The Andrews Labor Government is helping Victorians save on power bills, driving down the cost of living and cutting emissions by delivering neighbourhood batteries to store solar energy.
Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio celebrated World Environment Day today by announcing more than $2.3 million of new grants for neighbourhood batteries, supercharging the clean energy transition in communities across Victoria.
The new grants program builds on Melbourne’s first community-owned neighbourhood battery in Fitzroy North, the first community-led neighbourhood battery project to be delivered through the Labor Government’s Neighbourhood Battery Initiative.
Unveiled today, the battery will soak up excess rooftop solar and supply surrounding homes with local renewable energy.
The Yarra Energy Foundation received $800,000 from the Neighbourhood Battery Initiative for the 110kW/284kWh battery system. The battery has been decorated by a mural entitled “Set the controls to harness the sun” by artist Hayden Dewar.
The Government has invested almost $11 million in the Neighbourhood Battery Initiative, with nearly $4 million in grants already invested to pilot the role neighbourhood batteries will play in Victoria’s transitioning electricity system.
Batteries are already being supported in Tarneit and Phillip Island, in addition to over $550,000 provided by the Victorian Government to deliver a community battery in Yackandandah.
Round 2 of the NBI program is now open for applications to implement neighbourhood scale batteries in Communities across Victoria.
Grants are open to a broad range of organisations and will prioritise projects which focus on equity of access to affordable renewable energy, for example to renters or apartment dwellers without access to solar panels.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio
“Melbourne’s first neighbourhood battery is enabling the community to access to local renewable energy and helping us halve emissions by 2030.”
“Neighbourhoods across Victoria are keen to take advantage of batteries - not only helping slash carbon emissions and energy prices but letting communities by part of their transition to clean energy."
Reviewed 07 June 2022