Talking Neighbourhood Batteries
Written by Craig Burton
Village Power is exploring a completely new energy service. There are already community (or neighbourhood) batteries already operational and hundreds are planned. However, most of these neighbourhood batteries are configured to provide network services. This means the battery is there to absorb excess solar to protect the network. This allows more solar to be installed. Batteries are also used by networks to deal with high demand and help "smooth" out the energy supply. But VP's battery will be the first to "talk" to its local neighbourhood.
VP will be testing and evaluating the customer experience for 100 homes and those occupiers (owners or renters) will get to see how their "slice" of the battery is serving them. In turn, VP will tell its subscribers how to get the most out of their part of the battery by changing the time of day they run appliances and converting to all-electric.The VP battery will encourage subscribers to live more sustainably by installing or upgrading rooftop solar, purchasing more efficient devices, and learning about energy and the circular economy
VP knows that all those neighbourhood batteries out there can provide a lot of extra value this way. We are going to prove it!
The Village Power battery will show its subscribers how much of their home power has come from their "slice" of the battery. This lets them see if they have fully accessed "locally generated green power" and so enjoyed the discount from doing this. The full utilisation of the battery rests on how subscribers behave. It relies on their use of appliances, their conversion to electricity and how they use solar power.
The retailer that Village Power will partner with will create the customer experience. This means providing the "energy story" of the customer's home life, how green it is, and how green it could get. It's not just about money and kilowatt hours! The final goal is low carbon, and low carbon without high costs. Buying your own home battery can cost $10,000. Getting a slice of the VP battery will cost nothing up front, and you'll stay ahead if you follow the "energy story"!