Marysville is better prepared for power outages and emergencies following the official opening of a major solar and battery upgrade at the Marysville Community Centre.
The Marysville Community Centre Solar and Battery Project was officially opened on Friday 23 October, with Minister Jaclyn Symes joining Murrindindi Shire Council representatives and project partners to mark the milestone. The event was held at the Marysville Community Centre.
The project has doubled the Centre's rooftop solar capacity from 18 kW to 36 kW and installed a 79 kW / 224 kWh battery energy storage system. The Victorian Government's 100 Neighbourhood Batteries program provided 95% of the funding for the project.
The new system will strengthen the Centre's resilience during power outages while making better use of locally generated renewable energy.
The battery can support the operation of the Marysville Community Centre for approximately two to three days during an emergency. It complements the Centre's existing backup generator, with the battery automatically taking over when grid power fails and the generator able to take over when the battery reaches its operating limit.
Murrindindi Shire Council Mayor Damien Gallagher said the project was an important investment in a facility that plays a central role in the Marysville community.
"Community centres are places where people come together for activities, services, meetings and events, but in times of need they become particularly important places for connection and support.
"This investment gives the Marysville Community Centre greater capacity to operate when power is disrupted and helps ensure the Centre is reliable, sustainable and ready to support the community into the future.
"It's also a great example of what can be achieved through partnership, and I thank everyone involved in bringing this project to Marysville."
The battery system will also support emergency preparedness. Council can notify the system operator to store energy in the battery when Catastrophic or Extreme Fire Danger Ratings are forecast, rather than exporting stored energy to the grid.
The upgrade combines renewable energy, battery storage and the Centre's existing backup generation to provide greater energy resilience for the Marysville community.
The Marysville battery forms part of a broader regional resilience project, organised by the Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance and the Goulburn Murray Climate Alliance, which has installed similar systems for 10 regional councils. The systems were designed and installed by Indigo Power, working with Watters Electrical.
