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Overview

  • Business, Government, Not-for-profit groups
  • Closed

Objectives

The growth in renewables and electrification will continue to drive demand for batteries. For Victoria to get the most out of our increasing distributed energy resources, such as rooftop solar, more support is being targeted via the Neighbourhood Battery Initiative (NBI).

The NBI aims to achieve the following outcomes:

  • support understanding of the full range of benefits that neighbourhood scale batteries can provide
  • help to overcome barriers to the deployment of neighbourhood scale batteries
  • inform regulatory reform
  • determine which neighbourhood scale battery models provide the most benefits to the Victorian electricity system
  • assist optimisation of distributed energy generation within the low voltage network
  • support the decarbonisation of Victoria’s electricity system to tackle climate change.

How does the grant work?

Victoria’s $10.92 million Neighbourhood Battery Initiative (NBI) supports a range of neighbourhood battery models in Victoria, from feasibility to implementation. Grant programs are being delivered in stages to target funding based on lessons learnt and evolving new technology.

The initiative will help understand what role neighbourhood-scale batteries' can play in Victoria’s transitioning electricity system, and demonstrate a range of benefits for Victorian communities, energy users and electricity networks.

Previous rounds

  • Grant Round 3 - closed. Recipients announced on 6 August 2023
  • Grant Round 2 – closed. Recipients announced on 31 October 2022
  • Grant Round 1 – closed. Recipients announced on 20 August 2021

Funded projects

NBI Round 1 – August 2021

Recipients of NBI Round 1 included 16 community, local council and industry projects across 2 streams:

Delivering feasibility studies and business cases for neighbourhood-scale battery trials implementation. They also support the commission of technical, regulatory, legal or contractual advice or services for implementing a neighbourhood-scale battery.

Completion date: December 2022

Lead applicant

Project

AGL Energy Services

Mornington Peninsula Distribution Scale Battery (PDF, 1.6 MB)

APD Projects Pty Ltd

Clarkefield Zero Carbon Community Project (PDF, 2.4 MB)

Apollo Bay Chamber of Commerce

Apollo Bay Neighbourhood Battery Feasibility Study

Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance

Community Sparks - Neighbourhood batteries for central and north west Victoria

City of Darebin

Village Power Neighbourhood Battery Project (PDF, 3.0 MB)

Clean Energy Nillumbik

Charging ahead with Clean Energy Nillumbik (PDF, 5.2 MB)

Energy Innovation Co-operativeTotally Renewable Phillip Island (TRPI) - Low Voltage Neighbourhood Battery Solutions

Geelong Sustainability Group Inc.

Geelong Neighbourhood Battery Bank

Macedon Ranges Sustainability Group

Neighbourhood Battery Initiative - MR BIG

Manningham Council

Beyond Peer to Peer – Open system for Community Energy Trading and Orchestration (PDF, 3.0 MB)

Melbourne City Council

Power Melbourne – Battery Collaboration

Powercor Australia Ltd

The Powerful Neighbours Report

Tetris Energy Pty Ltd

Port Fairy Community BESS (PDF, 4.1 MB)

Implementation of trial neighbourhood scale batteries (installation and commission)  to demonstrate the ability to access multiple value streams.

Completion date: June 2024

Complete

Lead applicantProject
Powercor Australia LtdNeighbourhood Battery Initiative –Tarneit
Yarra Energy FoundationYarra Energy Storage Service (YESS) Trial Fitzroy North

NBI Round 2 – October 2022

Recipients of NBI Round 2 included the implementation of 2 neighbourhood-scale batteries:

In progress

Lead applicant

Project

City of Melbourne

Power Melbourne

Yarra Energy Foundation

Yarra Energy Storage Systems Richmond 1 Community Battery

NBI Round 3 – August 2023

Recipients of NBI Round 3 included 8 business cases and one neighbourhood-scale battery across 2 streams:

Complete

Lead applicantProject
BOOMPower Pty Ltd

Electrifying Community Housing – Community Batteries

Jemena Electricity Networks (Vic)

BURDD - Batteries in Underground Residential Distribution Developments

Yarra Energy Foundation (YEF)

GANBIM Greenhouse Alliance Neighbourhood Battery Investigation   (PDF, 2.0 MB)

Merri-bek City Council
Central Victorian Green Alliance Incorporated Regional Greenhouse Alliances Neighbourhood Battery Investigation        
KDR Victoria Pty Ltd (trading as Yarra Trams)
Indigo Power Ltd

In progess

Lead applicantProject
Village Power Inc Putting the community into Alphington's Community Battery

The Victorian Neighbourhood Batteries Initiatives Consultation Paper, provides an overview of consultation into this new technology uncovering stakeholder views about Victoria's opportunities and challenges associated with neighbourhood-scale batteries.

Page last updated: 25/03/25