The Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio launched Yarra Energy Foundation’s (YEF) unique neighbourhood battery with two wheelchair accessible electric vehicle (EV) charging bays outside the Collingwood Leisure Centre in Clifton Hill, an inner-city suburb of Melbourne. 

This project was funded with a $750,000 grant from the Victorian Government through the Neighbourhood Battery Initiative.  

This is the first dedicated front-of-meter neighbourhood battery designed to harmonise with public EV charging in inner-Melbourne. 

This project is trialling how batteries and EVs can better work together, alleviating pressure on the grid from EV charging by incentivising use when solar production is highest – often when emissions and energy prices are lowest. 

“We’ve seen EV charging add enormous demand to our grid, which is why new innovative solutions need to be tried to alleviate the pressure and prevent unnecessary network upgrades only to handle peaks,” said YEF CEO, Dean Kline. 

The project has delivered a publicly accessible dual-60kW EV charger and two-bays, designed in consultation with the City of Yarra’s Disability Advisory Committee and a community reference group of local residents. 

The EV chargers have a lower-than-average height and wider parking spaces to improve accessibility for wheelchair users, with parking signage designed in consultation with local residents to match local use preferences. 

“Public EV charging infrastructure should be accessible for everyone, and especially in suburbs where many people can’t charge at home – public infrastructure like this can be critical to switching to an EV,” said Mr Kline. 

YEF will share insights from the operation of this system with the public to accelerate the energy transition. To register your interest in receiving updates please email: information@yef.org.au  

Learn more about the project at: Clifton Hill Neighbourhood Battery