The total programme cost is AU$25 million (US$17 million), with AU$9.34 million contributed through Round 1 of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) Community Battery programme. Western Power is meeting the balance of the project cost.
The batteries are designed to absorb surplus solar generation during the day and redistribute stored energy during the evening peak, when household demand rises and solar output falls to zero.
The programme targets renters, apartment dwellers, and households where rooftop solar installation is not feasible, demographics that have historically been excluded from the financial benefits of distributed solar.
Building on an established SWIS programme
The 18 new batteries are the latest addition to a community battery programme that Western Power has been expanding steadily since its first PowerBank trial in Meadow Springs in 2018, which featured a 105kW/420kWh system.
