Victoria launches first community battery paired with public EV charging in Clifton Hill
By Eve
Yarra Energy Foundation has commissioned Victoria's first front of meter community battery integrated with two wheelchair accessible EV charging bays at Collingwood Leisure Centre in Clifton Hill, Melbourne. The AU$750,000 project, funded by the Victoria government's Neighbourhood Battery Initiative, charges the battery during daytime solar surplus (10:00 to 16:00) and discharges during evening peak demand (17:00 to 21:00) to reduce grid strain and fossil fuel reliance. The trial aims to incentivise EV charging during peak solar generation hours when emissions and energy prices are lowest.
Why it matters: The project demonstrates a replicable model for integrating community battery storage with public EV charging infrastructure to manage grid demand and reduce network upgrade costs as EV adoption accelerates. For CPOs and local authorities, the trial offers evidence on how time of use incentives and battery pairing can shift charging behaviour to align with renewable generation and lower operational costs.