Credit: SolarQuotes
Roof-top-solar is an important part of making electricity supply sustainable. Depending on the feed in tariff, it is financially beneficial to the householder too.
Renters options are much more limited.
But, those options have just been expanded. How it works: the landlord invests in solar panels on the roof of a rental house, becomes electricity supplier to the renter. Landlord makes up to $1,200 per year (typical 6kW system), & the renter gets electricity for ~20% off. Grid & atmosphere both get a little bit cleaner. Everybody wins.
Landlords could arrange all of this themselves, or they can take advantage of a complete package of services to make this happen, from an organisation called Matter.
Sydney Morning Herald: Digital Solar opens up solar power to Australian renters
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/innovation/digital-solar-opens-up-solar-power-to-australian-renters-20160304-gnajxz.html
Matter web site
http://go.matter.solar/going-solar/?utm_campaign=solar_citizens&utm_source=email_wave1_solar_citizens&utm_medium=email_wave1_solar_citizens&utm_content=email&utm_term / Australia 2 million rental properties gaining access cheap solar power new Digital Solar scheme divides savings between landlords and tenants Melbourne-based startup Matter Digital Solar brokers deals between renters landlords property owner pay installation solar panels sell electricity tenant cheaper rate power from the grid save renters average $300 per year electric power electricity bill $1500 annual profit landlord installation costs covered four to six years untapped market solar panels roof 1 per cent Australian rental properties Matter co-founder Simon Barnes problem tenant pay put solar someone else's roof landlord pay for solar panels giving tenant free power costs 8.5 cents per kilowatt hour install rooftop solar Australia average grid electricity charge 24 cents exploit difference tenant gets cheaper clean power landlord recovers expenses gets new income stream Digital Solar system monitors roof-top solar installations tiny wireless smart meters designed work any electricity provider any brand solar equipment in-home batteries make homes completely self-sufficient reduce their reliance power grid landlords pay $9 per property per month subscription fee access Digital Solar no out-of-pocket expenses tenant pay for electricity consume solar panels grid landlord tenant strike agreement lasts length of the rental agreement Digital Solar recommends tenants receive 20 per cent discount rate from the grid tenancy laws landlords can not exploit renters charging more than grid rate system tenants monitor power usage real time helping better manage energy usage Digital Solar Matter's Hana platform analyses specifics property calculate size solar system required calculate savings monitor performance system Matter's software used electricity water providers thousands of homes across country handling complex tariffs feed-in tariffs power sold back to the grid Digital Solar smart monitors retro-fitted existing solar power systems installed with a new system Digital Solar solar panels inverters act as a broker help customers find good deal solar installation Matter plans roll out multi-tenant service support apartment blocks making solar power practical 400,000 dwellings across the country /
