The Andrews Labor Government is helping Victorians save on power bills, driving down the cost of living and cutting emissions with neighbourhood batteries to store solar energy.

Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio celebrated World Environment Day today by announcing more than $2.3 million for a new grant program for neighbourhood batteries, supercharging the clean energy transition in communities across Victoria.

The new grants program builds on Victoria’s first community battery in Fitzroy North, the first of many inner-urban, community-led neighbourhood battery projects to be funded through the Labor Governments Neighbourhood Battery Initiative.

Unveiled today, the battery will soak up excess rooftop solar and supply surrounding homes with local renewable energy. The project has a sustainable commercial model with the potential for future community ownership

The Yarra Energy Foundation received $800,000 from the Neighbourhood Battery Initiative for the 110kW/284kWh battery system. The battery has been decorated by a mural entitled “Set the controls to harness the sun” by artist Hayden Dewar.

The Government has invested almost $11 million in the Neighbourhood Battery Initiative with nearly $4 million in grants already invested to pilot the role neighbourhood batteries will play in Victoria’s transitioning electricity system. Batteries are already being built in Tarneit, Phillip Island and Yackandandah.

Neighbourhood batteries store excess energy produced by solar panels on local homes during the day and can then provide energy back to the community when people turn the lights on at night.

Round 2 of the NBI program is now open for applications to implement neighbourhood scale batteries in communities across Victoria.

Grants are open to a broad range of organisations will prioritise projects which focus on equity of access to affordable renewable energy, for example to renters or apartment dwellers without access to solar panels.

For more visit: energy.vic.gov.au/batteries-and-energy-storage/neighbourhood-battery-initiative.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio

“Victoria’s first community battery is empowering the local community drive down their power bills with access to cheap local renewable energy and also be part of halving emissions by 2030.”

“Neighbourhoods across Victoria will soon have batteries – not only helping slash carbon emissions and energy prices but letting communities by part of their transition to clean energy.”