In a glimpse at what localised networks could one day look like, the Yarra Energy Foundation has launched its neighbourhood battery in the heart of inner Melbourne.
The project at the Collingwood Leisure Centre is supported by Yarra City Council, the project is the first dedicated front-of-meter neighbourhood battery designed to integrate with public EV charging infrastructure in inner Melbourne.
It also includes two wheelchair-accessible electric vehicle (EV) charging bays outside and received $750,000 in funding from the Victorian Government through the Neighbourhood Battery Initiative.
The project is trialling how batteries and EVs can work together to reduce pressure on the electricity grid by encouraging charging during periods of high solar generation, when emissions and energy prices are often lower.
Yarra Energy Foundation CEO, Dean Kline, said growing EV uptake was increasing demand on the grid and creating the need for new approaches to manage peak demand.
“We’ve seen EV charging add enormous demand to our grid, which is why new innovative solutions need to be tried to alleviate the pressure and prevent unnecessary network upgrades only to handle peaks,” Kline said.
The project includes a publicly accessible dual-60kW EV charger with two charging bays designed in consultation with the City of Yarra’s Disability Advisory Committee and a community reference group of local residents.
The EV chargers feature a lower-than-average height and wider parking spaces to improve accessibility for wheelchair users, while parking signage was developed in consultation with local residents.
“Public EV charging infrastructure should be accessible for everyone, and especially in suburbs where many people can’t charge at home – public infrastructure like this can be critical to switching to an EV,” Kline said.
