Ausgrid installs North Epping community battery

20 May 2024

Ausgrid installs North Epping community battery

Ausgrid has successfully installed its third community battery under the Federal Government’s Community Batteries for Household Solar Program.

The North Epping community battery will support more reliable electricity for the local community, put downward pressure on energy bills by feeding back into the grid at peak times and allow more local homes to install solar on their roofs and charge their electric vehicles.

In turning it on, Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen said community batteries would help households and the broader energy transition.

"Delivering more storage like we’re doing today – enables more households to reliably access the cost-of-living relief offered by solar,” Minister Bowen said.

Community batteries support local power supply quality and voltage by harnessing and storing excess solar from homes, while allowing residents to more effectively use their own solar systems.

Local Member for Bennelong Jerome Laxale welcomed Saturday’s activation.

“I’m very pleased to see this battery turned on. I went to the last election promising a community battery for Bennelong; we are a community that cares about taking real action on climate change and working towards a more sustainable and renewable future.”

“Facilities like this will assist with Australia’s clean energy transition, and will accelerate our transition away from fossil fuels. This is the future.”

Ausgrid CEO Marc England said community batteries are flexible and scalable energy solutions which benefit both the local communities and customers and the wider energy system.

With the right regulatory settings, we could deliver more than 1-2 GW of storage across our network, leading to increased electricity system security and reliability for our customers.” Mr England said.

Delivered in partnership with Hornsby Shire Council, the 535kWh community battery is the third as part of the Federal Government’s Community Batteries for Household Solar Program alongside Cabarita and Narara, with three more planned in Warriewood, Bondi and Cammeray.

Ausgrid has also installed batteries in Cameron Park, Beacon Hill and Bankstown as part of a previous program, the most of any distributor in NSW.

“These batteries are uniquely placed to allow more renewable energy into the grid while delivering services to the wider energy market and applying downward pressure on energy bills,” Mr England said.

To support its community battery roll out under the Community Batteries for Household Solar Program, Ausgrid is also investigating the local installation of a community-based renewable energy project.

The battery has been wrapped in custom artwork created by local first nations artist Leanne “Mulgo” Watson Redpath, titled Garad Flying.

The artwork represents the Dharug yiyura that are connected to all on our ngurra we listen to country and the cries of the garads as they fly above warning us to listen, watch and learn from our ngurra.

Yiyura is a Dharug word for people.

Ngurra means home, place of belonging or country.

Garad is a Dharug word for the yellow-tailed black cockatoo.

For more information on community batteries visit www.ausgrid.com.au/sharedbattery.

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