Powerwalls for parity: Australia’s biggest VPP opens up to community housing

One of Australia’s pioneering virtual power plants, a South Australia government-backed initiative designed and developed by Tesla, will bring community housing into the fold, giving them access to cheap renewable energy.

Designed to cut the energy costs of public housing tenants, the SA Virtual Power Plant (SAVPP) is the largest of its kind in Australia, with 7,000 participants at the end of 2024.

Tesla, through retailer Energy Locals, shares the benefits of savings from energy produced via the solar and its Powerwall battery systems by providing tenants with some of the lowest electricity prices in the state.

But the VPP is set to be expanded, again, with 1750 low and moderate income community housing tenants being invited to join.

First to join the VPP will be the tenants of provider Unity Housing, which says they could save up to $562 a year – or 25 per cent off the South Australian Default Market Offer based on average tenant household usage.

Unity Housing CEO Matthew Woodward says the ‘game-changing’ partnership would see Tesla install Powerwall batteries and/or solar panels at the homes of eligible tenants, to generate and store green energy.

“Unity Housing tenants will be the first in the community housing sector to share the benefits of cheaper and renewable energy at scale by participating in this scheme at a time when household budgets are under increasing pressure from rising living costs,” Woodard said on Tuesday.

“That’s what makes this initiative so important – it provides people in greatest need with no-cost green energy infrastructure that will help manage the household budget, reducing stress and anxiety and improving health and wellbeing, while helping the environment. It’s a win, win, win.”

Unity Housing says that, to date, more than 250 of its tenants, mostly from Adelaide’s western suburbs, have registered to join the SAVPP, while another 150 have already joined up and had solar and a battery installed.