We have been awarded a $500,000 grant from the Federal Government's Community Batteries for Household Solar program, to install a 500kWh community battery in Brunswick.
Through an innovative partnership the project aims to deliver a range of benefits including improved network conditions, emissions reductions and increasing uptake of solar on residential rooftops.
Why install at 797 Sydney Road?
We assessed several Council-managed sites within Brunswick for the community battery.
The site assessment considered:
- safety
- practicality
- the ability to construct at the location
- electricity network constraints
- impacts to residents and businesses
Through this process, 797 Sydney Rd was identified as the most suitable site for the battery.
The battery will use 2-3 carpark spaces (4% of total spaces). The design and installation will ensure safety standards and minimise impact on traffic flow and parking.
A painted mural artwork on and around the battery will make a positive contribution to the local area.
What is a community battery?
A community battery, also sometimes referred to as a “neighbourhood battery”, is a type of energy storage. They can store excess solar energy that is generated on the rooftops of nearby buildings and houses.
Community batteries work to balance electricity supply with demand by charging from the electricity grid in the day when excess solar energy is plentiful, and discharging later in the day, when energy is most needed (and the sun is no longer shining).
Community batteries can help reduce pressure on the local electricity grid and increase access to clean renewable energy for the surrounding neighbourhood.
A community battery would typically be located at the street level close to where electricity is being consumed and generated.
The Fitzroy community battery is a good example of what the Brunswick battery might look like.
Benefits of the Brunswick Community Battery
The Brunswick community battery will aim to create a number of benefits:
Frequently Asked Questions
We have received Federal Government funding to install a 500 kWh community battery in the Brunswick area.
The $500,000 grant is from the Federal Government's Community Batteries for Household Solar program.
The program will see 400 batteries installed across Australia, increasing access to renewable energy.
The grant funding agreement requires that the battery be installed in Brunswick.
We undertook a site selection process that considered multiple factors. These included:
- practicality,
- the ability to construct at the location
- impacts to residents and businesses
- electricity network constraints
Through this process, 797 Sydney Rd was identified as the most suitable site for the battery within Brunswick.
The battery is expected to be installed from late 2024 to March 2025.
Council will work with suppliers to minimize impacts to car parking provisions and access during this time.
The battery will have inbuilt air conditioning units to keep the battery cells cool when in operation. Like air conditioners in homes and businesses, they will make some noise when in operation.
Acoustic treatments, like screens, will be considered throughout the design and installation process to limit noise levels to approximately 50 decibels 1 metre away from the unit. 50 decibels is similar to the sound of a conversation.
The footprint of the battery system will be approximately 5m x 6m, and will require between 2-3 carpark spaces (approximately 3% of the total available carparking space).
This includes a number of connected battery cabinets, clearances around the battery and bollards.
Throughout design and installation of the battery, Council and our suppliers will make sure that the battery complies with all relevant standards to address risks including:
- Fire safety
- Noise levels
- Flood risk
- Physical risks (e.g. vandalism, vehicle collisions)
The operational model we will use aims to maximise financial benefits through charging
it from the grid while electricity is cheap, and discharging electricity back
into the grid when prices are high.
Money made from the battery, after operational costs are covered, will be directly re-invested into our Solar & Thermal Upgrades Program.
Our program increases access to solar installations for residents on a low-income, as well as insulation upgrades for increased comfort and energy efficiency.
The battery will also aim to achieve a number of indirect benefits including network stability, and allowing greater local consumption of locally-produced solar energy.
These batteries are bigger than a home battery. A typical household battery (often used to store rooftop solar energy) might have a storage capacity of up to about 10 kilowatt-hours (kWh). This might be enough to power your average household for a day.
On the other hand, community batteries range from 100 kWh to 5 megawatt-hours (MWh) in capacity, enough to power a small neighbourhood for a few hours during peak demand, typically in the evening.
Community batteries can be owned by electricity distribution businesses or third parties such as community energy groups, electricity retailers, and private investors.
The Brunswick Community Battery will be owned by Merri-bek City Council, with an energy retailer operating the battery on Council’s behalf.
We
are partnering with the City of Melbourne who are currently rolling out the
pilot phase of their community battery initiatives called Power Melbourne. The
Brunswick Community Battery will benefit from applying the Power Melbourne
model.
What happens next?
After the consultation period we will review the feedback to understand your concerns and comments. Where possible, we will address your concerns through the detailed design, installation and operation of the battery.
How can the community influence this project?
What can be influenced?
- The name of battery
- The artwork that will decorate the battery
- Site specific
risk/impact mitigations, eg potential need for CCTV, additional
lighting, safety bollards, maintenance hours etc.
What can't be changed?
- The location of the carpark at 797 Sydney Road Brunswick. This has been decided after considering a number of potential sites.
- The size of the battery has already been decided due to the project’s funding commitments with the federal government
- Operating parameters of the battery
