Marie Mumford initially saw no benefit in having a home battery alongside her rooftop solar installation. Now, her excess solar energy is being captured and used to supply the local area at night. One in three Queensland households generate rooftop power, and with the increasing number of installations, excess energy is fed into the state's grid. This could pose a challenge if the surplus of solar power being fed in exceeds the required load. To address this, community batteries are being introduced in regional areas to store and distribute the excess power during periods of demand. Although customers like Ms Mumford may not see direct savings on their electricity bills, they are promised a more stable service. There are already three batteries online, and more are expected to be rolled out across the state next year.
The community batteries are located in regional areas, including Bundaberg, which has a high number of properties generating rooftop power. Installer Damien Turner mentioned that there is a high demand for solar systems in the area. Mr. Richardson stated that communities with high solar penetrations, such as those in Queensland and Australia, are being targeted for the installation of the community batteries. Marie Mumford emphasized the importance of being frugal with energy consumption and using generated solar energy during the day to save money.