Solar and storage to power NDIS housing in first of its kind pilot

A dedicated housing development for people living with disabilities will feature solar and battery systems installed on homes in a first-of-its-kind housing project.

The partnership between housing developer inhousing and installer Natural Solar will see solar and battery systems incorporated into housing design specifically for eligible participants of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

The first of its kind project will see the development of Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) in Salisbury, South Australia, pilot the integration of solar and battery systems into the properties, with the intention for the systems to be rolled out more widely.

The solar and battery systems will help reduce the household costs for residents of the properties.

“Each home will be eligible for sonnenFlat, which will drastically cut the price of power for tenants. Currently the national annual average cost of power is $2,000 each year. Under this new electricity plan, residents will no longer have to pay for power, and will only outlay a monthly flat administration fee of $40, saving residents up to $1,520 per year.” CEO of Natural Solar Chris Williams said.

The systems will be equipped with emergency management functionality, ensuring that the battery systems will maintain a minimum 20 per cent charge in case of a power outage. Residents will be able to prioritise their energy use, ensuring the continued use of critical appliances.

“With the strong and rising household penetration of solar panels – and with the take up of batteries expected to increase as prices drop – it is clear that household solar systems have an increasing role in helping Australian households to manage energy costs,” South Australian Minister for Families and Social Services, Paul Fletcher said.

“Australians with disability should have access to the same energy choices in their homes – and that is why I am pleased to see this example of a specialist disability accommodation development using the latest home solar technology. I have no doubt we will see more of this in the future.

Under the plan, homes will be equipped with a 10kWh Sonnen Battery Eco and a 5.2kW solar system. Last year, Sonnen announced that it would begin manufacturing battery storage systems in South Australia, after acquiring the former Holden manufacturing plant in Adelaide.

“Solar and batteries open up huge potential for SDA tenants under the NDIS, and we can see the opportunity ahead which is why we’ve elected to partner with Natural Solar on this development,” Geoff Barber, COO of developer inhousing said.

“This is our first foray into utilising renewable energy technology on our housing developments, and we are excited to see the benefits for our tenants and in future, extend battery and solar to a wider number of residents around the country.”