Residents in Western Australia's remote Kalgoorlie-Boulder region will get improved power quality and consistency with the installation of its first community battery.
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Western Power's utility-grade 464kWh system will be integrated into the power network, allowing more homes and businesses to incorporate rooftop solar and new technologies into the grid.
The update will improve power quality and provide smoother peak-time load periods.
From October, 50 eligible customers will be recruited by electricity provider Synergy to use the solar systems, which can store up to 8kWh of excess energy per day.
Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan said it was a great example of the way regional areas embraced new technologies.
"While this community battery is initially being used for network purposes, we look forward to seeing how it will be used to benefit the community and industry," she said on Thursday.
Rolling out community batteries is part of the state government's Distributed Energy Resources Roadmap which was released in April 2020.
In 2018, the state government completed a feasibility study into opportunities for solar in the Goldfields.
As part of the report, Western Power's community battery was found to be the most cost-effective and quickest way to integrate energy storage.
Australian Associated Press
