Solar battery for Busselton

The State Government and the City of Busselton today launched the South-West's first community battery storage system in Busselton.

The new utility-grade 464kWh Tesla battery will improve power quality and help upgrade the electricity network in the Busselton region.

Integrating batteries into local communities improves Western Power's ability to balance neighbourhood load profiles during the day and allows more homes to install solar panels.

Located on Shovelboard Way, the Busselton battery is the fifth Western Power community battery, of this size, to be installed in Western Australia.

South West MLC Sally Talbot said the “exciting” initiative for the Busselton with the community a leader in the solar space.

“Busselton is already a leader in the solar space, with more than 4,700 rooftops featuring solar panels.”

Securing the Western Power battery has also left the door open for residents to trial battery storage technology, in an extension of Synergy and Western Power’s Australian-first PowerBank trial.

The PowerBank product offers eligible households the opportunity to benefit from battery storage and optimise their existing solar generation, without having to outlay upfront costs for a behind-the-meter battery storage system.

Mayor Grant Henley said that securing the first community battery in the South West and the fourth community battery in the state is a huge win, unlocking immediate network benefits and allowing for future growth in solar.

“The City is excited to partner with Western Power to bring cutting-edge technology to our residents that will assist them in further reducing their carbon emissions,” Mr Henley said.

“Having the community battery connected to the grid means immediate network support to the area in place of more traditional technologies.”

A decision on the feasibility of the PowerBank product for Busselton residents is expected to be made later this year.