A new community battery is set to help make better use of locally generated solar power and support the electricity grid.
Noosa Mayor Frank Wilkie said the facility, in MacGregor Park at Noosaville, was significant for the area and the broader clean energy transition across the state.
“This project allows us to make better use of the renewable energy already being generated in our community, while helping Noosa play its part in the global transition away from fossil fuels and towards cleaner, more affordable technologies,” he said.
The 360Wh battery stores excess rooftop solar energy during the day and shares it back with the local neighbourhood during peak evening hours, acting as an energy bank that stabilizes the local energy grid and supports renewable energy access.
Extensive community engagement and feedback helped shape the project, with the site selected due to its high concentration of rooftop solar systems and favourable local electricity network conditions.
The battery is connected directly to the electricity grid rather than individual homes, so residents don’t need to opt in to the program and will not notice any disruption to their power supply or bill.
“Importantly, even people who don’t have solar panels on their homes can benefit, with more renewable energy available through the local electricity network,” Mayor Wilkie said.
It incorporates multiple layers of protection, including three safety barriers, built-in fire suppression systems, automated shutdown capability, and heat and smoke detection technology.
“We’ve worked with project partners to address concerns around safety and noise and to ensure the battery meets stringent fire and electromagnetic field safety standards,” he added.
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The battery is the result of a three-year partnership between Noosa Council, Zero Emissions Noosa Inc, the Yarra Energy Foundation, Acacia Energy and Energy Queensland, supported by the Australian Government’s Community Batteries for Household Solar program.
Zero Emissions Noosa Chair Anne Kennedy said the project showed what’s possible when community groups, industry and local government work together.
“The community battery will help maximise the solar energy Noosaville is already producing and make clean energy more accessible across the neighbourhood,” she said.
Yarra Energy Foundation CEO Dean Kline said the project could “help reduce pressure on the grid and build community understanding of the transition underway”.
Assistant Minister for Regional Development and Senator for Queensland Anthony Chisholm lauded the project.
“The Noosaville community is now seeing the benefits, with more locally generated electricity going back into the grid for households to use when demand is high,” he said.
