Connecting a community battery

Connecting a 30kW-1.5MW community battery

Connecting a community battery is a complex process and can take several months. As community batteries import and export electricity to the electricity grid, AusNet needs to carry out two separate technical assessments to ensure the battery works safely and reliably on our network:

1. Load assessment – to ensure that the connection point and local network infrastructure (e.g. the transformer) can safely manage the supply of electricity to charge the battery.
2. Generation assessment – to ensure that the local network infrastructure can safely manage the electricity the battery will export to the grid.

Due to the requirement for two separate technical assessments, we have a two-step process for connecting a community battery to our network.

Step 1 – Arrange a suitable electricity supply

Regardless of whether you have an existing connection or need a new connection, you will need to contact us so we can ensure there is a suitable electricity supply for your community battery.

Depending on local network hosting capacity, this may involve the need to upgrade the local network infrastructure to suit your charging requirements.

To arrange a suitable electricity supply for a community battery:

1. Visit Electricity connections.
2. Select: I want to get connected.
3. Select: Get a new connection or upgrade your existing supply.
4. Select: Commercial Connection.
5. Follow prompts to enter the details of your community battery.
6. Select Type of electricity supply request: New or Upgrade/Change.
7. Provide all technical information/documentation as specified including proposed recharging/exporting rates and times.
8. Choose either firm offer or request an indicative price (this is a preliminary cost estimate which is valid for 30 days). A fee is payable for a preliminary cost estimate (see below).
9. Upon selecting a firm offer, our team will undertake a detailed technical assessment, design and estimate. Once this is complete a connection offer will be emailed to you. This offer is valid for 60 days. A fee is then payable to AusNet to undertake the detailed technical assessment (see fees below). Should you accept the firm offer, the fee paid for the technical assessment will be deducted from the firm offer.
10. The connection offer will specify the works required to establish a suitable electricity connection for the battery and the likely construction timeframe (if you have selected AusNet to undertake the works). Alternatively, you can choose the contestability option at the application stage enabling you to select an AusNet-approved Accredited Service Provider to carry out the electrical works specified in the offer letter.   
11. Once you have received the connection offer for electricity supply, you can proceed to the next stage which is the generation agreement*.

Step 2 – Connection Agreement

To arrange a Connection Agreement for a community battery:

1. Request a technical assessment via our Renewable solutions portal.
2. Select: Start/manage a solar application.
3. Register for the portal.
4. Select: Create application.
5. Select the size of your community battery, e.g. >30kW – 1.5MW.
6. Apply for a technical assessment (fee payable – see below).
7. Provide information requested (NMI, inverter details, technical specifications of your proposed system, proposed export levels and single-line diagram).
8. Depending on the outcome of the technical assessment we will either:

• Email you a Connection Offer outlining the conditions of your connection and the cost of the connection. You have 30 days to accept the offer.
• Contact you with options for getting your system approved. 

9. Once accepted, you have 90 days to complete the installation. If you require longer, please advise us in writing as installations over 30kW can take longer to complete. 
10. Before we can allow your battery to generate energy, you will need to provide evidence of compliance and submit this paperwork to us via our Renewable solutions portal.
11. If your proposed installation is on an existing premise on the customer side of the meter, reconfiguration of the electricity meter is required (either electronically or via a truck visit). This will be handled by your electricity retailer who will instruct us to undertake the necessary meter upgrade or consolidation. You will receive confirmation from AusNet that the battery can be switched on. 

Assessment fees

As it takes a network engineer several hours to assess connection applications over 30kW, we charge assessment fees to cover this cost.

Supply offer:

Preliminary estimate:
Minimum $500 (excl. GST).

Detailed assessment resulting in firm offer:
Minimum $2,000 (excl. GST).

Offer:
Costs will vary depending on battery size and local network conditions.

Generation agreement:

Technical assessment:
$2,000 (excl. GST) for systems up to 200kW (fixed cost)
$3,000 (excl. GST) for systems 200kW to 1.5MW. (fixed cost)

Offer:
Costs will vary depending on battery size and local network conditions.

Note:
There is an additional fee of $4,276 (excl. GST) for the mandatory installation of a Generator Monitor Network Device for solar PV systems over 200kW which is payable on the initial invoice. This is not required for battery-only connections.

*Fees correct as of 11.10.2024. AusNet reserves the right to change fees without notice.