A reserve in Tarneit will soon be home to the first neighbourhood battery on the Powercor network to support households to share in the benefits of the area’s booming rooftop solar connections.
Electricity distribution system operator Powercor will install the battery in the north-west corner of Gleneagles Avenue Park in Tarneit, with work expected to begin in the coming months.
Powercor head of non-network solutions Greg Hannan said the transition to more renewable energy sources means electricity is more abundant in the middle of the day when the sun is out and shining.
Batteries on the Powercor network will enable any power not used to be stored and then subsequently supplied to local homes later in the day when electricity demand is typically higher.
“The Tarneit and surrounding community is leading Victoria’s renewable energy boom with more than 40% of local homes connecting solar panels to our network,” Mr Hannan said.
“The battery will soak up excess solar being generated by households during the day and deliver it back to all customers when electricity demand is high. It will provide benefits to up to 170 homes connected to this part of the network, whether they have solar or not.
“In this way, the battery also helps improve reliability in the area, reduce carbon emissions and paves the way for more households to connect and share locally generated solar with their neighbours in the future.”
Local residents are invited to attend a community event at Gleneagles Avenue Park on 9 June between 10am and 2pm to learn more about the project.
Residents will also have an opportunity to have their say on what the battery area will look like once the installation is complete.
Mr Hannan said projects like this are helping to shape the future of the electricity network.
“By enabling access to more renewables in communities, our network is a crucial gateway to a clean energy future to support our customers and the environment.
In Tarneit, Hoppers Crossing and Truganina, more than 13,800 customers have connected solar to the network.
The battery, which is supported by the Victorian Government’s Neighbourhood Battery program, is expected to be operating by the end of 2022.
