Australian renters, low-income households, and apartment dwellers are set to gain access to bill-slashing plug-in solar panels and batteries.
Federal, state, and territory energy ministers unanimously agreed to work alongside the federal government to establish a national framework for the safe deployment of plug-in Consumer Energy Resource (CER) devices.
The Commonwealth and state regulators will now identify safety standards and regulatory pathways, reporting back with clear next steps later this year.
Currently sold in Australia but illegal to plug into standard electrical sockets, plug-in solar systems involve small panels placed on balconies or in backyards, connected directly to ordinary power points via micro-inverters.
Retailing for between AU$650 and AU$1,300, the 600-to-800-watt units require no professional electrician to set up and can reduce household electricity bills by up to AU$400 annually. Tenants can pack up the portable setups and move them between rental properties.
Solar Citizens CEO Heidi Lee Douglas hailed the reform as a massive triumph for the one-third of Australians previously locked out of the rooftop solar boom.
“Renters, apartment dwellers and low-income homes will soon be able to plug in, switch on, and save,” Douglas said.
“Solar Citizens wants to see a firm timeline by December for when plug-in solar and batteries will be available for use in every state and territory, targeting full legalisation by 1 July 2027.”
Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen noted Australia will join Great Britain, Germany, Spain, and several US states in legalising plug-in solar.
“This is consumer energy resources for renters and apartment dwellers that gives them the opportunity to use solar panels and batteries that they can put into their rental property, and then take with them when they leave, at no cost to the landlord.
“We have the world leading rooftop solar, we now have the world leading home batteries. But we want to make sure that renters and apartment dwellers are an important part of that journey, and it has been difficult up until now for all renters to participate.”
Authorities will collaborate with Standards Australia and state safety regulators to update technical standards and adjust strata laws to ensure grid stability and consumer safety before the rollout.