Australia’s first large-scale randomised control trial testing a new way for households and small businesses to buy and sell solar and battery power has found the technology increases access to clean energy, lowers electricity prices for participants, and strengthens perceptions of fairness within the energy system.
The Virtual Energy Network study, led by Deakin Business School and funded by Energy Consumers Australia’s Grants Program, examined how households and small businesses could sell excess solar or battery-stored power directly to others through a digital trading platform.
Dr Andrea La Nauze, lead researcher and energy economist at Deakin University, said the project offers a possible blueprint for building a more inclusive and flexible energy system in Australia.
Dr La Nauze said helping more people access the benefits of solar and battery power is essential to supporting the country’s transition to net zero.
She explained that the Virtual Energy Network allows people with solar to choose who receives their surplus power and what they charge for it, while also offering a pathway for Australians without their own panels to access clean energy.
She added that the research marks a significant step toward putting this distributed energy resource to work for the benefit of all Australians, not only those who can afford to install solar themselves.
About 300 participants from Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia took part in the study, which has been running since June 2025. Roughly a third of those involved had no rooftop solar or battery storage of their own.
The online platform lets sellers and buyers trade electricity at mutually agreed prices. Buyers benefit from power that typically costs less than standard electricity rates, while also supporting greater use of local renewable energy.
The trial found that the network led to increased use of solar power overall, and that it helped lift participants’ sense that the energy system was operating more fairly.
Households importing power paid lower effective electricity prices, while those exporting their generation received higher prices for it than they otherwise would have.
The Virtual Energy Network is underpinned by Energy Locals, with trading managed through Enosi’s Powertracer software. It is funded through Energy Consumers Australia’s Grants Program in partnership with QuantumNRG, ReThink Sustainability and WinZero.
Brian Spak, General Manager of Advocacy and Policy at Energy Consumers Australia, said the organisation was delighted to have funded the program, calling it a strong example of how all consumers can take part in and benefit from the energy transition.
