Renters continue to be locked out of access to cheaper solar energy, according to Census data analysis.
The data shows 2.6 million people in New South Wales can’t access solar energy to offset skyrocketing power bills.
The Australian PV Institute carried out the analysis of Census data. It shows 33 per cent of the Coffs Harbour population cannot access solar energy. The figure reflects the 24,816 people who rent or live in apartments
There are no incentives in NSW for landlords to add solar to investment properties. In addition, people living in apartments find it too difficult to install solar panels because of red tape.
PV Institute head says renters’ solar plight is ‘terrible’
Australian Photovoltaic Institute chair Renate Egan described the situation as “terrible”.
“We live in the sunniest country in the world, and the cost of installing solar is falling through the floor making it one of the cheapest ways to power our homes,” Dr Egan told the Herald Sun.
She said 1.67 million households now had solar, but many Australians who would like to do the same simply cannot.
Adelaide experiment in solar finance for landlords
Meanwhile, landlords in South Australia have a new way to finance clean energy upgrades in their commercial buildings.
The SA Government introduced Building Upgrade Finance on August 1. The scheme is part of a plan to turn Adelaide into the world’s first carbon neutral city.
This is good news for landlords keen to improve energy efficiency and cut costs by installing solar technology in commercial premises.
The new initiative will also stimulate investment and jobs in South Australia, while reducing carbon emissions.
It builds on the momentum generated by renewable giant Tesla, now building the world’s largest lithium-ion battery in South Australia.
Germany sets example for renters and solar access
The recent passage of legislation in Germany designed to give renters access to solar electricity has implications for Australia’s rental market.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Coalition is widening access to the solar power market for renters. The ‘Tenant Power’ legislation passed last month gives owners of tenant blocks an incentive to install solar panels.
The bill promises owners as much as 3.8 cents a kilowatt-hour for generating rooftop solar power.
The legislation seeks to open solar power to wider groups as the pace of German rooftop installations slows. It has fallen for a third year, running below the government’s annual 2.5 GW goal.
