Community facilities will make better use of renewable energy and be able to run in an emergency, thanks to new battery storage funded through the Federal Government and Council.
In late April, Council unveiled its first battery energy storage system at the Yarra Glen Memorial Hall.
Yarra Ranges Mayor, Fiona McAllister, said the storage system would help keep running costs down and make the hall more useful as an emergency relief and recovery centre.
“This new addition to the hall will mean we get the most out of our renewable energy, being able to bank and use energy at night, while also having backup power if the grid is unavailable in an emergency,” Cr McAllister said.
“We’ve also commissioned similar systems at The Memo in Healesville and the Yarra Centre in Yarra Junction – two of our facilities that have great power needs and act as emergency relief and recovery centres.”
Cr McAllister thanked Federal Member for Casey, Tony Smith MP, who secured the funding through the Federal Government’s Department of Infrastructure.
She said the project reflects Council’s goal of reaching 100% renewable energy before 2030, outlined in its Liveable Climate Plan.
Federal Member for Casey, Tony Smith MP, with Yarra Ranges Mayor, Fiona McAllister, at the battery unveiling. Photo: Star Mail News, Stewart Chambers.
“We’ve been working for many years to improve the sustainability of everything we do,” Cr McAllister said.
“This has taken the form of replacing light, water and heating systems with energy-efficient alternatives and a substantial investment in thousands of solar panels on public buildings.
“The result of this work has been keeping our energy costs low. In some cases, we have community facilities running through most of the year at no energy cost.
“Sustainability is a core business at Council – keeping our costs low, reducing our environmental footprint, and we encourage and enable others to do the same.”
The solar battery system at the Yarra Glen Memorial hall was supplied and installed by local businesses EVO Power and True Solar Time.
