A neighbourhood battery powering our community.

We want to connect you and others in our community with clean, locally generated, renewable power.

 
 

We are a group of volunteers committed to establishing a community-owned neighbourhood battery in the Alphington/Fairfield area.

A community battery would make it possible for you to share your excess solar power with your neighbour - or buy their excess solar power. And there are plenty of benefits for everyone:

  • Cheaper than market rate electricity

  • Available to homes without solar panels

  • No need for your own storage battery

  • Carbon-neutral power source

  • Generates revenue for the community

But we’re aiming big. Our ambition is to create a business model that enables any community to create their own village powered by local, renewable energy.

 

Here’s how it works

 

01. Rooftop panels convert sunlight to energy

Solar panels on homes and businesses in the area convert sunlight to energy. Excess energy not used by household is exported to the Village Power battery. Typically there is surplus generated in the middle of the day.

02. Excess energy is stored at a community battery bank

Excess energy is stored in a community shared battery. The battery absorbs the excess energy generated the network, which can be dangerous, and makes it available in the evening when it is more useful.

03. Participating homes draw power from the energy bank

Participating homes can draw energy from the battery when they need it. So energy generated by sun in the middle of the day can be used when most people are at home in the evenings.

04. Community battery bank sells excess energy to the national grid

At times of peak demand, the spot price of electricity can be very high. The Village Power bank may sell some energy to the national electrcity grid at peak times, helping to reduce the price of power for the network.

 

Love the idea? Want to know when you can make the switch to Village Power?

 

The Village Power model is presently under development. There is a lot of interest by members of the community, Darebin Council, energy experts and the energy distributor, and if you join our mailing list below we promise to keep you informed.

 

Latest news

 
News
Community batteries 101

Community batteries capture excess solar energy to prevent grid overload, redistributing it when demand peaks. They differ in purpose: some stabilize the grid for utility companies, while others, like Village Power's model, allow local residents to subscribe and use stored solar energy, fostering a community-centric approach to renewable energy usage.

Taking charge to deliver neighbourhood energy sharing

Local community energy group Village Power has been selected by the State Government of Victoria to deliver its innovative community battery subscription service under the Neighbourhood Battery Initiative (NBI).

Putting the community into community batteries

Earlier this year we applied for two rounds of funding to procure a battery and implement our unique community engagement business model. In anticipation of receiving funding, we also established a Project Advisory Group.

 
 

Want to get involved in Village Power? Show your support for a community-owned neighbourhood battery! From becoming a member to joining our mailing list, there are plenty of ways to get involved.