Connecting a Community Battery
Community batteries are scalable and flexible solutions that can help stabilise the grid and prepare local communities as we increasingly decarbonise and electrify our homes and transport.
You do not have to formally partner with Ausgrid to install a community battery. If you are interested in installing a community battery in your area, you may wish to obtain in-principle agreement from Ausgrid for a suitable network connection point.
You can choose to submit a preliminary enquiry, or directly progress to the connections applications process and avoid the additional cost of a preliminary enquiry, however for speculative projects the preliminary enquiry provides more flexibility. We will respond to your enquiry within 10 business days.
Undertaking a preliminary enquiry has an upfront non-refundable fee, so we recommend you check that you can meet any criteria required before submitting.
Community Battery funding opportunities
The Australian Government has committed to funding $224.3 million to help install 400 community batteries across the country.
The Program aims to deploy community batteries across Australia to help lower bills, cut emissions and reduce pressure on the electricity grid by allowing neighbourhoods to store and use the excess power they produce.
In December 2022, the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) released the funding guidelines for the first 58 community batteries along with identification of eligible locations. Six of the locations are within the Ausgrid network.
Ausgrid has been awarded grants to deliver the community batteries in Bondi/Bondi Beach, Breakfast Point/Cabarita, Cammeray, Narara, Warriewood and North Epping.
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) will deliver the remaining funding streams and is expecting to release their final round of funding in late 2023.
Below are some answers to additional questions you might have. While these provide some background information, we recommend you seek your own advice before applying for the program.
Frequently Asked Questions
You do not have to formally partner with Ausgrid to apply for ARENA funding.
Ausgrid is intending to submit Expressions of Interest (EOI) for ARENA funding to install batteries at locations in our network. For these locations we will ensure that community batteries will meet ARENA funding objectives, community expectations and cost-benefit considerations.
Communities or Councils can register their interest in community battery projects with Ausgrid by emailing sharedbattery@ausgrid.com.au.
The easiest way to obtain this from Ausgrid is to submit a preliminary enquiry. You can also choose to directly progress to the connections applications process and avoid the additional cost of a preliminary enquiry – however for speculative projects the preliminary enquiry provides more flexibility. We will respond to your enquiry within 10 business days. Undertaking a preliminary enquiry has an upfront non-refundable fee of $473.07, so we recommend that you check that you meet the other criteria of the program before submitting your enquiry.
Storage only sites connected to the low voltage (LV) network are eligible for the Ausgrid Community Battery trial tariff that rewards local use of solar and provision of network support (see Ausgrid Network Price List 2025-26). Subject to the Australian Energy Regulator’s (AER) approval, we are planning to make these listed tariffs from 1 July 2024 (providing certainty for a 5-year period) as well as expanding our storage tariffs to include high voltage and sub-transmission connected sites. For further information on these tariffs, please reach out to pricing@ausgrid.com.au.
Ausgrid is offering a specific network tariff through registered energy retailers for community batteries (see previous question) that includes the opportunity to receive rebates/rewards for providing network support. Up to 10 peak demand and 10 peak export events lasting 4 hours each could be called each year. The number of events that will be called in a particular year will depend on network conditions, often driven by weather. Further information on this can be provided at the time of providing proponents with a response to a preliminary enquiry.
Community batteries are in their early stages and different groups, including community energy groups, are considering how best to leverage them to achieve community objectives. Any group that wishes to apply for ARENA funding should seek independent financial advice.
For details of what the Community Battery grants cover please refer to ARENA’s guidelines.