Submission to the Inquiry into Renewable and Affordable Energy for Apartments

Widespread adoption of renewable energy technology for residential purposes is crucial to furthering Australia’s net zero transition and addressing cost-of living pressures faced by Victorians.

Current policy settings in Victoria incentivise household electrification and uptake of consumer energy resources for owner-occupied houses. Developing new policy settings for apartments, rented dwellings and social housing would enable further reduction in emissions from residential energy use and enable more Victorians to financially benefit from doing so.

ATSE has previously outlined a range of relevant policy measures that would support equitable access to consumer energy resources. We encourage the Inquiry Committee to consider the following recommendations drawn from our recent submissions:

ATSE’s 2023 Submission to the Inquiry into Residential Electrification recommended that the federal government:

• Implement regulations and legislation that mandate full electrification, rooftop solar generation, battery storage, and high energy efficiency standards for new residential buildings across Australia, and;
• Provide incentives for landlords to implement electrification and energy-efficient measures. 

ATSE’s 2023 Submission to the National Energy Performance Strategy contained the following recommendations: 

• Incentives for lower-income households and regional areas to reduce the upfront costs of installing energy efficient upgrades, including secondary glazing and battery storage.  
• A national solar leasing program for low-income households.  
• The strengthening of mandated national building standards alongside the retrofitting public housing stock with more efficient insulation, double-glazed windows and rooftop solar systems. 
• A targeted tax credit for rental property owners who invest in energy saving technologies in their properties. 

ATSE’s 2024 Submission to the Electricity and Energy Sector Plan also recommended: 

• Funding or loan schemes to help low-to middle income households reduce the upfront cost of acquiring solar, battery systems and electric vehicles. 
• Funding upgrades for social housing to install energy efficient appliances, rooftop solar and battery systems, and; 
• Incentivising landlords to install energy efficient appliances, solar systems and storage capacity.