ENGIE’s retail energy provider, Simply Energy, to help deliver new sustainable hot water trial in South Australia.

Simply Energy is partnering with Rheem Australia and SA Power Networks to launch an Active Hot Water Control project designed to improve South Australia’s energy system and increase the uptake of renewable energy. The project has been awarded funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and the South Australian government.

As ENGIE’s retail energy company in Australia, Simply Energy is playing a central role in enabling energy consumers to participate in the carbon neutral transition, through the provision of products and services that deliver value while driving lower emissions.

Simply Energy will be the lead retail energy provider in the trial and will offer customers incentives to join the scheme.

The Rheem Active Hot Water Control project aims to introduce new and flexible options for grid management by testing ways to use home heating systems for energy storage. The aim is to help maximise the use of renewable energy and improve the stability of the local electricity network. The project is being launched under Rheem Australia’s leading renewables brand, Solahart.

South Australian residents will have the opportunity to install a discounted Solahart PowerStore®, a solar-smart, and grid-interactive electric water heater. The project has the potential to deliver both cost savings and a route to further grid stability in South Australia where rooftop solar power has reached record levels.

In the first phase of the program, 400 participants of the SA Smart Network will receive a rebate of between $1,430 and $2,750 when they purchase a Solahart PowerStore® and up to $424 in energy bill credits over two years with Simply Energy’s Hot Water Program.

ARENA and the SA government have each contributed $1.98 million of funding to develop the project and support households installing the new products. Project rebates are available to homes with and without solar power.