A new solar leasing initiative will target Adelaide’s residential landlords and tenants, in an effort to extend rooftop PV uptake beyond the traditional market of home owners and save some of the city’s lower-income households as much as $500 per year on their electricity bills.
The City of Adelaide “Solar Savers” initiative will remove the usual upfront costs of installing rooftop solar PV on rented and low-income households, and provide a long-term payment plan which transfers to the new building owner if the property is later sold.
The scheme will also provide free drop-in energy information sessions, scheduled throughout April, to assist with registering interest in the Solar Savers program and provide other useful information around home energy, understanding and managing energy bills, and the Sustainable City Incentives Scheme.
Acting Lord Mayor Megan Hender said the initiative, which was part of the City’s suite of policies aimed at making Adelaide carbon neutral by 2025 or earlier, was a win for both landlords the tenants.
“The landlord improves the market appeal of their property and the tenants gain access zero carbon renewable energy from the sun and reap the rewards of lower energy bills. Who wouldn’t want to add value to an asset, and save money on power consumption?” Hender said.
“We anticipate households could save up to $500 per year on their electricity bills. Landlords will be able to attract and retain tenants for longer as they will have the advantage of lower power bills.
“We have a target to double the residential population in the city by 2050, and providing attractive incentives for coming in to live in the city such as solar savers will help us achieve this goal. More
residents in the city, means more business and activity in the city which really is good for everyone, I just can’t stress that enough,” she said.
“As a carbon neutral Adelaide initiative, we are providing advantages for sustainable investment strategies and reducing the cost of living for city households. In so doing, we are strengthening our reputation as one of the most liveable cities in the world.”
The launch of the Solar Savers scheme follows the issue of a SA government tender on Monday, calling for the supply and installation of up to 400 solar PV systems for public housing in the Adelaide City Council district.
The scheme initially targeted 200 houses, but was doubled to include a further 200 properties in the CBD. It is being funded through the $65 million public housing package announced in the 2015/16 state budget, with an assessment of suitable properties already underway.
These and other initiatives have seen the City of Adelaide included in the world’s top 10 cities “setting the bar” on climate disclosure, in a report released this week by the London-based non-government organisation CDP.
Adelaide has also introduced the Sustainable City Incentives Scheme which provides grants to businesses and residents to install solar, battery storage and LED lights, and the Building Upgrade Finance mechanism, which provides property owners with access to financial incentives to upgrade their buildings.
Sophie is editor of One Step Off The Grid and deputy editor of its sister site, Renew Economy. Sophie has been writing about clean energy for more than a decade.
