Australia is set to roll out its largest residential electrification project to date, targeting up to 20 purpose-built student accommodation buildings in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide under a new A$50 million investment supported by the Commonwealth and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC).

The funds will be injected into a partnership with living-sector specialist Scape Australia (TLCo) via its Core Fund, enabling the removal of gas infrastructure, the installation of electric systems and energy-efficiency upgrades across more than 17,000 student bedrooms.

Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Josh Wilson, described the initiative as a “practical climate action” helping student residents live in more comfortable and affordable accommodation while advancing national decarbonisation targets.

It aligns with Australia’s Built Environment Sector Plan and its national Net Zero Plan, reinforcing the government’s climate agenda.

Under the programme, each building will shift to full-electric operation, installing heat-pump hot water, induction cooking, upgraded insulation, smart metering and load-shifting technologies designed to make the properties “grid-interactive homes” that draw power when renewable supply is high.

Scape’s founders say this marks a turning point for the broader residential-for-rent sector in Australia.

In conjunction with the electrification programme, Scape’s Core Fund — already backed by major institutional capital and valued at A$6 billion — will target net-zero carbon by 2030 across its portfolio.

CEFC Property Executive Director Michael Di Russo said this marks the first large-scale residential-apartment electrification project in Australia backed by the green bank, signalling a shift in institutional capital deployment into living-sector assets.

The upgrades promise lower energy costs for residents, stronger building performance and a contribution to national emissions-reduction goals.

The investment underscores a broader trend: as Australia’s student accommodation market continues to expand — with Scape reporting more than 18,500 beds and plans to grow to 23,000 — infrastructure upgrades are increasingly tied to sustainability metrics and investor appetite.

With this programme, the student housing sector will become a blueprint for large-scale electrification of multifamily housing in Australia.

Timing for the roll-out is immediate: Scape plans to begin retrofits within the coming year, targeting full completion ahead of the 2030 net-zero deadline it has set.

While exact cost-savings and timetable vary by building, this scheme underscores the connection between climate policy, capital investment and urban living infrastructure in Australia’s major student-housing markets.