Phillip Island's neighbourhood battery is ready to charge - allowing more renewable energy to join the network and delivering better energy security for residents and visitors all year-round.
Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D'Ambrosio today opened AusNet's Phillip Island Community Energy Storage System (PICESS), which will prevent the need for diesel generators to back-up the island's electrical grid during peak periods, including over summer holidays, and will help provide power to the Australian MotoGP.
The 5 megawatt (MW)/10 megawatt hour (MWh) PICESS will replace the seasonal generators, which had been used for network support during peak demand, and help address short-term imbalances by soaking up excess solar power exporting it to the grid when it's needed.
Distributed battery energy storage will be crucial for Victoria's future needs, soaking up cheap renewable energy when it is plentiful and dispatching it when it is needed most.
The batteries will support the Labor Government's Energy Storage Targets, reaching a massive 2.6 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy storage capacity by 2030, with an increased target of 6.3 GW of storage by 2035.
The Government's $10.92 million Neighbourhood Battery Initiative has supported trials of a range of neighbourhood battery models in Victoria, from feasibility to implementation. The initiative strengthens our understanding of neighbourhood-scale batteries' role in Victoria's transitioning electricity system.
The Government is also delivering 100 more neighbourhood batteries across the state through its Victorian Budget 2023/24 investment of $42.3 million - tripling the number of homes with access to renewable energy storage. Work is underway with community groups, councils, distribution companies to identify locations.
The PICESS battery will be monitored and maintained by Mondo, a commercial subsidiary of AusNet Services.
As stated by Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D'Ambrosio
"Neighbourhood-scale energy storage systems are crucial in helping us achieve our energy storage targets and will bring the benefits of battery technology to households, business and communities on Phillip Island."
"Neighbourhood batteries are helping Victorians be part of the renewable energy revolution by storing cheap renewable power from rooftop solar during the day and deploying it when it is needed most."
As stated by Member for Bass Jordan Crugnale
"Phillip Island/Millowl is one of Victoria's most popular tourism destinations. It's fantastic that peak periods such as summer holidays or the MotoGP will now be supported by battery power instead of diesel generators."
