The Village that turned up to the challenge
On Saturday 27 June, a conversation that began 8 years ago when 6 neighbours sat around a pizza oven talking about how they could contribute to the energy transition on a local scale, culminated in the launch of the Alphington Community Battery, part of Village Power’s Community Energy Program. On that mild winter day, more than 150 people came to celebrate with Village Power.
The morning started the way good mornings do, with a coffee van, scones from the Alphington Branch of the Alphington Country Women’s Association, kids curious and energetic, information stalls, and the excitement of the big reveal. By 10.30am the space around the battery was full: prams, dogs on leads, old friends, new friends, VIPs, volunteers and some of the program participants.
At 11am, everyone gathered to hear the speeches. Minister for Climate Action, Energy and Resources Lily D'Ambrosio was there to launch the project officially, the only project of this kind funded through the Victorian Government's Neighbourhood Battery Initiative. Member for Northcote Kat Theophanous, an early believer in the idea long before there was funding, was there too. So was Darebin Mayor Emily Dimitriadis, whose council helped secure the very ground the battery now stands on.
Graeme Martin, the president of Village Power, captured the audience when recounting that someone in the energy industry, on hearing the idea of a community battery connected in-front-of the meter and sharing power directly with the neighbourhood, told him "that will never happen, regulation will stop ya." and the rest is history. But while this is a moment of lightheartedness, underneath it all, hides years of insurance headaches, funding knock-backs, business model puzzles and regulatory mazes that a handful of volunteers simply decided to solve rather than walk away from.
Soon after, everyone gathered around the battery for the official photographs to capture an idea that turned into reality. The battery is hard to miss. It is now a blaze of colour in the industrial chic of Alphington. Wrapped in artwork by local artist Jo Travers and installed by PrintSeen, funded by Bendigo Community Bank's East Ivanhoe branch, it symbolises the power of many working together, and the invisible connections that create an ecosystem, a community.
Once the ceremony was over, many stayed to hear more about the Community Energy Program: what it is, what the benefits are, how it addresses the issue of underutilised networks and wasted solar, and how to get involved. The activities kept people active, and certainty made the kids very happy. We heard from 9 year old Ellie, “I really, really loved the scavenger hunt. And the badge making. And the colouring. I loved the light blue on the battery and all the insects”. Everyone sensed the excitement and it was shared by both kids and adults alike.
The launch of the Alphington Community Battery was possible because so many people believed in the project. Acacia Energy is Village Power's delivery partner and has helped navigate the technical maze. Wave Consulting kept the project moving. Jemena provided the network expertise to connect safely. A Project Advisory Group of volunteers with day jobs in energy, law and engineering gave their time to get the details right. And underneath all of it, a suite of Village Power volunteers kept it all moving despite the roadblocks along the way.
We thank everyone who joined us and look forward to the next chapter. Village Power is now in operations mode, set to demonstrate this new way for the community to measure its own energy use, and taking on the challenge to improve on it over time. The school's program is just getting underway, the existing participants in the program are learning each day, and while we have closed round two of applications, we will run another intake in August so tell your neighbours about this amazing opportunity to be involved in a groundbreaking community energy project.