Energy infrastructure company, Jemena, has activated a new community battery in Melbourne’s north-west.
The 400-kilowatt-hour battery at Pitcher Park in Alphington marks the final piece of energy infrastructure company Jemena’s four-battery suburban rollout. It joins sister units in Bellfield, Coburg and Flemington, which were integrated into the low-voltage network in 2025.
Backed by the federal government’s Community Batteries for Household Solar program, the initiative aims to absorb surplus electricity during peak daylight generation and release it during high-demand evening periods. Each battery holds enough power to supply roughly 165 homes for two hours at night.
Jemena’s General Manager of Customer and Commercial, Sandra Centofanti, said the network is preparing for a massive solar influx.
“Over the next 10 years, the number of our electricity customers with rooftop solar is set to double from 19 per cent to around 40 per cent,” Centofanti said.
“Installing community batteries in areas with a high uptake of rooftop solar is one of the ways we are preparing our network for the future.”
The retail operations are being managed by Origin Energy via its virtual power plant (VPP). Local homes and businesses sharing the same low-voltage sub-network will automatically access the stored green energy through their existing supply, requiring no change to their electricity retailer or plan.
The site selection was conducted in close partnership with local councils and nearby residents, who established community reference groups to vote on the exact structural placement and bespoke exterior artwork.
The rollout follows an intensive technical grid-optimisation program by Jemena. The utility has boosted local solar export limits by over 90 per cent compared to 2020 levels, ensuring the network can securely host more residential solar without compromising the safety or reliability of the suburban power supply.
The community batteries are one of a number of projects underway that will allow more export of solar energy back into the grid across Jemena’s electricity network.
“The amount of solar energy that can be exported back into the grid within our electricity network has grown by more than 90 percent from levels seen in 2020,” Centofanti said.