Campbelltown Council is expected to give the green light to plans for two large community electricity storage batteries in Macquarie Fields and Blair Athol.
The Endeavour Energy proposal will go before council at its meeting next Tuesday night.
One of the batteries will be located at Railway Parade, Macquarie Fields, with the second on the western side of Campbelltown, at Harvey Brown Reserve, Blair Athol.
The batteries form part of a federally funded program for the installation of 400 batteries across Australia that would provide shared storage for up to 100,000 households.
A report to council says community batteries would enable residents and businesses connected to it to store excess power generated during the day by their rooftop solar systems for later use in the evening when demand on the electricity network is higher.
The benefits of community batteries include lower electricity bills, provide an incentive to install rooftop solar and enable households who cannot install solar panels access to renewable energy.
Such storage batteries also reduce pressure on the electricity grid, improve the reliability of the electricity network, absorb excess energy that might cause voltage spikes in the electricity grid and lower emissions.
The report says Endeavour Energy notified the surrounding residents in Macquarie Fields and council on February 26 of the proposed works.
“As of early April, Endeavour Energy had received feedback from one resident who was concerned about TV and/or phone interference,’’ says the report.
“Endeavour Energy has addressed the concerns with the resident.’’
Council owns the land at Blair Athol where the site requires an easement to allow for the installation of the battery.
This will cost council around $13,000, which will be reimbursed by Endeavour Energy.
The proposed community battery at Blair Athol will also requires landscape treatment to blend it into the park setting.
“Council will work with Endeavour Energy to finalise the design, which will include an aluminium screen (or similar) that encloses the community battery on all sides at the height of the battery, artwork embellishments designed by a local artist, as well as a minimum of three locally native trees,’’ says the report.
