TORQUAY’S Community Battery project is ready to go, with Member for Corangamite, Libby Coker, announcing The Yarra Energy Foundation (YEF) as the delivery proponent.

YEF has received funding via the Australian Government’s Community Batteries for Household Solar program to install the new battery.

YEF will deploy the battery in partnership with Diamond Energy, one of Australia’s greenest electricity providers. Diamond Energy will operate the battery to optimise the value of the energy stored by the community battery through their Virtual Power Plant (VPP) control solution.

As part of the rollout, households in Torquay will be eligible for a special retail offer from Diamond Energy, with details to be developed through the project.

Community consultation is a top priority for YEF, who will engage nearby communities in each of the suburbs, working closely with prospective landholders and Barwon Water.

Exact locations in each of the suburbs are yet to be finalised and will be subject to further technical assessment, landholder and community consultation.

The batteries will be installed as ‘front-of-meter’ systems, directly connected to the local grid where nearby residential properties are also connected.

While similar to YEF’s Fitzroy North community battery, which was installed in 2022, YEF will be exploring new ways to deliver more value to the grid and communities through the partnership with Diamond Energy.

The Community Batteries for Household Solar program is about empowering communities to share in the renewable energy transformation, whether they have rooftop solar or not.