THERE’S a unique confluence of factors that has put Phillip Island at the front of the queue when it comes to the rollout of community-based renewable energy projects.
* It’s located in the most marginal electorate in the state.
* The peak local tourism body, Destination Phillip Island, aims “to be recognised nationally and globally as a world leading sustainable tourism destination”.
* It’s backed by a green council,
* The area has a high roof-top solar take-up
* Mondo/AusNet have identified Phillip Island as a leader in community involvement, and
* The Island boasts one of the most active community renewable energy organisations in Victoria – Totally Renewable Phillip Island.
It's a powerful package that’s hard to deny.
In the latest of these initiatives, the Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio stopped by at the Berninneit Cultural Centre on Tuesday morning this week to announce that Phillip Island would receive seven of the 100 neighbourhood batteries being rolled out around the state during the government’s present term of office.
The State Government is committing $2.1 million of the total project cost of $2,859,292 to install seven 100kW/250kWh batteries at various locations around the Island (Berninneit, Senior Citizens, YMCA, Wimbledon Heights, Rhyll, Ventnor and Smiths Beach) at $300,000-plus per battery.
The overall cost to the state government of the 100 Neighbourhood Batteries Program is $42 million, with the wholly-owned AusNet commercial business entity, Mondo, which has the contract to deliver these community energy hubs and solar mini-grids also be contributing to the project.
It follows the development of the $10 million Phillip Island Community Energy Storage System (PICESS) at Gap Road, opened by Minister D'Ambrosio in June last year, designed to provide energy support for Phillip Island during peak periods, like we saw over the heat-wave holiday weekend just passed.
Speaking at the announcement that seven neighbourhood batteries would be located on Phillip Island, Minister D'Ambrosio said “the batteries will go a long way to helping to reduce those outages that happen from time to time because the grid, as it is, can’t cope with the demand at peak times on Phillip Island.
“I do want to say how delighted I am to be here at the Berninneit Cultural Centre to officially announce one of the successful recipients of the first round of our 100 Neighborhood Batteries Program.
“It's a commitment that we took to the last election and this first round promised to be a very exciting one.
“And what better place to do it than here, at Berninneit, which I think has just been opened recently, developed with the support of the council here but also of course, the Victorian Government's Growing Suburbs Fund, the Living Libraries Infrastructure Program, and the Community Infrastructure Loan Scheme.
“The centre here also has a 125 kilowatt solar system on the roof to reduce the building's emissions and support its energy efficient operations.
“Our 100 Neighbourhood Batteries Program is all about making sure that we can provide or improve energy security in local communities. And we can do that in a number of ways.
“These technologies can actually help communities to be able to install more solar panels in their community, because the grid can support more solar panels being installed and that of course means that we've got a better chance of securing our energy needs especially when we have peak demand times like we do on Phillip Island.
“Phillip Island is absolutely very popular for holiday makers during the summer period and these batteries will go a long way to helping to reduce those outages that happen from time to time because the grid as it is can’t cope with the demand at peak times on Phillip Island.”
So, Phillip Island is getting seven of the available 100 neighbourhood batteries but what about places like Foster and Woodside which suffered debilitating power outages over the weekend?
We asked the Minister if the 100 batteries were just climate change window dressing and a drop in the ocean, that, in fact, 100 neighbourhood batteries could easily be located on Phillip Island.
“It’s not a drop in the ocean. It’s just part of an overall strategy to increase supply, to add to the distribution network, to install massive batteries, large solar projects; a whole range of other projects which taken together will help us to get to our Renewable Energy Target of 65 per cent by 2030.
“This particular project suits an area like Phillip Island, popular with holidaymakers, where you have periods of peak demand and high levels of rooftop solar.”
Minister D’Ambrosio said she still had further announcements to make about other communities that had been successful in the first round and all other communities would be able to apply in subsequent rounds.
But Ms D’Ambrosio would not comment on the number of neighbourhood batteries that might be needed to give other communities the same opportunity for energy access and security that Phillip Island was getting.
“This is the project we have committed to delivering in this term of office,” she said.
So, what impact will the seven batteries have?
A spokesperson for Mondo said the batteries had the capacity to each power 12 houses but that this wasn’t the point of the batteries which he said were designed to collect some of the excess power being produced by rooftop solar on the Island that was now being wasted because of a lack of grid capacity.
It's not a game-changer though. The battery to be located at Berninneit, for example, will likely be fully exhausted by the excess power being produced by Berninneit’s own roof-top solar.
While authorities have explained the reason for locating batteries at Berninneit, the Senior Cits and the YMCA sports centre, they’ve only said that the other sites were chosen for the high roof-top solar uptake which makes you wonder why Newhaven College wasn’t included, with its 237kW solar system, one of the biggest energy producers on the Island.
State Government announcement
The Allan Labor Government is boosting the benefits of solar and improving local energy grid reliability with the first round of projects awarded as part of the $42 million 100 Neighbourhood Batteries Program.
Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio this week announced seven community batteries will be delivered on Phillip Island under the first round.
The batteries will be operated by Mondo Phillip Island and is the largest battery project in the first round.
The project includes seven 100kW/250kWh batteries to be installed across the island and deliver a total of 1,750 kWh storage.
According to the State Government, this will help improve local energy network reliability and constraints, which can reduce outages and allow for higher levels of rooftop solar penetration.
“The growth in renewables and electrification is driving the demand for batteries and supporting renewable, reliable and affordable electricity for Victorians,” said Minister D’Ambrosio.
The battery will also be set up to provide financial benefits for locals through a community dividend payment to Totally Renewable Phillip Island.
“We’re making Victoria the home of batteries to deliver the storage we need to soak-up and dispatch our renewable energy and keep bills down and spread the benefits of local renewable energy even further,” said Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Action Sheena Watt.
Neighbourhood batteries take up cheap renewable energy when it is plentiful and dispatch it when it is needed most, enabling Victorians to generate and consume more renewable energy locally – putting downward pressure on energy bills for the whole community, not just households with solar.
The first round of the 100 Neighbourhood Batteries Program will deliver 25 neighborhood batteries. The batteries will be spread across 20 Victorian towns and deliver more than 4.2 megawatt hours of new storage capacity.
The next round of applications will open in August 2024, for more information visit, energy.vic.gov.au/grants/neighbourhood-batteries/100-neighbourhood-batteries.
Member for Bass Jordan Crugnale warmly welcomed the announcement at Cowes on Tuesday noting that the neighbourhood batteries program would enable communities to make good use of excess power stored in these local batteries until it was most needed.
