Community batteries

A group of people outside viewing a large battery

Photo credit: Indigo Power, Launch of Yack01 community battery

Overview

A community battery is a mid-scale energy storage unit that can help communities make better use of locally generated solar energy. It can either be directly connected to the grid (for example, it may sit on an easement at the end of a street), or it can be part of an existing premise (for example, a community centre).

These batteries are called ‘community batteries’ as they typically provide benefits to the local community – generally up to a few hundred households. Benefits may include storing excess solar from local solar rooftop systems or, in some cases, providing energy to the local community during outages.

Two young children outside looking at a large battery

Some key community battery uses:

Stores excess solar energy from local rooftop solar during times of high production (middle of day) and provides energy after sunset.
Provides energy to the local community during outages, for example when a community battery is installed to support a community facility.
Provides new income opportunities for battery owners when power from the battery is traded on the wholesale electricity market.
Provides a cheaper electricity source during the evening.

Photo credit: Indigo Power

Community battery examples

Yack01 community battery

Yackandandah’s first community battery, 'Yack01', is located at the site of an old sawmill in Yackandandah and was a pilot project to test the availability of cheap, locally generated solar power to times of high demand each evening.

Read about the Yack01 project

Yack02 community battery

Yackandandah’s second community battery, 'Yack02', is located at Yackandandah's Sports Park and supports Yackandandah’s journey to achieve a 100% renewable energy supply.

Read about the Yack02 project