New neighbourhood battery for another suburban solar hot spot

Victoria’s Labor government has unveiled the latest community energy storage system to be installed under its Neighbourhood Battery Initiative, a third round of which will offer a further $2.3 million in grant funding.

State energy minister Lily D’Ambrosio on Sunday launched the 120kW/360kWh Tarneit neighbourhood battery, which received $800,000 as part of the larger $10.9 million battery scheme being rolled out by the Labor Andrews government.

Designed to help store excess rooftop solar energy during the day and deliver it back to residents when it is needed, the battery is capable of alleviating solar power export constraints and supplying around 170 nearby homes for up to three hours during peak electricity demand periods.

Tarneit, along with neighbouring outer western Melbourne suburbs Hoppers Crossing and Truganina, is a prime location for a community-sclae battery, boasting Victoria’s highest penetration of rooftop solar, with almost 14,000 solar households accounting for around 42% of all customers.

The battery’s unveiling was timed to coincide with the opening of a third round of the government’s Neighbourhood Battery Initiative. Up to $2.3 million in grants will be made available for the development of business cases and implementation of new shared solar batteries.

At least two more neighbourhood batteries already funded under the scheme are on their way, including a 120kW/390kWh battery and off-street EV charge-point installed outside a community centre in inner-city Richmond and a 150kW/300kWh system at Library at the Dock.

A further $42 million is being invested to install 100 more neighbourhood batteries across Victoria, which is expected to triple the number of homes with access to renewable energy storage.

“Neighbourhood batteries are helping Victorians be part of the renewable energy revolution by storing power from rooftop solar during the day and deploying in the evening,” said Lily D’Ambrosio.

“Tarneit has some of the highest levels of rooftop solar in Australia and a new neighbourhood battery will give them access to a secure cheap renewable energy supply right at the end of the street.”