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Indigo Power is more than just an electricity retailer. We aim to supply energy that is 100% renewable, and as a certified social enterprise, we’ve committed to returning 50% of our profits to clean energy and community projects in our towns.

Indigo Power is at the forefront of clean energy innovation, delivering projects focused on building energy resilience and reliability in rural communities.

Here’s a snapshot of some of the great things we’ve worked on:

Yack01 Community Battery

Launched in July 2021, Yack01 is the first project of its kind in Australia.

The battery, installed at the site of an old sawmill, comprises of 274 kWh of battery storage coupled with a 65 kW solar PV system. Each day, the battery is charged with solar renewable energy and each evening it discharges to supply Indigo Power members of the Yackandandah Community Energy Hub with clean renewable energy.

Yack01 also supplies the on-site electricity needs of the business the Agency of Sculpture, which operates from the same site.

A feasibility study is currently underway to replicate Yack01 in communities across North East Victoria and aggregating these in a virtual power plant.

Yack01 is owned and operated by Indigo Power, and was delivered in partnership with Totally Renewable Yackandandah, with funding support from the Victorian Government.

Patagonia Australia

Patagonia is in business to save the planet, and are always looking to reduce their impact and reverse the root causes of climate change, including the decarbonisation of their electricity usage.

Patagonia is currently investing in local generation capacity across the countries they operate in. In Australia, they’ve teamed up with Indigo Power to generate sufficient renewable energy to account for their annual electricity consumption.

They’ve provided a low interest loan to finance the installation of a 204 solar panel solar power system on the roof of the Cricket Albury Wodonga indoor cricket stadium. This 98 kW system is owned and operated by Indigo Power, and will be connected to Patagonia stores through Indigo Power’s energy hub software, with excess power from the solar power system accounting for electricity consumption at Patagonia stores.

The solar power system will also reduce Cricket Albury Wodonga’s electricity bills so that more money can be spent on pathway programs for junior cricketers throughout the region.

Energy resilience for the Upper Murray

Indigo Power is working with Upper Murray Incorporated to deliver energy generation and storage systems to secure power supply at critical sites across the Upper Murray.

The bushfire recovery project responds to the power outages following the bushfires in 2019-20, some of which lasted for up to three weeks, directly impacting critical service providers and affecting the region economically and socially. The catastrophic fires highlighted how quickly normal activities are interrupted when the power is out, including communications, lighting and cooling, access to water, banking and medical treatment services.

Upper Murray Incorporated has identified critical sites, including fire stations and health services, that require secure energy supply during a power outage. By installing energy nodes consisting of a solar power system and, where appropriate, batteries and generators, the project seeks to build the resilience capacity of each local community.

The project will also see the installation of three community-scale solar and battery systems to secure power supply at sites requiring large amounts of energy, including larger health and evacuation centres.

The project will be delivered over the next two years, with funding support from Bushfire Recovery Victoria and Regional Development Victoria.

Innovative projects excite us. And even more when we get to work with world-leading brands to benefit our region. 

Patagonia Australia has partnered with Indigo Power to generate sufficient renewable energy to offset Patagonia’s annual energy consumption.

For Patagonia, partnering with communities to tackle climate change is at the core of their business. Kate Maffett, Finance and Operations Director at Patagonia Australia, says Patagonia is in business to save our home planet. 

“We’re always looking for specific things our company can do to reduce our impact and reverse the root causes of climate change – decarbonising our electricity usage is one crucial aspect of that.” 

“We have a history of supporting Totally Renewable Yackandandah through our 1% For the Planet environmental grants program. At the same time, we‘ve been working towards covering 100 per cent of our electricity needs with renewable energy sources – not just by purchasing green energy but by investing in local generation capacity. 

To be able to link up with a social enterprise like Indigo Power, which shares our values, makes this project incredibly exciting for us.” 

The Cricket Albury Wodonga indoor stadium in West Wodonga is the host of the 98 kW solar PV system, which is estimated to generate 130 MWh of clean electricity and export surplus electricity to the grid to account for energy consumption at Patagonia stores and offices across Australia.

The clean electricity generated will also dramatically reduce Cricket Albury Wodonga’s onsite electricity costs. Cricket Albury Wodonga Chairman Michael Erdeljac says that cost savings from the solar panels will support program development.

“The solar panels will allow us to cut our electricity bills so that more money can be spent on pathway programs for junior male and female cricketers throughout the region.” 

The project commenced at the start of April and will take four weeks to complete. The project is being delivered with the help of local businesses with the installation of racking and solar panels by KDEC Solar & Electrical.

And we have a report to prove it!

The 2022 Greenpeace Green Electricity Guide has ranked Indigo Power as the 4th cleanest electricity provider out of 48 contenders.

With 4/5 stars in this year’s guide and classified as ‘the great innovators’, the results are a testament to our commitment to supporting local communities to develop their own renewable energy solutions.

Indigo Power Managing Director, Ben McGowan says the report shows that our plan to deliver locally generated renewable energy to local customers, is starting to have a direct impact, reducing emissions and tackling climate change.

From the Yackandandah battery to supporting residents with energy efficiency efforts, and solar and battery installations that provide backup power to critical community sites, we are working with communities in the movement to power our region with 100% renewable energy.

“Our customers are all part of this solution and we are excited to keep working with them to support locally-owned renewable energy projects across the region, Ben says.

Electricity accounts for more than 30% of Australia’s climate emissions and the Green Electricity Guide is a reminder that we can make a difference on climate change by taking simple steps such as switching providers to a cleaner alternative.

If you are in North East Victoria or Southern New South Wales and want to make a difference about climate change, now is the time to make the switch!

The Green Electricity Guide is a fully independent assessment of Australia’s electricity retailers. It is designed as a tool to inform consumers about their options to switch to a greener electricity provider.

Indigo Power will carry out cutting edge microgrid research thanks to funding from the Federal Government’s Regional and Remote Communities Reliability Fund.

The funding is for two feasibility studies focused on securing a more reliable power supply for North East Victorian communities.

Building on energy resilience work already underway in the Upper Murray, the Upper Murray Islandable Micro-Grid Project will undertake a detailed assessment of energy storage options to secure power supply for the Upper Murray when the power grid is down. 

Delivered in partnership with Upper Murray Inc, this project will build on our current work to secure power supply through the installation of solar and battery systems at critical sites across the Upper Murray.

The second project builds on the recent successful launch of the Yackandandah battery. The Aggregated Community-Scale Battery Storage in North East Victoria feasibility study will identify a further four sites for community-scale batteries across North East Victoria. It will focus on Bright, Beechworth, Mt Beauty and the Towong Shire.

The study will assess options for aggregating these batteries and deploying them in concert to provide services that improve the security and reliability of power supply and secure additional revenue.

Both projects will kick off in the second half of this year. 

On 8 July 2021, we switched on Yackandandah’s first community-owned battery. The first of its kind in Australia, the 274kWh battery is connected to a 65kW solar installation and is designed to power up to 40 houses!

Launched by the Victorian Minister for Energy and Resources Lily d’Ambrosio, the community-scale battery by Indigo Power and Totally Renewable Yackandandah (TRY) is part of a push for 100% renewable energy in the town of Yackandandah.

The project will provide clean energy to members of the Yackandandah Community Energy Hub.

And we hope this is hopefully the first of many such projects across the region.”Many communities across the North East are looking at what’s happening here in Yackandandah and saying they want something similar. I think we’ll see many more community-scale batteries like this across our region,” Indigo Power’s Managing Director Ben McGowan said.

The battery was supported by $171,000 from the Victorian Government New Energy Jobs Fund, a $100,000 loan taken out by Indigo Power and underwritten by Sustainability Victoria, as well as donations from philanthropists and the local community. The launch also coincided with the end of a project to establish the town’s third microgrid trial. This project coordinated by TRY, DELWP and Mondo, demonstrates the possibilities for smarter control of network electricity flows for the benefit of residents and the network.

Check out some pics from the event below.

Indigo Power has teamed up with Upper Murray Incorporated to deliver energy generation and storage systems to secure power supply at critical sites across the Upper Murray.

The bushfire recovery project is in response to a sustained power outage following the bushfires in 2019-20, where power outages lasted for up to three weeks, directly impacting critical service providers and affecting the region economically and socially.

The catastrophic fires highlighted how quickly normal activities are interrupted due to power outages, including communications, lighting, cooling, access to water, catering, banking and medical treatment services.

Upper Murray Incorporated has identified critical sites, including fire stations and health services, that require secure energy supply during a power outage. By installing energy nodes consisting of a solar power system and, where appropriate, batteries and generators, the project seeks to build the resilience capacity of each local community.

The project will also see the installation of three community-scale solar and battery systems to secure power supply at sites requiring large amounts of energy, including larger health and evacuation centres.

To improve grid reliability in the Upper Murray the project will also replace standard electric hot water units. When they turn on in the evening, these hot water units strain the electricity distribution network. Replacing standard hot water services with heat pump technologies that are up to 80% more efficient will help remove this pressure on the grid and contribute to the stability of supply.

The project will be delivered over the next two years, with funding support from Bushfire Recovery Victoria and Regional Development Victoria.

After almost two years of planning, the installation of the Yackandandah community-scale solar and battery system, known as Yack01, is now underway.

The Agency of Sculpture workshop is now fully covered in solar panels, including a collection of west-facing panels to capture even the last of the sun’s rays each day.

Keeping up with new technology developments, we’ve had bi-facial panels installed. The see-through panels can create energy from the sun that hits directly and underneath from reflected sunshine.

The battery storage unit has also arrived and is being stored. We’ll build concrete footings over the coming weeks, before craning the battery into its final position.

Following some final on-site electrical works, Yack01 will begin supplying members of the Yackandandah community energy hub with clean energy from June this year. The battery is a vital step toward reaching Yackandandah’s goal of making the town’s energy 100% renewable.

Yack 01 is being delivered in partnership with Totally Renewable Yackandandah and support from philanthropic funders, and the Victorian Government.

Last summer’s bushfires highlighted our reliance on (and the importance of) secure, reliable electricity supply.

The loss of power at key sites across the region placed an extra strain on communities, rescue crews and firefighters. And that’s why Indigo Power and Upper Murray Incorporated, have joined forces to deliver renewable energy generation and storage capability to increase energy resilience across the Upper Murray.

The Place-Based Power Plan will secure electricity supply through the installation of stand-alone renewable energy generation and battery storage systems. These installations will be located in critical sites for emergency response and recovery in towns across Towong Shire.

Renewable energy plays a vital role in boosting electricity security in remote regions. It ensures critical infrastructures like emergency response offices, evacuation centres, ATMs and fuel stations have access to energy, even if the grid goes down.

The installations will also serve as the foundation for a future microgrid. The microgrid will stabilise energy supply across the Upper Murray, by feeding power back into the local grid, thus saving sites money and reducing carbon emissions.

The project is delivered with the support of an $800,000 grant from Bushfire Recovery Victoria.

We’re excited to work with Upper Murray Incorporated and the Upper Murray community on this project.

Fallen powerlines and the loss of power at key sites across the region placed an extra strain on communities, rescue crews and firefighters.  Photo: Sandy Tyrrell

The Hume Region is going to be home to a new project to help manage the electricity grid of the future.

Our partner, Mondo, is leading a project to use solar and battery systems, also known as Distributed Energy Resources (DER) (like the 60 kW solar and 274 kWh battery Indigo Power is delivering in Yackandandah), and developing an electricity marketplace to stabilise the electricity grid.

The three-year trial seeks to allow residents with batteries and solar panels to share their energy, thus saving more money and working together towards building a more resilient local grid. The technology underpinning the trial will be Mondo’s Ubi smart device. Which is similar to what current Indigo Power customers with an Ubi are able to see including the aggregated import/export data for each Hub.