ARENA funds Australia’s first community-led electrification pilot in NSW
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced $5.4 million in funding to support the Electrify 2515 Community Pilot, a project aiming to electrify 500 homes in the north Illawarra region of New South Wales and gather insights on the future of home electrification.
In partnership with Brighte, Rewiring Australia, and Endeavour Energy, ARENA’s pilot will see efficient electric appliances and consumer energy resources (CER) such as rooftop solar, home batteries, and heat pumps installed in 500 households in the 2515 postcode. The pilot aims to examine the potential for household electrification to contribute to grid stability and lower energy costs.
ARENA CEO Darren Miller stated, "Flexible demand at a residential level is expected to be critical as homes electrify. By undertaking electrification in a managed way, we can reduce the need to upgrade our electricity network and reduce costs for all electricity consumers." This trial will also study how electrification affects Endeavour Energy’s local network.
The project's objectives include optimising the use of home energy management systems (HEMS) to manage demand and understanding consumer behaviour in adopting consumer energy resources (CER). Brighte's founder and CEO Katherine McConnell said, “This project will allow us to learn locally so we can scale nationally, generating critical insights for consumers, tradespeople, industry and policymakers on how to rapidly and effectively scale electrification across Australia.”
One of the major challenges to widespread adoption of CER is the upfront cost, but ARENA’s funding will help reduce this barrier for participating households. Rewiring Australia will lead the research component of the project, examining the impacts and scalability of home electrification.
As Australia moves towards a future dominated by renewable energy, the project will provide important insights into how residential electrification can be expanded and managed across the country. ARENA's focus on unlocking flexible demand, improving energy storage economics, and integrating renewable electricity at scale reflects the rapid changes in Australia's energy landscape.
