Renewables and cost of living on the agenda for Queensland leaders
Solar Citizens has welcomed the announcement made by Opposition Leader David Crisafulli at the Courier Mail’s Leader’s debate today of a grant of up to $3,500 to support renters getting access to solar.
Mr Crisafulli told the debate the program would run for four years and be focussed on a ‘partnership’ approach between landlord and tenants.
The Opposition’s announcement builds on a previous Queensland Government Solar for Renters trial that had a positive impact for participating households, a trial Solar Citizens has been urging all sides of politics in Queensland to reinvigorate and expand.
According to the Department of Energy and Climate website, the trial found that tenants participating in the trial were an average of $600 per year better off – accounting for an average rent increase of $11 per week and their electricity bill savings. The estimated average solar system payback period of out-of-pocket costs after the rebate for participating landlords was expected to be around 9 years.
In June 2023, Energy Minister Mick de Brenni announced the Government would work with Solar Citizens and other stakeholders to develop solutions to enable the roll-out of solar for renters [1]. There have been no follow up announcements since June 2023.
Last month, the Queensland Government introduced a $10 million Battery Booster program, providing existing solar households with rebates of between $3,000 and $4,000 to install solar battery storage systems.
The Premier has also recently announced a new 75 per cent emission reduction by 2035 for the state.
Heidi Lee Douglas, CEO of Solar Citizens said, “We are pleased to see both sides of politics embracing the cost of living benefits of clean energy. “If Queensland’s leaders are serious in addressing both the cost of living and climate crises, then the upcoming state election needs to be a race-to-the-top on rooftop solar and batteries.”
“We need bipartisan support in Queensland to assist people currently locked out of the benefits of solar, including renters, people living in apartments, social housing residents and people with low incomes and limited savings”
“All Queensland households should be running on cheap, clean solar power instead of more costly, polluting options,” she said.
“The benefits of supporting access to solar for renters are clear, renters in a stand-alone household could be saving more than $1,500 a year if their home had rooftop solar, and renters in apartments could be saving up to $600.
“Batteries provide households with the added flexibility of storing the solar power they generate for later use, including when the sun isn’t shining."
[1] https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/97922
