 
• Provide critical information to create a safe and robust grid network as we transition away from fossil fuels; and 
• Support household decarbonisation efforts and accelerate climate action. 

Please note the ARENA funding provided is approximate.