What is a community battery?

A community battery is an energy storage system installed in a central location within the community – like a park, or an energy substation, or even on a power pole. It works like a big rechargeable battery, storing excess electricity including power generated from renewable sources during the day, such as solar panels, that is then shared by multiple households or businesses within a community. 

When there’s surplus renewable energy available, the battery stores it. Then, during periods of peak energy demand or when renewable sources aren’t producing, this energy can be supplied to the community. It’s like a collective energy bank, that benefits everyone involved!  

Why do we need community batteries?

The high uptake of rooftop solar – more than 3.5 million Aussie homes now have solar panels – has seen households generate large amounts of energy during the day. But, that’s also created a new challenge. The excess solar creates congestion on the transmission network – a bit like when there’s too many cars causing a traffic jam, slowing down your arrival at a destination. It’s the same when there’s too much solar in the electricity grid.  

A community battery puts this excess energy to good use, storing excess solar generated by rooftop panels and then sharing it back with the community – helping to balance the grid and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. It’s why we believe community batteries have an important role to play in Australia’s energy transition. 

How does it work?

Whether you have solar panels or not, you can enjoy the benefits of a community battery. If you’re eligible to access a community battery but don’t have solar, you can use a set amount of energy per day – and receive a rebate on your energy use. 

If you do have solar panels, it’s basically like renting storage space for your energy – without needing to install your own household battery. Excess solar (up to a set amount) is stored during the day and available for use when you need it. You’ll see savings in the form of credits every billing cycle for this exported energy. 

As an example for our Ipswich trial, after factoring in a monthly subscription fee, homes with solar could save up to $260 per year – and homes without solar could save more than $180 per year. 

Is there a community battery near me?

Depending on where you live, you may be able to access a community battery trial right now – but if not, there could be one coming to your neighbourhood soon. We’re currently involved in several trial programs, which will ultimately see around 80 community batteries accessed by 1,500 customers. This includes a program with Energex in the Queensland suburb of Ipswich, where we’re well on the way to our target of 35 batteries. 

In New South Wales, we’ve partnered with Endeavour on battery projects in western Sydney (Bungarribee), the South Coast (Kiama and Shell Cove) and the Southern Highlands (Bowral), and with Essential in regional locations including Wagga Wagga, Port Macquarie, Armidale, Bathurst and Dubbo. 

The most recent battery launch, in August 2024, was with Ausgrid in the iconic Australian suburb of Bondi.

The post What are community batteries and how do they work? appeared first on The Origin Blog.

As we increase renewables in the energy grid, we need to increase battery storage across Australia to capture excess renewable energy generated during the day so we can use it later when needed.  

And helping to bring batteries to more Aussies, is South-East distributor, Energex. Their ambitious neighbourhood battery project, in partnership with Origin, is set to launch across Queensland suburbs.  

How do neighbourhood batteries work?

Imagine a network of 35 state-of-the-art batteries, with an impressive, combined capacity of up to 2,100kWh (that’s enough to light up the Gabba for 5 hours), ready to serve approximately 500+ customers. Energex’s visionary neighbourhood battery project aims to explore how these batteries can support the energy transition and deliver benefits to households and local communities.  

Eligible residents can rent a share of the neighbourhood battery, virtually storing and accessing locally generated solar energy. The stored energy can be used during times of high-demand (or peak periods), helping to reduce pressure on the energy grid and reducing peak-hour energy costs. The best part? This opportunity is open to all residents – those with and without rooftop solar panels. It’s a win-win scenario, helping to bring down the electricity bills and carbon footprint of participants. 

Trialling neighbourhood batteries in Ipswich

Ipswich was handpicked for this new trial, as 33% of homes and businesses have rooftop solar systems that export energy into the network. And as Queensland’s fastest-growing city, the surge in solar adoption could place some strain on the existing energy infrastructure. So, this neighbourhood battery trial is one way we can meet rising energy demands, without undertaking a potentially costly network upgrade – while also delivering benefits to participants.  
 
Batteries are key to Australia’s renewable energy future. As we transition to a cleaner energy system, we need more battery storage to capture excess renewable energy generated during sunny hours and help to stabilise the grid. That’s why we’ll start to see more neighbourhood, or community, batteries popping up around Australia – with affordability and accessibility top priorities. 

How to get involved

Registration is now open to Ipswich residents for the neighbourhood battery trial. Empower your household, and your neighbourhood, by signing up today!  

The post Powering the future with neighbourhood batteries appeared first on The Origin Blog.

We’re taking part in a few community battery trials across Australia right now, and one of them is in Bungarribee Blacktown, Sydney. The residents in this area are ideal candidates to welcome Western Sydney’s first community battery – 95% of homes have rooftop solar.

This community is leading the way in rooftop solar, and residents will now be able to store excess solar energy to use later, without having to purchase and install their own home battery. Batteries store excess renewable energy generation and provide power during peak demand periods, and also help to manage variations in renewable energy – like when the sun isn’t shining, or the wind isn’t blowing.

Hey neighbour

Expected to run for at least 12 months across the Endeavour Energy network, the battery trial will involve 10 batteries with a total capacity of up to 640kW, serving around 350 customers.

The trial will look at how community batteries can support the energy transition and investigate the benefits to customers and the wider community.

Customers can rent a portion of the battery to virtually store and access neighbourhood solar energy, helping to reduce their household energy costs when they take part. The stored energy can be used by participating homes for a small fee, helping to manage demand in peak periods.

This inclusive approach will empower all residents – those with and without rooftop solar, to experience the benefits of battery storage, including bringing their energy bills down and reducing their carbon footprint.

Battery storage: the future of energy

As Australia transitions to a lower carbon energy system and we increase renewables in the energy grid, we need to increase battery storage across the country. This will allow us to capture excess renewable energy generated during the day to use later and help to stabilise our energy grid. That’s why batteries are a key part of Australia’s future energy mix.

And because more and more Aussies will use battery storage in the future, bringing down the cost of batteries for everyone is key. That’s why community batteries, just like the new Bungarribee Blacktown battery, are so important.

Eligible Bungarribee residents can register to take part in the Bungarribee Blacktown battery trial.

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