Ausgrid has installed three community batteries across its network, the first of their kind on Australia’s east coast.
UPDATE: Participation in the trial is now closed. This two year trial commenced in 2021, concluding in late 2023.
The Ausgrid Community Battery trial aimed to show how:
- The benefits of community batteries can be shared between local customers, the wider community and electricity networks, and
- Community batteries can help deliver cost savings and support the take up of solar power by households and businesses.
- Ausgrid offered customers in the trial areas of Cameron Park, Beacon Hill and Bankstown an opportunity to be part of the innovation initiative.
For further information read the Beacon Hill battery media release and watch the community battery video.
Participating customers can virtually store up to 10kWh of excess solar energy each day.
This excess energy is credited against their electricity use for that day.
The credit is calculated at the end of each day and paid to the participant each quarter via bank transfer. There are no costs to participate and customers don’t need to change their electricity retailer.
Benefits for participating solar customers
- Earn more for your excess solar
- No cost to participate
- No lock-in contract
- No need to change your electricity retailer
- Contribute to greener electricity grid.
- Community batteries can offer a simpler and more cost-effective alternative to installing your own battery:
- No battery purchase or installation costs
- No maintenance costs or risk of battery failure, and
- Doesn’t take up space on your property.
How the Community Battery works
Participating customers can virtually store up to 10kWh of excess solar energy each day.
This excess energy is credited against their electricity use for that day.
The credit is calculated at the end of each day and paid to the participant each quarter via bank transfer. There are no costs to participate and customers don’t need to change their electricity retailer.
View key information in your language
Arabic | Simplified Chinese | Vietnamese | English
Community benefits
Community batteries don’t just save on electricity costs for local solar customers. They can help to keep electricity prices down for the wider community.
Community batteries can:
- Help make our energy supply clean and green by supporting and encouraging greater uptake of solar by households and businesses
- Increase storage capacity in the energy system, which can reduce peak demand and place downward pressure on energy prices
- Make access to energy storage more equitable, giving everyone the ability to save on their electricity costs
- Offer a better and cheaper alternative to traditional network investment.
About the community battery trial
What are the benefits of a community battery trial?
For solar customers participating in a community battery trial, this solution enables customers to receive more benefits from the clean energy they generate, getting more value from their solar investment, without needing to own and maintain their own household battery system.
Unlike a household battery, a community battery allows solar customers connected to the same local electricity network to share in a larger ‘community’ battery that is owned and maintained by Ausgrid. But the benefits aren’t limited to solar customers. Community batteries encourage greater solar uptake by households and businesses, increasing the amount of renewable energy in the system. They make access to battery storage more equitable and accessible for all customers, particularly those who aren’t currently able to install their own household battery.
Community batteries could also offer a flexible alternative to traditional poles and wires investment and can reduce peak demand helping distributors like Ausgrid place downward pressure on energy prices.
How many community batteries will Ausgrid trial?
Ausgrid currently has three community batteries for its two-year community battery trial. These are located in Cameron Park, Beacon Hill and Bankstown.
This is the first community battery to be trialled in NSW, how do you know it’s going to work?
The intent of the trial is to test how community batteries can help us manage local networks in a flexible manner as well as to test different service offers with trial participants and their overall experience during the trial. Results of the trial will inform a potential wider scale roll out in the future.
How are the trial sites being selected?
Trial sites have been selected to maximise the benefit to local solar customers and offer a cheaper alternative to a traditional poles and wires network.
To maximise the benefit to local solar customers, we have selected areas where there is a high number of customers served by the local distribution kiosks, who already have solar power systems.
To optimise the benefit to local network infrastructure, we have selected areas where future growth in solar systems or customer demand might be better managed by a community battery.
To help deliver the trial at least cost, we have preferred sites where community battery installation and maintenance costs are minimised.
How do I participate in the trial?
We appreciate your interest and support in this project. Participation for the Community Battery trial across all the locations is now closed.
If you are a trial participant you can access support and FAQS at mybatteryhub.ausgrid.com.au/FAQS.