A 240‑kilowatt-hour battery with a 38‑kilowatt solar PV system has been installed in Hurstbridge providing:
- up to 48-hours community resilience in an outage
- $12,000 a year in savings on energy bills
- emissions reductions.
Benefits to the Hurstbridge community
Watch a short video about the project.
The installation of a battery paired with solar in Hurstbridge is delivering energy resilience and a range of valuable benefits for the community.
The Hurstbridge community and surrounding areas are set to gain from a recently installed 240‑kilowatt-hour battery alongside a 38‑kilowatt solar PV system, that can also be connected to a backup generator. Together, these technologies will not only power and provide resilience to the local community but bring substantial additional benefits.
Funded by the Victorian Government’s 100 Neighbourhood Batteries Program, the system’s primary purpose is to power the Hurstbridge Football and Cricket pavilion during a power outage.
Having somewhere to go during prolonged outages is an important capability for the area, particularly for neighbouring communities in more rural areas susceptible to longer outages.
For any future outages, residents from nearby townships—including Kangaroo Ground, Panton Hill, and Wattle Glen—will now be able to access showers, refrigeration, device charging, and a safe communal space.
'The system has 'been designed around community energy resilience… [it’s] designed to run the pavilion for at least 48 hours in a power outage.'
Melinda Miles from Nillumbik Shire Council
Lowering costs for the clubs
The system also delivers benefits for the clubs that use the pavilion. It’s especially valuable for the football club, which uses a significant amount of electricity for lighting.
The clubs can now call on power produced from solar during the day and stored in the battery for training that happens after dark. According to Ms Miles, 'it’s predicted that the football, cricket, and netball clubs will save around $12,000 a year in avoided energy costs.'
By reducing their operating costs, this solar and battery system frees up money that the club can invest back into community sporting programs.
Delivering emissions reductions
The project also contributes to emissions reduction goals. Nillumbik Shire Council’s Climate Action Plan includes a target of net zero emissions for community by 2035, and this initiative provides a tangible step toward that goal.
'This was a really practical way to move closer to net zero emissions,' Ms Miles said.
Sustainability leadership in action
Ian Culbard, also from Nillumbik Shire Council, highlighted that the new system enhances the sustainability and community credentials of not just council but the clubs too. 'It’s good for their profile,' he said, noting that installing the system demonstrates real community leadership.
Education is key
Another key benefit has been the education opportunities the system has afforded.
Comprising mostly of families, the clubs have big memberships, but engaging with this cohort has been difficult, especially on matters of being more energy efficient.
As Mr Culbard said, 'to be involved at a facility that is promoting this, that's demonstrating it, they can see the tangible benefits. We really hope that as an education piece, people would take the message home with them, and they might now think, oh, maybe the time is right to get a battery too.'
Batteries: technology for the current era
While other technologies could have been chosen for this project, Ms Miles said there was only really one choice for meeting the project’s objectives of reducing emissions, driving down costs and employing an energy resilience technology that’s reliable. 'Batteries are a technology for the current era,' she said.
Page last updated: 21/10/26