Making Rental Homes Ready for Portable Power

ABC Illawarra

Topic: Renewable Energy

Sunday, 17 May 2026, at 6:02 am

Robin Sands has installed portable solar panels at his rental unit and charges his electric vehicle at home.

In short:

Rewiring Australia wants renters to benefit from renewable energy, including powering homes from cars.

Rental properties are less energy-efficient than owner-occupied homes, especially in low socio-economic areas.

What's next?

The NSW government is calling for submissions on minimum energy efficiency standards for rentals.

At Robin Sands's rental, he only buys half his electricity from the grid.

He has done everything possible to lower his energy bills, despite not owning the unit.

With his landlord's permission, he mounted two portable solar panels on his roof to power kitchen appliances during the day.

The two panels can get up to 4 kilowatt-hours of charging on a sunny day, but he needs about 2kWh a day.

Two solar panels deliver enough power to run Robin Sands's kitchen appliances during the day and charge two batteries.

Mr. Sands cooks on a portable induction cooktop and has installed a free hot water heat pump.

When he buys electricity from the grid, he purchases green power.

Robin Sands says small adjustments to his property have had a big impact on his power bill.

Campaign for renters to plug in

Rental homes are less energy-efficient than owner-occupied homes, especially in low-income areas.

The NSW government is exploring minimum energy efficiency standards for rentals, which could slash energy bills by up to $750 a year.

Rewiring Australia is pushing for electric appliances to replace gas fittings at the end of their life.

The organization wants portable energy set-ups like 'balcony solar' systems to be allowed to power household appliances in rentals.

Francis Vierboom says the uptake of electric vehicles will see residents using them to power their homes.

They want a dedicated plug to allow higher-power, bi-directional charging to supply power to the home.

We will start using cars with gigantic batteries that can take a big bite out of energy bills.

Connecting your car to run your house can make sure renters don't miss out on the next wave of technology.

Preparing for portable power

Current rules mean a vehicle-to-grid power box must be hardwired into a house, requiring landlord approval.

Rewiring Australia hopes renters will be able to install vehicle-to-grid boxes.

A specific plug could change the rules for renters.

If we design a safe, standard plug, renters might use their car battery to power their homes.

Francis Vierboom says three hours of free power will be useful for renters.

Taking advantage of free power

On July 1, people in NSW with a smart meter can opt-in to access three hours of free daytime electricity.

It is a federal government initiative to soak up excess solar power and encourage people to use appliances during abundant renewable energy.

Robin Sands has used his technical knowledge to fit his garage out with energy efficiencies.

Mr. Vierboom said it could benefit renters with a portable battery of any kind.

You could charge your car quickly during the day and then power your house from it through peak evening hours.

It's an interesting alternative to getting solar and batteries installed.

ABC Illawarra — local news in your inbox

Sunday, 17 May 2026, at 6:02 am

Sunday, 17 May 2026, at 6:32 am

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