Second community battery for NSW South Coast

Endeavour Energy has launched its second community battery on NSW’s South Coast: the Kiama Downs Community Battery, offering 445 kWh of storage capacity.

The Mayor of Kiama Municipal Council, Neil Reilly, was enthusiastic about the battery’s arrival.

“We’re excited to see our local community battery — the largest in the Endeavour Energy network so far — now in operation and ready to serve the community in Kiama Downs and Minnamurra,” he said.

“Kiama Council partnered with Endeavour Energy to find a suitable local location for a community battery in our municipality and I know a lot of effort has gone into getting this project up and running, with much local interest. I hope it will be the first of many!”

A community battery works by storing excess solar not used in a home during the day. This energy is then available for participating customers to use during the evening peak. For customers without solar, excess solar generated within the neighbourhood is stored in the community battery and is available for them to use for a small fee.

Participating customers will receive a rebate on the energy they store and use from the Kiama Downs Community Battery.

This is the third community battery on the Endeavour Energy network, with 100 residents encouraged to sign up for the trial. It is part of a program of more than 50 batteries currently being rolled out as Endeavour Energy continues to connect more renewables to the grid. Community batteries at Shell Cove on the NSW South Coast and Bungarribee in Western Sydney are now live.

The battery features the artwork of Wulbunja Woman Jodie Stewart, capturing the striking geography of the Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama and Shoalhaven regions.

Colin Crisafulli, Endeavour’s General Manager, Future Grid & Asset Management, said community batteries provide a new way for neighbourhoods to use and store solar, with the program open to everyone, even those customers who don’t have their own rooftop solar and those in rental properties.

“The Kiama Downs Community Battery will see both financial and sustainability wins for our customers. Community batteries will also help lower costs for customers across our entire region by improving the efficiency of the network,” he said.

Origin Energy will provide the platform for customers to participate in the battery trial and orchestrate the energy stored in the battery, including dispatch to the wholesale market.

“Through these community battery trials, people can share in the benefits that battery storage provides, regardless of whether they have solar panels and without the upfront cost required to purchase their own battery,” said Origin’s Executive General Manager – Future Energy & Technology, Tony Lucas.

Top image caption: The opening of the Kiama Downs Community Battery, with artist Jodie Stewart and Mayor Neil Reilly cutting the ribbon. Images courtesy of Endeavour Energy.