Brimbank’s first community battery will be built in Sunshine West.
Community batteries help make the power network more resilient by soaking up excess local rooftop solar power, that can’t be stored in individual household batteries during the day, and feed the power back to the grid when the electricity demand is high.
By doing this, community batteries provide network support and can help reduce power surges.
The 500 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery will be in Gresham Way Reserve, and it will be able to provide enough power for dozens of houses for several hours during peak periods. It will be connected to the local power network owned by the energy distributor, Powercor.
Other benefits of community batteries include:
- Lower emissions
- Reduce pressure on the electricity grid
- Help more homes benefit from solar energy.
The community battery will be the size of a small car, and it will be decorated with artwork created by an artist in consultation with the community. Building is expected to start around September and finish in December.
Brimbank Council received funding for this project from the Federal Government’s Community Batteries for Household Solar Program. The Federal program will install 400 batteries to provide shared power storage for households across Australia.
To learn more about this project visit brimbank.vic.gov.au/sunshine-community-battery or contact Council on 9249 4000.
Photo: An example of a community battery that you may have seen in Melbourne. Brimbank’s first community battery will feature artwork to complement the local environment. It will be around the size of a small car.
