Solar panels that plug straight into a power point and hang off your balcony do exist in Australia. You just can’t legally use them.
That could be starting to change, and it means renters and apartment dwellers could soon see savings to their energy bills.
☀️What’s happening? Western Australia has started consultation on a safety standard for plug-in solar panels and batteries, the first step towards making them legal.
City of Sydney councillors have unanimously passed a motion committing the council to work with the state and federal governments to remove the barriers to plug-in solar and batteries.
The United Kingdom legalised plug-in solar earlier this year, and New Zealand is reportedly looking to do the same within 12 months.
🚧 What’s holding it back? Solar engineer Glen Morris, who has 35 years in the industry, told the North Shore Lorikeet there are four main barriers.
Anything that puts power into the wall has to be connected by a certified electrician, and Morris said that fee would likely cost as much as the system itself.
The company that owns the poles and wires in your area has to approve the connection.
Apartment dwellers need permission from their strata, and renters also need their landlord’s permission.
There are no safety standards for the technology yet, which is what Western Australia’s consultation is starting on.
🏠 The renter problem: Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University associate professor Nicola Willand told the Lorikeet that in tight housing markets, many tenants won’t contact their landlord about basic repairs, let alone ask about installing solar panels.
She said renters would need broad changes to tenancy laws. Germany changed its laws in 2024, so landlords now need a good reason to say no.
💸 How much could you save? In Germany and Spain, a system generally costs around $1,000 (AUD) and can potentially pay for itself in three years.
More than a third of NSW homes have rooftop solar, but for apartments that drops to around three percent.
Watch the National Account’s Archie Milligan below: