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Our community battery storage trials

How shared battery storage benefits customers and the grid

Imagine being able to bank your excess solar energy in a shared battery...well, that’s what we’re trialling with our PowerBank community battery project.

We’ve partnered with Synergy to install three community-scale batteries utilising Tesla technology:

  1. Meadow Springs, Mandurah: Our first trial launched in October 2018 with a 105kW (420kWh) battery.
  2. Falcon, Mandurah: An extension of the Meadow Springs trial with a 116kW (464kWh) battery.
  3. Ellenbrook: This PowerBank trial launched in February 2020 with a 116kW (464kWh) battery

PowerBank: an Australian-first

The PowerBank community battery is an Australian-first trial to integrate bulk solar battery storage into the existing grid that also provides customers with a retail storage option.

We own and maintain the battery, meaning customers don’t have to outlay the costs of purchasing a behind-the-meter battery.

  • Benefits of community storage

    Community storage is a case of mutual attraction as Brenton Laws, our Business Development Manager, explains.

    Read on to find out more...

  • Banking your solar power

    Well believe it or not, a PowerBank is like a virtual bank that stores your excess solar power. How does it work?

    Read our FAQs to find out more...

Results of the Meadow Springs PowerBank trial
The PowerBank provides a cost-effective and shared solution to energy storage that benefits both customers and the grid. Check out these statistics from the first year of the Meadow Springs trial...
11,000
Collectively saved on power bills across the whole trial*
7.38 KW
The amount of stored solar energy per day
5.23 KW
Consumed back per day
228
saved on average per resident

Meadow Springs PowerBank trial

The first PowerBank trial was in Meadow Springs, near Mandurah. The trial involved 44 residents who were able to virtually store their excess energy in the PowerBank community battery and draw the energy back out for use when needed. The residents saved an average of $228* each and had a collective saving of $11,000* across the trial.

Watch the video to find out more....

* Estimated savings only calculated by comparing consumption and costs incurred by individual trial participants on the PowerBank Trial and the A1 Home Plan over the same period. Variances in export and consumption will affect individual costs and potential savings.

An innovative alternative to solar battery storage at home

Across the three battery projects, up to 192 households will have access to between 6-8kWh of virtual storage in the PowerBank. At the cost of $1 to $2 per day, participants can store their excess solar energy in the battery and draw it back out when needed.

In the first year of the Meadow Springs trial, 95 per cent of customers saved money on their power bills.

The project will also support the region’s power supply during times of peak demand – when electricity consumption is at its highest – which is a smarter, customer-focused approach to infrastructure investment in the area.

Perth's top solar suburbs

The PowerBank trial in Meadow Springs, near Mandurah, was an Australian-first in bulk battery storage.

Other suburbs around Mandurah are some of Western Australia’s leaders in the uptake of solar panels. This can demonstrate the community’s desire to integrate cleaner, renewable energy alternatives into their lives.

But how do other suburbs measure up in the solar stakes?

Did your suburb make the top 10 solar suburbs in Perth?

Find out...