Sorrento Community Centre to showcase solar and battery technology

The Sorrento Community Centre has unveiled its newly installed solar and battery system all thanks to the Community Grid Project and the Victorian Government’s New Energy Jobs Fund.

The Community Centre now has 7kW solar panels on the roof with a 6kW Fronius solar inverter and a 14kWhr Tesla Powerwall 2 battery installed on site.

The system will benefit the Sorrento Community Centre and also the wider community by lowering electricity bills for the centre, delivering a renewable energy education showcase for visitors and importantly providing support back to the grid during days of peak demand.

Funding for the technology and installation was granted to the Community Grid Project through the Vic New Energy Jobs Fund as an innovative project which will demonstrate how to both avoid costly infrastructure and facilitate the connection of more renewable energy to the grid.

A partnership between United Energy, the Mornington Peninsula Shire and GreenSync, the Community Grid Project is focused on delivering a safe and reliable supply of electricity to the lower Mornington Peninsula during peak times and facilitates the uptake of new renewable energy technologies.

The community centre will now become a showcase of the innovative technology solutions which will be utilised by the Community Grid Project.

Mornington Shire Mayor Cr Payne officially cut the ribbon to open the technology showcase at the Sorrento Community Centre.

Also joining the celebrations were representatives from some of the 12 of the local businesses who have signed on to participate in the Community Grid Project.

Mornington Peninsula Shire Mayor and Nepean Ward Councillor Bryan Payne said with the drive to become a carbon neutral peninsula by 2021, the Community Grid Project is a great solution.

“This is great news for the Sorrento Community Centre and local residents. This initiative will help residents save money on their electricity in the long term and benefit their local community.

“The Shire supports GreenSync and The Community Grid Project as it works towards assisting the community respond to climate change,” said Councillor Payne.

GreenSync COO Bruce Thompson said this was a fantastic opportunity for the community centre to educate visitors about renewable energy technology and what they can do at their homes, whilst also reaping the benefits by lowering their operating costs.

“Community centres such as this are real ‘hubs’ for the local neighbourhood. It’s a great opportunity for people to be able to come and experience this new technology, see it in practical use and understand how they might apply that in their own home or businesses,” said Mr Thompson.

“The centre can now store up the solar power they are generating and make it available for other times of the day when the sun isn’t shining. The connection through GreenSync allows it to connect to the grid and provide that stored energy back to the grid when it needs it, for example, during a heatwave when the grid is at high demand.

“The funding through the Victorian Government has enabled and supported this installation. It’s a great showcase of what that grant funding can deliver as it’s all about demonstrating technology and demonstrating the technologies that will provide jobs for Victorians in the future.”

Rodney Bray, United Energy Planning and Strategy Manager added; “The Community Grid will allow us to defer expensive upgrades to the network that would have catered for just a handful of peak days, supporting us to continue delivering affordable and reliable power to homes and businesses in the Mornington Peninsula region.”

To find out more about the project visit www.communitygridproject.com.au.