SwitchedOn Australia

Lachlan Hensey, the energy and storage project lead for Yarra Energy Foundation, shares insight into their groundbreaking community battery project in Australia. He discusses the major hurdles they faced, from navigating regulatory complexities to overcoming financial challenges. Lachlan emphasizes the importance of defining the problem before designing a solution and explains how community batteries can stabilize energy and manage surplus solar. The team’s innovative approach offers valuable lessons for others looking to implement similar projects.

Electricity prices are skyrocketing in many parts of Australia, and more households are facing high bills they can’t afford to pay. Complaints to the NSW Energy and Water Ombudsman jumped 57% last year, as more households struggled to pay for electricity. Last week the energy regulator proposed raising the default market offer price cap, which could make things even worse for those who don’t shop around for a better energy plan. But there is some hope for consumers—last week State and Federal Energy Ministers have backed a plan to improve consumer protections. What does this mean for everyday Australians? And what more needs to be done? The NSW Energy and Water Ombudsman, Janine Young, unpacks the surge in complaints and explores what stronger consumer protections should look like in practice.

The push to electrify our homes means investing in new appliances, but many Australians struggle to find reliable information about what they’re buying. Research from the Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC) reveals that key details—like durability, repairability, and spare part availability—are often missing at the point of sale. While most consumers want to make environmentally responsible choices, they’re frequently misled by vague green marketing claims rather than clear, science-backed data. Although 96% of consumers rely on the trusted Energy Star rating, greenwashing is widespread, with 80% also influenced by unregulated “eco” labels. Compared to other countries, Australia lags in providing transparency on appliance lifespan and maintenance, making it harder for people to choose long-lasting, cost-effective, energy-efficient options. Erin Turner, CEO of the CPRC, unpacks the findings of their latest research and highlights the challenges consumers face when purchasing appliances for a greener future.

For years, the energy industry has operated under a flawed assumption: that consumers manage their energy use like ‘mini-economists’ or ‘mini-engineers.’ But as digital sociologist Professor Yolande Strengers from Monash University argues, this overlooks the realities of how people actually engage with energy. To truly understand energy use, she says, we need to examine daily household practices and motivations. Strengers’ Digital Energy Futures project explores how our lives—and not just our energy use—might evolve, offering valuable insights to help industry improve service design, product development, and energy forecasting.

In the first of our series of interviews with community groups installing community batteries, we hear from Graeme Martin, the Director of Village Power, on what to do and what not to do if you want to install a community battery. Village Power has been beavering away to get a community battery installed in the Alphington/Fairfield area of Melbourne for over seven years. They liken the process to a game of snakes and ladders, with setbacks at every turn, because they still haven’t managed to switch their battery on. Their latest hurdle came two weeks ago when the retailer they’d negotiated to come on board the project dropped them.

Alan Pears has been helping shape Australia’s sustainable energy policies since the late 1970s. He’s a Senior Industry Fellow at RMIT University and one of Australia’s pre-eminent energy efficiency experts and environmental consultants and has advised federal, state and local governments across Australia, as well as community groups and the private sector. Alan has played a pivotal role in the development of efficient energy appliances, green buildings, energy labels for electric appliances, and mandatory home insulation regulations. In a recent submission to the electricity pricing review now being conducted by the Australian Energy Market Commission he argues there are some basic flaws in our energy system that urgently need fixing: the system is constrained by 'bounded rationality'—narrow thinking and understanding—and it’s time energy networks and retailers shoulder more risk, not consumers.

Over 40 renewable energy zones have so far been identified across Australia and it’s estimated we’ll need 10,000 kms of new transmission lines built before 2050. That’s hundreds of new big solar, wind and battery projects. But for many people in the regions the lack of clear information on how new renewable projects will impact specific areas is leading to confusion and scepticism. Key concerns include the impact on agricultural land, environmental issues, and the slow and bureaucratic planning processes. The Director of RE-Alliance, Andrew Bray, argues we need better community engagement and transparent communication to ensure regional benefits and address environmental impacts. He says local energy hubs could bridge the gap between government, industry, and local communities.

The Federal Minister for Climate Change and Energy wants the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, ARENA, to fund more suburb wide community electrification projects. Climate Council councillor Greg Bourne says it’s an important move – community involvement in energy projects is vital for the energy transition. Bourne has worked at the nexus of climate change, energy business and policy for over 30 years, and was the inaugural chair of ARENA. In a previous life he headed BP Australasia. He’s still “horribly optimistic” about the renewable energy transition, despite global political challenges and the rise of climate change denialism. But he wants the government to deliver smart metres and prioritise the mandatory disclosure of home energy prices and energy efficiency as part of their Federal election strategy.

Rosemary Grundy has done a detailed analysis of how long it will take to get a return on her investment in renewables. From the day she moved into her new house in December 2021, she’s diligently recorded how much she saves from not using fossil fuels, and how much she pays for electricity, and calculated that she’ll break even on her solar panels, batteries, and two electric vehicles in just under 9 years. Rosemary is now developing a break-even calculator to help other householders work out when they’ll break even on their renewable investments, and is on a mission to show Australians who have the financial capacity, that making the transition to renewables is not only good for the climate, it makes financial sense.

Deputy Chair of Zero Emissions Noosa, Mark Purcell, is on a mission to get 50,000 households to electrify and install batteries. He's electrified three homes, and now wants to spread the word to other householders about electrification and decarbonisation. He’s calculated that if he can get 50,000 households to electrify and install batteries one less gas peaker plant will be needed during critical hours of peak demand. But although he's fully committed to household electrification and decarbonisation, Mark didn’t start his own electrification journey for sustainability reasons.