Queensland's newest rental homes to save money with solar solution

Tenants moving into Queensland’s newest rental homes can expect to save around $275 a year on electricity, with Stoddart Group releasing Australia’s first landlord and tenant friendly solar solution, SunYield. 

The SunYield package includes a 6.5 KW solar power system, as well being battery ready.

The battery allows landlords to add batteries as they become cheaper, and increase the proportion of solar-generated power sold to the tenant.

It combines with a Stoddart Smart Board that replaces the standard meter box on a new home.

Tenants get a 30 percent discounted rate on power used generated by the panels, while landlords can generate an extra $25 a week of income.

Stoddart Group’s general manager for energy systems Adam Taylor says tenanted properties have been ignored in the recent solar revolution.

“Renters have long missed out on the benefits of solar power simply because it was too hard or complicated for landlords to justify the cost,:" Taylor said.

“SunYield changes this by ensuring that solar on a new rental property is a good deal for the landlord, as well as the tenant.  

Taylor says the process is completely automated.

If the tenant chooses to use the solar panels, all solar and grid power is measured automatically via a smart switchboard and the tenant receives a single monthly power bill for all electricity consumed from both the solar and the grid.

The process is completely automated, with the landlord then receiving a payment for all solar generated, whether it was used by the tenant or sent to the grid.

“With this technology, the landlord owns the solar system and can either sell the power to their tenant at a discount to the market rate or export it to the grid if the tenant chooses not to buy it.” 

The Australian-first technology was designed locally and is being launched in Queensland with leading investment builders Choice Homes, Creation Homes, Brighton Homes and MetInvest, with each including SunYield as standard on their new homes.   

Choice Homes director Troy Knight says Choice are always looking for customer-focused benefits.

“We're always looking for ways to offer our customers a better investment, which made the decision to put SunYield on every home a simple one," Knight said.

“For our customers, it means an increased rental return and a home that's easier to rent.

"For our company, it means being one of the first to offer an innovative product that is good for our customers, their tenants and the environment.

Stoddart Group will soon extend the solution to other builders and plans to install 15,000 SunYield systems over the next 3 years and Mr Taylor believes the technology will quickly become standard on all new investment properties. 

“In the next 2 -3 years, we’ll see a complete shift - from rarely seeing a rental property with solar to it being difficult to find a new one without it.” 

Mr. Taylor said they did not have plans to release the product to the established homes market due to the way the technology works.

Queensland recently showed why its the 'Sunshine State', taking out seven of the top 10 postcodes for the highest rooftop solar uptake.