Local residents turn up in droves to launch Electrify 2515 pilot
Thirroul NSW 11 November 2024: A packed house of over 600 enthusiastic locals filled the iconic Anita’s Theatre in Thirroul yesterday for the community launch of Australia’s first community-led fully electric suburb.
Dr Saul Griffith gives keynote address to packed crowd at Anita’s Theatre, Thirroul.
This visionary Electrify 2515 Community Pilot has been spearheaded by passionate locals and involves an $11.8 million partnership between Rewiring Australia, Brighte, and Endeavour Energy with $5.4 million in federal funding through Australian Renewable Energy Agency to accelerate the electrification of homes in the north Illawarra 2515 postcode.
The community electrification pilot will support 500 homes in the 2515 postcode, with over 200 applications already submitted following yesterday’s launch. Residents living in the postcode 2515 can apply for subsidies of up to $1,000 off electric hot water systems, reverse cycle air conditioners, induction cooktops, and up to $1500 off home batteries.
Each household will also have a free smart energy device installed to optimise their energy use, and some subsidies for switchboard upgrades to support the new appliances. Additional incentives will be available for lower income households to make the program accessible to a diverse range of people.
Dr Saul Griffith, Rewiring Australia Co-founder and Chief Scientist, said: “Electrify 2515 is about a community solving climate change together. This will be the first community where we show the world ‘this is how we do it’ to positively impact climate change while improving the lives of people. In a nutshell, the community that electrifies together, thrives together.”
The pilot aims to provide real-world data on a concentrated and rapid electrification of a community, measuring consumer behaviour, attitudes, and energy bill savings. As Australia’s first community-led electrification pilot, it will capture learnings that include energy choices, feedback, and energy data from participants.
The panel, including Kristen McDonald (Rewiring Australia), Ben Dufty (Endeavour Energy), Saul Griffith (Rewiring Australia), John Buchelin (Rewiring Australia), and Douglas Chapman (Brighte), answer questions from the audience.
Endeavour Energy’s Manager Distribution Central Ben Dufty said he was thrilled to be a part of Electrify 2515 to obtain real world data to help every Australian community transition smoothly to a smart, electric future. “Endeavour Energy will be assessing and monitoring the local grid during the pilot, generating insights about how to best optimise the network for all customers as we manage the smart energy transition.”
In welcoming the community launch, Douglas Chapman Head of Non-Lending and Marketing, Brighte said “We're so excited that Brighte's platform will be supporting this groundbreaking community trial and supporting opportunities for local tradies. Electrify 2515 will deliver a brighter and more affordable future for everyone.”
Eligible residents are encouraged to apply to participate in the Electrify 2515 Community Pilot at https://e2515.paperform.co/ to take part in the research and access subsidies to reduce the cost of electrifying their appliances.
The initial round of applications for 60 homes to participate are open until 30 November.
Households can use the online calculator to find out exactly how much they could save and what incentives they’re eligible for at https://www.electrify2515.org/subsidy-calculator
Beyond savings, this initiative sets the stage for communities across Australia by providing critical data on large-scale, real-world electrification.
