The idea is for these batteries to reduce carbon emissions and energy bills while benefiting all energy users nearby, rather than only those with access to rooftop solar. These are great ambitions – small wonder they’ve proven a hit.
To power Australia without fossil fuels will mean using batteries to store power from solar and wind. We often think this means home batteries – or large grid-scale installations.
Alkimos Beach, located north of Perth, was one of the first towns to adopt a community battery in 2016. Despite the obscure fee structures and bizarre installation, it has saved the township thousands of dollars since. It begs the question, why aren’t we seeing more batteries in our suburbs and why is there backlash for something that slashes power bills by hundreds of dollars every few months?
Experts from the Australian National University explain how battery storage installed at neighbourhood level can benefit a very wide range of stakeholders.