New solar and battery systems are taking shape across regional Victoria as part of the Powering Resilience in the Regions project, helping Council community facilities become better prepared for power outages and emergencies.
Indigo Power has reached an important milestone in its project delivery work with the Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance (CVGA) and participating councils, with battery energy storage systems now installed at nine council community facilities
From Bright and Benalla to Ballarat, Castlemaine, Gippsland and South Gippsland, the installations are putting energy resilience infrastructure where it can have a practical role in regional communities.
Together, the nine sites have 1.4 MWh of battery storage capacity, with systems ranging from 64 kWh at smaller community facilities to 336 kWh at major leisure centres. Solar is also incorporated at a number of sites, either through new installations or integration with existing systems.
Keeping community facilities powered
The project isn’t simply about installing batteries. The systems have been designed to provide backup power to important parts of each facility during a grid outage.
At the Bright Community Centre, a 30 kW / 64 kWh battery has been installed alongside 10 kW of solar, with almost all circuits at the main switchboard backed up. The Pomonal Community Hall now has an 8 kW solar system and 30 kW / 64 kWh battery, with all circuits at its main switchboard backed up.
At Bonnie Doon Recreation Reserve, an 8 kW solar system and 30 kW / 72 kWh battery have been installed. The system backs up the kitchen distribution board, while a generator inlet provides an additional option for charging the battery if required.
A larger 59 kW / 224 kWh battery has also been installed at the Sir Weary Dunlop Learning Centre in Benalla, where light and power circuits are backed up through the battery’s energy management system.
More systems installed across central and southern Victoria
The latest stage of works has extended the project to another five sites.
At the Ballarat Badminton Stadium, a 30 kW / 72 kWh battery and 30 kW solar system have been installed, with all circuits at the main switchboard backed up.
The Moe-Newborough Leisure Centre and Churchill Leisure Centre have each received larger 119 kW / 336 kWh battery systems. Both integrate existing solar into their battery systems, allowing some solar generation to continue charging the batteries during an outage.
At Wesley Hill Stadium in Castlemaine, a 30 kW / 72 kWh battery has been installed alongside 15 kW of solar. The system is designed to operate during an outage, with the solar able to continue charging the battery.
And at Korumburra Indoor Sports Stadium, a 40 kW / 160 kWh battery has been installed alongside 26 kW of solar. The system is designed to provide whole-of-site backup within the capacity of the battery inverter, while allowing the solar system to charge the battery.
Building resilience where it matters
Community centres, libraries, recreation reserves and sporting facilities are important gathering places in regional towns. The Powering Resilience in the Regions project is demonstrating how distributed solar and battery infrastructure can be integrated into these existing community facilities.
While every site is different, the principle is the same: use locally installed energy infrastructure to give community facilities greater capability to maintain power when the grid is unavailable.
With the physical installations now visible across all nine sites covered by the latest project reports, the project is moving from plans on paper to energy infrastructure embedded in communities across regional Victoria.
The project is funded by the Victorian Government’s 100 Neighbourhood Battery program.Â
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.