Key outputs:
Policy Recommendations (briefs) developed in collaboration with industry partners and stakeholders based on the research and pilot outcomes and insights to drive institutional change at the federal, state,and local levels.
UNSW will analyse state and commonwealth energy policies & programs, perform a gap analysis and make recommendations for the respective governments to change / enhance / increase funding to these activities.
UNSW will also analyse the financial barriers impeding the uptake by homeowners (including rental investors) of financing options currently in the market for home upgrades. Outputs will be a range of suggestions for changes, with the possibility of new options being offered by financial institutions (e.g., banks, mortgage providers, low interest loan providers) in later pilots.
Key outputs:
Practical and evidenced based tools and guidelines for delivering tailored programs in communities to generate millions of home energy upgrades.
MSDI and UTS will identify and test effective partnership, funding / financing, delivery, and participation models for implementing home energy upgrade programs in communities across Australia. Developing effective modes of household and community participation in program design and implementation will allow tailoring for local needs, aspirations and values, alongside streamlining to reduce duplication and scale successful approaches across new communities.
Key outputs:
Communications content and engagement to ensure that the knowledge and tools generated by the project are effectively disseminated to key stakeholders and the wider public.
BehaviourWorks will look at household and community behaviour change. This WP will identify key household energy use and energy efficiency upgrade behaviours among households and people influencing them, understanding the diverse drivers and barriers to behaviour and practice change, and applying that understanding in pilots and subsequent tools and resources.
Key outputs:
An easy to use residential building stock model to assess home energy upgrade costs and co-benefits.
CSIRO will establish a residential building stock model to activate community engagement with home energy upgrades to cover building stock of all ages. The model will provide a practitioner and customer friendly assessment of home energy upgrade costs and co-benefits. The model will use data from the NatHERS database, which covers building stock from 2018 onwards, which will be extended with other data to cover buildings prior to 2018 (Rapid Rate). The model will make assessments for the current, 2030 and 2050 climates.
Key outputs:
Practical and evidence-based tools and guidelines for strengthening product and service delivery in home energy upgrade supply chains, including improved training and resources.
RMIT will investigate the barriers to the scale-up of energy upgrade supply chain products. This WP will map the strengths and weaknesses of current supply chains for energy efficiency products for home energy upgrades, such as insulation, draught-proofing, heating and cooling, and other appliances. The WP will then explore supply chain development opportunities, co-develop training and accreditation materials for various stakeholders in the industry, and specify practices needed to both comply with national home energy efficiency standards and ensure confidence in the quality of products and installations.
Key outputs:
A prototype Online Home Energy Update Platform to consolidate and disseminate tools, guidelines, and evidence outlined in the project.
MSDI & UTS will review the pilot activities and outcomes of WP1-5 to develop, test and consolidate a prototype Online Home Energy Upgrades Platform (the Platform) that includes tools, process guidance, guidelines, methods, case studies, data and recommendations to enable rapid scaling of home energy upgrades in communities.
In collaboration with research and industry partners, success factors will be identified for the design of the Platform to operate as a critical leverage point for systems change and provide transformational tools and resources to enable communities and facilitating agents, including local governments, social enterprises, local service providers, and motivated households to implement home energy upgrade programs and reach the installation stage of the customer journey.
The research team will then work with industry partners to determine how the Platform can be implemented at scale, including appropriate delivery entity(s), communications, and M&E.