Melbourne not-for-profit Yarra Energy Foundation (YEF) has celebrated the launch of its latest neighbourhood battery, but with a twist, as the new battery in inner-city Clifton Hill features two EV charging bays.
The new neighbourhood battery is the second YEF has launched, with another four already in various stages of development.
Backed by a $750,000 grant from the Victorian government through the Neighbourhood Battery Initiative, the new battery is located outside the Collingwood Leisure Centre in Clifton Hill, an inner-city suburb of Melbourne, and features two wheelchair accessible electric vehicle (EV) charging bays.
The addition of the two charging bays makes the battery the first dedicated front-of-meter neighbourhood battery designed to harmonise with public EV charging in inner-Melbourne.
Now operational, the battery will trial how battery storage and EVs can operate together to reduce demand on the electricity grid, as well as aim to encourage charging when solar generation is highest.
“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,” said Dean Kline, YEF CEO.
The two 60kW EV charging bays feature lower-than-average height and wider parking spaces to improve accessibility for wheelchair users, and parking signage that has been designed in consultation with local residents to match local use preferences.
“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,” said Kline.
In addition to the new Clifton Hill neighbourhood battery, YEF also launched the Fitzroy North community battery back in June 2022. The organisation is also developing batteries for Richmond, Altona, Manor Lakes, and Torquay.
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Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.