Last week, Indigo Power’s Heath Shakespeare and Dena Schulz attended the All Energy Australia Conference in Melbourne. With a mix of industry leaders, community representatives, and energy advocates, the event shone a spotlight on advancements in renewable energy, and particularly energy storage. As part of the conference, Heath presented to a packed house as part of the panel on The Community Benefits of Neighbourhood Batteries. This panel focused on how distributed energy storage, especially at a neighbourhood level, can be a game-changer for local communities across Australia.
The role of neighbourhood batteries in Australia’s energy future
Australia is at a turning point in renewable energy adoption. With more households investing in solar PV systems, the need for mid-scale energy storage solutions like neighbourhood batteries is more pressing than ever. While rooftop solar helps meet local electricity demands, excess solar power can’t be effectively retained or redistributed without efficient storage.
During the panel, experts discussed how neighbourhood batteries contribute to:
- Increasing energy reliability and resilience: Local storage boosts the network’s ability to handle demand fluctuations, particularly in areas with high solar adoption. If installed behind the meter, they can also provide backup storage to host sites.
- Reducing electricity bills: By managing when energy is drawn from the grid, neighbourhood batteries can help stabilise community power costs.
- Supporting renewable energy integration: Neighbourhood storage allows more renewable energy to be absorbed by the grid, making it easier for communities to meet sustainability targets.
However, only some neighbourhood battery projects can deliver all these benefits equally.
The panel stressed the importance of understanding each community’s unique needs and expectations to design projects that provide the most value.
Moderated by Victoria Hart, Manager of Sustainability and Climate at Merri-bek City Council, the panel brought together a range of experts dedicated to transforming local energy systems. Panellists included:
- Heath Shakespeare, Indigo Power Project Manager, detailed the benefits of Indigo Power’s community battery model, especially in the delivery of energy resilience outcomes for bushfire-affected communities.
- Kate Clark, Program Manager at the Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Action, shared insights into government initiatives supporting distributed energy solutions.
- Matthew Charles-Jones, President of Totally Renewable Yackandandah, discussed real-world successes and challenges of implementing neighbourhood batteries.
- Liam Henderson, Principal – Energy and Carbon at the City of Melbourne, explained how urban areas can uniquely benefit from these storage solutions.
What’s next for neighbourhood batteries?
The panel concluded with a forward-looking discussion on how these initiatives can be scaled and adapted for broader use. Neighbourhood batteries have immense potential to support Australia’s energy goals, but successful implementation requires the active involvement of residents, councils, and energy providers.
At Indigo Power, we are excited to continue our work on neighbourhood battery projects and to explore how these systems can strengthen communities and power local renewable energy transitions.
and Paul Hoffman at All Energy.
Heath is one of our dedicated Project Managers, driving clean energy initiatives. With his experience and expertise, he empowers communities to adopt innovative technologies, working closely with energy groups, local government and industry experts.