How to use your neighbourhood battery?
We all know that neighbourhood batteries mean more renewable energy, right. But what can you do with one?
The answer depends on the problem you are seeking to address. Are you seeking to address:
- the cost of electricity
- power outages
- poor power quality
- the desire for 100% renewable electricity, or
- something else?
Use your battery as a solar sponge
Soak up local solar energy during the day when the sun’s shining.
Release this in the evening when energy is most in demand and expensive.
Community support services
Install a battery in a neighbourhood house, sporting club, school or library to reduce community energy bills, or even use it to power a public EV charger.
Network support services
Deliver benefits to your local energy network. How you do this will depend on what support your network needs and how you operate your battery. Examples could include:
- reducing thermal and voltage fluctuations
- increasing network reliability.
Participate in the market with your battery
Your community can make money from its battery in two ways:
- capitalising on energy price difference opportunities and/or
- distributor pays for the battery’s services.
Resilience model
Combine a battery with solar panels and a generator to provide electricity to an essential community building when grid power drops out.
Hybrid
You can also set up your battery to do a combination of the above.
Page last updated: 20/02/25