Online tools show how you can save with electrification and efficiency

Solar Maximiser

‍The Solar Maximiser developed by Solar Analytics is a free online calculator that can analyse a household’s energy usage, identify retail offers and market data, and help slash energy bills.

It promises to find thousands of dollars in energy savings for homes that don’t yet have solar, and shave $850 a year from the bills of homes that have already installed rooftop PV.

The Solar Maximiser has received just under $1 million in funding from theAustralian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to help make it available to consumers at no cost.

Solar Analytics says that while there’s wide-spread acceptance that solar is an economic no-brainer, the uptake of other devices, such as “flexible” electric hot water systems, batteries and electric vehicles, is still shrouded in confusion.

The Solar Maximiser aims to fill the knowledge gaps by providing information consumers need to make sound investment decisions, highlight the benefits of a range of energy resources, and connect them with potential suppliers for quotations and installation of recommended devices.

It will also provide an easily accessible one-stop-shop for people to independently compare all of their smart energy options and take control of their energy.

“It’s not trying to sell you anything, it’s trying to educate,” says Solar AnalyticsCEO Stefan Jarnason.

“Those who are worried about their energy usage and upcoming bills can use this personalised calculator and get results in just 60 seconds.”

Jarnason says it’s taken a year of building algorithms using solar and energy data from its 35,000-odd customers and more than 20,000 retail electricity plans to get the tool where it needs to be.

“Solar Maximiser makes recommendations unique to you, your lifestyle and household,”he says.

“In the future, it will also help people to decide when is the right time for them to electrify everything in their home, from their car to their cooktop.”

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Darren Miller, the CEO of ARENA, which granted the project $929,000 in funding from its Advancing Renewables Program, says the tool is expected to help thousands of Australians reduce their energy bill.

In trials across 1,000 existing customers in New South Wales, the Solar Maximiser was shown to find annual savings of $2200 for households that didn’t yet have solar, and $850 a year for those with rooftop PV already installed.

In one particular case, highlighted by Solar Analytics, the Solar Maximiser found that the electricity bill of a North-West Sydney household of four could be cut to $440 a quarter, saving it a total of $3540 a year. This included the recommendation to install solar, at a cost of $10,000, be paid off within five years.

“Increasing people’s knowledge of what is possible at their homes, and connecting them with potential suppliers for quotes and installations is a step in the right direction to ensure no one is left behind in our energy transition,” says Miller.

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Bill Savings Simulator

The Climate Council’s Bill Savings Simulator can also help save Australian households thousands of dollars a year by electrifying their cooking, heating and hot water and boosting their home’s thermal efficiency.

Their online simulator can work out how much a household might save in total each year through a range of different actions.

A home in Melbourne for instance, even with existing double glazing, decent insulation, rooftop solar and reverse-cycle heating and cooling, can still save an extra $2,123 a year, and 52,334 kg of greenhouse gas emissions, by installing better draught sealing, and getting rid of the last of the gas appliances, the stove and the hot water.

The Climate Council’s Smarter Energy Use;How cut energy bills and climate harm report also takes stock of Australia’s “woeful”track record on residential energy efficiency. They found that many homes built before 2003 have a measly energy rating of 1.5 stars and are “little better than living in a tin shed.”

The Council calculated the savings households in each of Australia’s capital cities(except for Darwin) can make through simple actions around the home and swapping gas appliances for electric.

An average Australian household could save between $1085 and $2,872 each year, depending on their location, by combining both electrification and practical efficiency upgrades, such as ceiling and wall insulation and draught sealing.

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It’s not just about the economics. As many others have pointed out, including Rewiring Australia’s Saul Griffith, energy efficiency and electrification offer up some of the lowest hanging fruit for quick and deep emissions reduction.

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For all of the above reasons, efficiency and electrification should be high on policy agendas.

The Climate Council is calling for state and territory governments to offer interest free loans to fund upgrades and minimum energy efficiency standards for rentals.

“Crappy energy efficiency has lumped millions of Australians with homes that are inefficient and expensive to run, and uncomfortable to live in: too hot in summer and too cold in winter with lots of outdated and energy-hungry appliances,” says former Climate Council senior researcher Carl Tidemann.

“We know Australians care about climate change and are worried about the cost of living and bill shock. The good news is you can tackle both these issues at the same time. And in fact, it may be easier than you think.

“There are lots of practical ways that all levels of government – federal, state and local – can help them achieve this,” Tidemann says.

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This article was first published on One Step off the Grid. You can read it here.