Ausgrid adds new community battery to share benefits of ‘solar revolution’

Electricity network operator Ausgrid has launched a 5 MW community battery energy storage system at Long Jetty on the New South Wales (NSW) Central Coast, saying it will enable households without rooftop PV to share the benefits of the “solar revolution.”

Ausgrid’s Group Executive Distributed Services, Rob Amphlett Lewis, said the battery extends the benefits of the renewable energy transition to those who have previously “been locked out of the solar revolution” because they are not able to install their own rooftop solar or purchase their own home battery, whether due to housing type, rental arrangements or upfront cost.

“Each community battery serves as a shared asset that absorbs solar energy during the day and then pushes it back into the grid during the evening peak when prices are highest,” he said.

“It offers cheaper bills for the local community, more effective management of the network, and supports more renewables in the grid. These benefits are stacked, making it a cost-effective investment for everyone.”

“Whether you have solar on your roof or not, rent or own, or live in a house or apartment, you can access the community battery and enjoy the savings that come with it.”

Ausgrid also noted that community batteries can offer more effective management of the local network, strengthen network reliability and enable more household solar to connect as the system evolves.

“They also demonstrate the increasingly important role distribution networks can play in orchestrating local energy resources, helping absorb excess rooftop solar during the day and supporting the grid during periods of peak demand,” the company said.

Delivered as part of the federal government’s Community Batteries for Household Solar program, the Long Jetty battery is the sixteenth community battery installed on the Ausgrid network. Other community batteries have been launched within Bankstown, Beacon Hill, Brandy Hill, Bexley North, Bondi, Cabarita, Cameron Park, Cammeray, Cooranbong, Narara, Warriewood and Peats Ridge.

Ausgrid said the 5 MW Long Jetty battery could benefit up to 5,000 residents, with 30,000 eligible to sign up for the savings, and continues to expand its Energy Storage as a Service (ESaaS) initiative, offered in partnership with retailers EnergyAustralia and Origin Energy. The ESaaS program is expected to save eligible customers more than $200 a year.