Two Distributed Energy Storage Pilots Launched in New South Wales, Australia

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 28, the Australian state of New South Wales launched two distributed solar-plus-storage pilots. Among them, the Illawarra social housing virtual power plant (VPP) project has a total investment of AUD 11 million and will install rooftop solar and batteries for selected local social housing properties and connect them to a VPP system; the other, the Community Power Network project advanced by Ausgrid, has received AUD 13.2 million in support from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency and will deploy a community battery network in Sydney and the Central Coast.

The Illawarra social housing VPP project is funded with AUD 10 million from the Australian federal government and AUD 1 million from the New South Wales state government. The project targets selected social housing properties within the Illawarra Renewable Energy Zone, installing rooftop solar and household batteries and coordinating energy storage resources through a VPP platform. About 400 social housing properties in the area have previously completed energy upgrades, of which 136 have had rooftop solar installed.

The project has now launched a market sounding, seeking implementation proposals from solar and battery installers and VPP operators, with feedback due by October 25. Subsequent procurement will cover solar systems, battery equipment, the VPP platform, and related installation and operational services.

Ausgrid's Community Power Network project adopts a community-level energy storage model, building approximately 130 MWh of front-of-meter storage in two distribution areas, Botany-Mascot and Charmhaven, coordinated through a distributed energy resource management system and distribution system operational functions. The project plans to unlock approximately 65 MW of new rooftop solar hosting capacity, covering about 32,000 Ausgrid customers.

The first pilot area covers Mascot, Botany, Rosebery, Eastlakes, and Pagewood, with plans to deploy approximately 130 community batteries at 12 candidate sites; the second pilot area is located on the northern Central Coast, including Charmhaven, Lake Haven, Blue Haven, San Remo, Woongarrah, Kanwal, Gorokan, and Hamlyn Terrace. Community consultation has already begun in the Botany area, with the Central Coast area planned to follow.

The Community Power Network is planned to operate until August 2030. The system will absorb surplus electricity generated by rooftop solar on local residential, industrial, shopping center, and school buildings during the day and release it during evening load periods. Ausgrid estimates that customers in the pilot areas without their own solar systems could receive bill benefits of about AUD 150 to 200 per year, with the specific allocation mechanism still subject to approval by the Australian Energy Regulator.