Western Australia is preparing to become the first state to legalise plug-in solar panels and batteries, potentially giving renters and apartment residents access to rooftop-style energy savings for the first time.
The systems, commonly known as balcony solar, can plug directly into a standard household power outlet and feed electricity into a home network through a small inverter.
Unlike traditional rooftop solar, they can be portable and generally do not require permanent installation.
The WA Government has begun consultation on technical and safety standards that could allow solar combinations of up to 2 kilowatts and inverter capacity of up to 800 watts.
No maximum battery-storage capacity is currently proposed.
Renters could save hundreds
The government estimates a typical system could reduce annual electricity bills by around A$240, rising to about A$500 when paired with a battery.
The technology is already widely used across Europe, particularly in Germany, where millions of households have installed small plug-in systems.
Its introduction in Australia could be particularly significant for renters and apartment residents who have largely missed out on the rooftop solar boom.
More than 40% of homes connected to Western Australia’s main electricity network already have conventional solar panels.
The government will now work through safety concerns including circuit overloads, equipment standards and rules affecting landlords and strata properties.
Consultation closes in December, with technical work expected to continue into early 2027.
If the scheme succeeds, other Australian states could follow, potentially opening a large new residential energy market while giving households another tool to offset rising electricity prices.
