More than 50 new community batteries are being switched on across three states following the latest flurry of funding through federal Labor’s $200 million scheme to soak up and share the benefits of rooftop solar on suburban grids.
The Community Batteries for Household Solar program, first launched in 2022, aims to deploy 400 shared solar batteries around the country, with $171 million of the kitty being administered by Arena to deliver at least 342 of that number.
Federal energy minister Chris Bowen on Tuesday announced the latest additions from the Arena-led part of the scheme, including 16 community batteries installed in South Australia through a partnership netween AGL Energy and the SA government.
These batteries, part of the emPowering SA program, have been installed to support around 10,000 low-income and hardship-affected households, who will be offered discounted energy plans, with pricing at least 25% below the default market offer.
The first of 39 community batteries being rolled out across SA, New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria by Momentum Energy – the retailer arm of Tasmania government-owned gentailer Hydro Tasmania – were also being officially “switched on.”
This included five community batteries, with total storage capacity of 770kW/2061kWh installed as part of a Momentum Energy virtual power plant (VPP) that will help bring down power costs for retirement village residents and shopping centre tenants.
“Community batteries store locally generated, excess solar energy for later use, putting downward pressure on household electricity costs and easing pressure on the grid,” said Bowen, from the Living Choice retirement village in Flagstaff Hill on the outskirts of Adelaide on Tuesday.
“With one in three homes having rooftop solar, community batteries are the next stage in ensuring everyone gets the benefit of the energy transformation.”
Bowen also pointed back to last week’s announcement by AGL that it would build and operate 16 community batteries across South Australia, all of which will be incorporated into the virtual power plant (VPP) that the company acquired from Tesla in early July.
AGL will build 16 new 700 kW/1,828 kWh community batteries that will then be paired with two recently commissioned community batteries Magill and Edwardstown to deliver a combined 11.5 megawatts (MW) of flexible storage capacity as part of AGL’s VPP.
All 18 AGL batteries tied into the VPP will be delivered as part of the emPowering SA program, providing discounted energy plans to around 10,000 low-income and hardship-affected households across the state, cutting their energy bills by at least 25 per cent below the default market offer.
“We’re backing community batteries to bring down energy bills, cut emissions and share the benefits of rooftop solar with more Australians – whether you rent or live in an apartment no one should miss out on solar power in their homes,” said Chris Bowen.
“With one in three homes having rooftop solar, community batteries are the next stage in ensuring everyone gets the benefit of the energy transformation.
“Community batteries store locally generated, excess solar energy for later use, putting downward pressure on household electricity costs and easing pressure on the grid.”
Both projects have been backed by funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) through the Federal government’s $200 million Community Batteries for Household Solar Program.
