“Electrification allows us to monitor and control how all the equipment is functioning from a distance. That is a big plus.”
“As a weekender rented out when not used by the family, it’s important that our Killcare house looks after itself as far as possible” says Kate and Ian. “We don’t want to have to drive up whenever anything goes wrong!”
“We also have the comfort that even when the power goes off, essential items like fridges and lighting still operate thanks to our solar panels and battery.”
Kate and Ian’s journey began in 2017 with the installation of a 4.8kW solar system and Big Ass ceiling fans to avoid air conditioning. The next step was a much needed upgrade of the lighting system to the more efficient LEDs.
In 2022, they replaced the gas cooktop with an electric induction, allowing them to be rid of gas entirely and the chore of refilling bottles.
“Other benefits of the induction cooktop in a rental property” says Ian “is they are safer than a traditional electric or gas cook top, and far easier to clean.”
Around this time, a 14kWh home battery was also installed to soak up the excess solar electricity during the day and to minimise buying electricity from the grid.
“We are now self-sufficient and even export energy on most days, although when the house is heavily used we still need to import from the grid. Incredibly, we recently ran the house for 18 days straight with zero electricity from the grid!” explains Ian.
Much of their achievement has been the result of selecting equipment and appliances that can be programmed and controlled remotely. This enables them to keep the house ticking over when it is vacant.
For example, Kate and Ian chose a Reclaim heat pump system which is controllable from a mobile phone and timed to draw electricity from the solar panels during the day. Their air conditioning, in the parts of the house that have limited cross airflow, can be turned on remotely to pre-cool house before guests arrive.
So, after all his experience, does Ian have any tips for other owners of rental properties and weekenders?
“Its been pretty easy to do and with advice from Electrify Bouddi and access to reputable installers it should be even easier now! As energy prices rise, the economics are looking more and more favourable too, especially if you factor in the improved comfort levels.”
“I just wish that there was a green rating scheme for rentals so we could highlight our credentials!”
“If I was starting out now, I would install solar and batteries at the same time, and also put in the wiring for an induction cooktop while the trades are on site. Good fans provide a massive improvement for limited cost and the new models are easily retrofitted.”
Kate & Ian have had the following equipment installed:
Solar panels (4.7kW) – supplied by AGL
Tesla Powerwall 2 household battery – supplied by AGL
Big Ass ceiling fans
Heat Pump hot water system – Reclaim with V2.0 controller
Reverse cycle air conditioning – Daikin
Read about all the simple ways you can reduce your energy use and cut emissions.