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Australian-first PowerBank trial moves to Perth metropolitan area

New 464 kilowatt hour (kWh) battery installed in Ellenbrook

Around 65 customers to be recruited for Ellenbrook PowerBank 2 trial

Energy Minister Bill Johnston today launched Perth's first community PowerBank battery storage system for customers in Ellenbrook.

Ellenbrook residents can apply to take part in the PowerBank 2 trial, which will enable them to 'virtually' store excess energy generated from their solar panels in a 464kWh Tesla battery to use in the afternoon and evening peak time.

Customers will be allocated 6kWH or 8kWh of virtual storage costing $1.60 or $1.90 a day.

The Ellenbrook trial follows on from the successful trial in Meadow Springs in 2018, where customers collectively saved around $11,000 off their power bills.

A trial in Falcon is also currently taking place, with 59 customers subscribed.

Western Power has identified other local government sites where community batteries could be installed this year.

PowerBank is the first time in Australia that a utility-scale battery has been integrated into an established major metropolitan network, providing an alternative storage option for residents.

Comments attributed to Energy Minister Bill Johnston:

"I'm thrilled that Ellenbrook residents will be the first people in Perth to take advantage of community battery storage, without having to outlay a significant up-front cost.

"The PowerBank trial demonstrates the successful integration of a utility-scale battery into an established network and how Western Australia is a leader in the technology space.

"It builds on the work being done by Synergy and Western Power to progress energy storage, such as Synergy's Alkimos Beach energy storage trial.

"The McGowan Government is committed to establishing a cleaner, greener energy future for Western Australia, including working with renewables and new technologies, which is part of our Energy Transformation Strategy."

Comments attributed to Swan Hills MLA Jessica Shaw:

"Ellenbrook has embraced renewable solar energy, we have one of the highest rooftop solar installation rates in the State. However, batteries to store solar power are often too expensive for many households.

"This distribution battery will make electricity storage so much more affordable for local families and will help deliver more reliable power for our whole community.

"I'm also excited by the job opportunities associated with this new technology."

Minister's office - 6552 6700