Thousands of residents on the New South Wales Central Coast could soon be able to save around $200 a year on their energy bills thanks to the continued expansion of Ausgrid’s Energy Storage as a Service (ESaaS) initiative and a new 5 megawatt (MW) community battery.
Ausgrid, Australia’s largest distributor of electricity, has announced the launch of its latest 5 MW community battery, located in Long Jetty on the Central Coast.
The battery was delivered in partnership with the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and expands Ausgrid’s ESaaS initiative, which aims to provide energy bill savings to everyone, including those currently locked out of the benefits of solar and battery storage.
“Each community battery serves as a shared asset that absorbs solar energy during the day and then pushes it back into the grid during the evening peak when prices are highest,” said Rob Amphlett Lewis, Ausgrid’s group executive for distributed services.
“It offers cheaper bills for the local community, more effective management of the network, and supports more renewables in the grid. These benefits are stacked – making it a cost-effective investment for everyone.
“Whether you have solar on your roof or not, rent or own, or live in a house or apartment, you can access the community battery and enjoy the savings that come with it.”
Ausgrid’s ESaaS initiative, currently offered in partnership with leading energy retailers EnergyAustralia and Origin Energy, ensures that customers pay less by utilising energy stored in a local community battery.
Ausgrid says customers utilising its ESaaS program pay less on their energy bills because the energy they are using from the battery is not required to travel as far as energy that comes from larger generators, like coal or solar farms, thereby reducing reliance on the transmission network and large-scale centralised generators.
Ausgrid hopes that Australia’s current rules and regulations, which require distributors to apply for a special waiver to ring-fencing regulations to deliver such services, will eventually be changed as distribution network service providers (DNSPs) continue to prove the value of network-owned batteries.
Ausgrid’s Rob Amphlett Lewis spoke more on the subject earlier this year on Renew Economy’s Solar Insiders Podcast, which Sophie Vorrath wrote about here.
The new Long Jetty community battery will be capable of delivering benefits to up to 5,000 residents – with 30,000 residents in the area eligible to sign up for savings. Residents eligible include those in Long Jetty, Bateau Bay, Wamberal, The Entrance, Tuggerah, and Wyong.
Ausgrid says there are 220,000 customers across its network who are already eligible to benefit from its ESaaS program.
Fifteen other community batteries have already been launched in Bankstown, Beacon Hill, Brandy Hill, Bexley North, Bondi, Cabarita, Cameron Park, Cammeray, Cooranbong, Narara, Warriewood, and Peats Ridge.
Smaller pole-top community batteries have also been installed in Adamstown, Bankstown, Blackwall, Canada Bay, Hurlstone Park, Kurnell, Lidcombe, Lindfield, and Maitland.
Residents in and around Long Jetty can check their eligibility to participate here.
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