A network of at least 50,000 home solar systems backed up by battery storage will create the world’s largest “virtual” power plant to cut energy bills, Jay Weatherill has said.

The South Australian premier said a trial was already under way to install solar panels and Tesla batteries on 1,100 Housing Trust homes. The cost would be financed by the sale of electricity. The power generated by the solar panels and the batteries would not be owned directly by the households.

The program would later be rolled out to another 24,000 public housing properties and also offered to other households with a view to having at least 50,000 Adelaide homes connected.

A similar Liberal opposition plan involves having solar panels and batteries installed in at least 40,000 homes.

Weatherill said the plan would essentially create a 250-megawatt power plant and participants could expect a 30% cut in their electricity bills.

“We will use people’s homes as a way to generate energy for the South Australian grid, with participating households benefiting with significant savings in their energy bills,” the premier said on Sunday. “Our energy plan means that we are leading the world in renewable energy and now we are making it easier for more homes to become self-sufficient.”

A registration of interest was opened for people wanting to take part in the scheme and the government said it would release a market notice this week seeking a retailer to deliver the program.

The Smart Energy Council said creating the world’s biggest “virtual power plant” was a game-changer for South Australians wanting to cut their power bills.

“Virtual power plants allow families to take control of their power bills, while providing greater security for the energy network,” the council’s chief executive, John Grimes, said.



At the Liberal party campaign launch on Sunday Malcolm Turnbull said the state opposition leader, Steven Marshall, shared the Coalition’s vision for a strong economy where businesses could grow and create jobs.

“Steven Marshall and the Liberal party are the only ones with a plan for real change,” the prime minister told the party faithful at a surf club. “And they are the only ones capable of delivering it.

“That’s why this election is so important.”

Turnbull continued his attacks on the Labor government, deriding its renewable energy strategy.

“The families and businesses of this state know they cannot afford another four years of Labor,” he said. “South Australia cannot afford another four years of reckless experiments.”

Marshall told the gathering the Liberals had a strong plan for real change.

“South Australia is a great state, but we are being let down by an arrogant and dysfunctional Labor government,” he said. “We must immediately address the economic problems that 16 years of Labor government has delivered or we will fall further behind the rest of the nation.”

Marshall said the Liberal plan included cutting business and household taxes and redirecting funding to services instead of government advertising.

“The Liberal party is committed to delivering more jobs, lower costs and better services,” he said. “South Australia needs a government that is focused on solutions, not stunts.”

The Liberals are trying to unseat the Labor government, which has been in power since 2002 and is bidding for a record fifth straight term.

But both the major parties are expecting to a strong challenge from Nick Xenophon’s SA Best group. The popular former senator plans to run candidates in up to 30 of the state’s 47 lower house seats.