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What if I have no solar?

No solar? No worries! There is plenty of excess solar for sale (partly because so many people involved in this scheme are the keen early adopters with solar - and…

A Virtual Energy Project for Flinders

…Project · We've been supporting a VEN as a good way for communities to share solar energy and save a bit on energy bills. But with all the changes in the energy market lately, some of the attractions have gone away and, crucially, the…

BEV or Hybrid?

…present Energy price (Oct 2026, Victoria) Grid electricity: about 30c/kWh Home solar: about 6 to 10c/kWh Electric mode: grid or solar prices as per BEV Petrol mode: about $2.30/L Petrol: about $2.30/L Energy used (typical) 15 to 20 kWh/100…

If I have no solar and just want to buy energy, how much will I save?

…of about $258. Since most of the cheaper energy will come from other people's solar, it will only be available during daylight hours. So you need to work out how much you could save if you purchased all your energy between say, 9 am and 4…

I have solar but sometimes it is cloudy. Is the VEN useful to me at those times?

…that there might be some cheaper energy available interstate when your solar is having a rest. It's very hard to predict the impact of this as it depends when you need power, who is producing at that time, what others are doing,…

Electrify!

…Pick one to start — the factsheets tell you exactly what to do. · Rooftop solar · Rooftop solar is the cheapest energy on earth, and Australia is covered in it. Generate your own power for a fifth of grid prices. · Home battery · Your…

A5. What are the benefits of a community battery?

…energy system as we continue to rely on more renewable energy sources such as solar and wind. Community batteries in particular can provide benefits in the local area they are connected to, allowing more rooftop solar and more electric…

B1. How does the battery work?

The battery works like a ‘solar sponge’, typically charging during the day when the percentage of local solar and renewable energy is often higher than average. It then stores this…

FZCC JP Electrify Solar Panels

Achievements

…have run several forums covering EVs, Getting off Gas, Energy Efficiency and Solar and Batteries. See the videos here. · The Virtual Energy Network (VEN) · The story of how we explored sharing and trading excess solar energy locally, and…

Battery Project

…$500,000 through the Federal Government's Community Batteries for Household Solar program to deliver the Flinders Community Battery project. The aims of the battery project are to help stabilise the grid, give greater capacity for…

Charging an EV

…off-peak, using the car's or charger's scheduling feature. Charge from rooftop solar during the day. Ask your retailer about EV-specific tariffs (see below). EV-specific tariffs, retailers offering plans in Victoria (relevant to postcode…

Electric Vehicles

…and what's happening across Australia. · Charging an EV from your own rooftop solar means driving on sunshine for just cents per kilometre — and it’s one of the biggest single steps any household can take towards zero-carbon transport.…

Home

…community — from backyard barbecues to boardrooms. · Where do you go to get a solar quote? · There are many sites that will give you advice on finding solar installers but our own Repower Mornington Peninsula is a great place to start. ·…

About FZCC

…by Yarra Energy Foundation) · Presented community forums on Electric vehicles, solar and batteries and Health Benefits of getting off gas · Prepared a "Road Map" to provide a framework for our actions to reach zero-carbon (supported by…

A4. What will a community battery do?

Community batteries can help more solar to be used locally, allow more solar into the local network, support wider renewable energy adoption, and prepare for increasing electricity use from…

Buying an EV

…is usually cheaper per km than petrol or diesel, especially with off-peak or solar charging. Servicing is generally cheaper too, with no oil changes and fewer moving parts. Incentives Check current Victorian Government rebates, tax…

Community Battery Network Map

…the Flinders Civic Centre. This network map shows the area of Flinders whose solar feeds into it. Have a look at our battery FAQs for more detail on how the battery works.

Community Workshop

…Jon briefly reminded us of the various rebates available for appliances, solar and batteries; Alex talked about his experiences installing home batteries. Jon then introduced the group discussions with the concept of a 'Virtual…

Happenings & Projects

…Project · A Virtual Energy Network for Flinders - sharing and trading excess solar energy locally. Currently paused while the market settles. · Community Workshop · Our community workshops bring Flinders residents together to learn and…

Resources

…our free tools - upload your meter data and compare power companies. See if solar or a home battery makes sense for you. If you have any problems using our analyser please contact Jon (jonjp@mac.com) and he'll be only too happy to help.…

A1. What is the context for this community battery project?

…$500,000 through the Federal Government’s Community Batteries for Household Solar program to deliver the Flinders Community Battery project. Our work over the past three years has played an essential role in achieving this outcome.…

A13. What happens to any profits generated by the battery project?

…to be administered by Repower Mornington Peninsula and used to support more solar in vulnerable communities or other renewable projects that assist tenants or those unable to install solar themselves. The design and governance of the…

Is the VEN worth it for me?

…to save money using a VEN, then you really need to have an annual excess solar export of about 5,000 kWh. We get this number by assuming you might sell energy with a 6c (or better) return than a 0c feed-in tariff, and 6c x 5,000 =…

The first in the country!

…owned battery in Australia under the Community Batteries for Household Solar program. · Our community battery was officially launched by the Hon Josh Wilson, member for Fremantle and Assistant Minister for Climate Change and…

Want to know more about VENs?

…The blog post describes how households shared the value of locally generated solar through the digital trading platform. A quote from the article says: "Overall, households buying electricity paid less than they otherwise would have,…

A14. What governance processes exist for the battery?

…battery is the Federal Government's Community Batteries for Household Solar program, and the project team reports to the government on milestones and progress. · Battery - The General Idea

A2. What is a community battery?

…than a home battery. A typical household battery (often used to store rooftop solar energy) might have a storage capacity of up to about 10 kilowatt-hours (kWh). This might be enough to power your average household for a day. On the other…

A3. Why is a battery a good idea?

In short: Reducing carbon output by better use of local solar generation. Improving stability of the grid by reducing load in times of high demand. Putting downward pressure on electricity prices (in the longer…

A6. How will a battery reduce carbon emissions?

…provided by fossil fuel generators. With the widespread adoption of rooftop solar, these batteries provide local storage in the distribution network, 'firming' the supply of variable renewable energy. In time, batteries will also reduce…

A7. What good is a community battery for me?

…serves and benefits you. The battery may also reduce the likelihood of future solar export constraints on the low-voltage network on which it is connected. A battery may also defer the needs for future augmentation of the network, costs…

A8. Does this just benefit people near the battery?

…are located on the sub-net near the battery might be able to install more solar on their roofs without running into limits usually imposed by United Energy. · Battery - The General Idea

C5. Does it affect feed-in tariffs?

…to the battery still get their existing feed-in tariff when they export solar back to the grid. · Battery - What's Involved

Can I share with my Melbourne House?

You bet! This is a great idea and a great incentive to get more solar on your Flinders house and send it up to town! The 'sharing' is not completely free though. You still have to pay network charges (can't avoid 'em) so…

D2. How was this site selected?

…for the battery. This group had to consider technical constraints (available solar energy, loads on the electricity grid's subnetworks, access to transformers, etc.) as well as acceptance by the local community of any location. After…

How much energy do I need to buy or sell to cover the EnergyLocals $22 subscription fee?

…do the same thing at that time, and, of course, the weather - how much excess solar is there at that time. But here's a very rough guide: if you either buy or sell about 5000 kWh during a year, and if you get that at a price that is about…

What if there are not enough buyers in Flinders?

It is more likely that we will have shortage of buyers rather than sellers (solar owners are very keen to join schemes like these!). If that happens the system will look for buyers from further afield that match your requirements.…