At YEF, we’re part of a community working towards better energy and the practical solutions that will enable more people to transition to a net zero carbon future. This future is approaching fast and we’re supporting those making it happen.
Community Batteries
On 5 June 2022, YEF launched the first inner-urban community battery in Fitzroy North.
Read the Final Report
Read the Year 1 Performance Report
The Project was enabled by an $800,000 grant from the Victorian Government via the Neighbourhood Battery Initiative round 1.
The battery is helping to eliminate solar waste, make energy more affordable, enable more solar installs, and increase community-wide access to locally-produced renewable energy.
Love Bayside, Electrify Everything
Love Bayside, Electrify Everything is a program designed to make installing energy efficiency upgrades simple and cost effective for households within the City of Bayside.
YEF are proud to partner with Bayside City Council to help the Bayside community upgrade their appliances to save money and reduce emissions.
Hume Solar Roll Out
Hume Solar Roll Out is a residential program to assist Hume residents install solar on their home. The program intends to make this as simple and cost effective as possible while reducing energy bills and local emissions across the Hume LGA.
Assessing emergency relief centre buildings in Melbourne's west
Providing new data to improve building resilience and preparedness for extreme heat events
The Victorian Government’s Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning has engaged YEF to undertake 40 building assessments in Melbourne’s west. Contact: Phani Yeggina, phani.yeggina@yef.org.au
Guide to Solar for Apartments
Yarra Energy Foundation have worked with multiple partners to complete The Guide to Solar for Apartments, providing step-by-step advice and information on how to break down barriers commonly faced by apartment tenants, owners, and management companies.
Common barriers
- Lack of accurate and accessible advice for apartment dwellers and owners.
- Difficulty managing diverse interests and needs of multiple residents.
- Technical difficulty of installing rooftop solar on apartment complexes.
Better Energy Better Business
Understanding your energy use and where it is wasted gives you another lens through which to look at optimising building running costs. On average, those costs can be cut down by 30% to 40% simply by maintaining, retrofitting, or switching old appliances with more efficient ones.
This initiative will select 10 mid to large businesses in the City of Yarra and help them reduce their energy costs.
AusNet Shines a Light on customers experiencing vulnerability
Through AusNet’s 2022 Vulnerability Research Grant, YEF investigated the experiences, risks and impacts faced by customers living with disability or chronic health conditions, highlighting any differences and its impact compared to other customers, within AusNet’s electricity distribution network.
Read the full report
Read a report summary
Past projects
Metropolitan Community Power Hub
This project ended 30 June 2022. Read the key outcomes and impacts here and download the Guide to Solar for Apartments.
YEF led Victoria’s first Metropolitan Community Power Hub with funding from Sustainability Victoria in partnership with several climate community groups. The Hub reduced emissions and mobilised local climate responses by building knowledge, participation and capacity of local climate community groups.
Key outcomes
- Installation of 175kW of renewable energy generation capacity
- Yielding over 236,000kWh of renewable energy
- Resulting in $372,000 new investment in solar
- Guide to Solar for Apartments – comprehensive guide for apartment and multi-unit dwelling stakeholders
Key impacts
- Emissions reduction 277 tCO2-e/year in addition to emissions reduced from behaviour changes
- Increased community support for renewable and clean energy
- Reduced costs for households, small businesses and communities
Small Business Energy Saver program
In 2021-2022, YEF was engaged by Sustainability Victoria to assist in the rollout of the Small Business Energy Saver Program. According to Sustainability Victoria, by upgrading to more energy efficient equipment, the 4,426 businesses who participated in the Small Business Energy Saver program since March 2021 have reduced their annual energy bills by more than $3.6 million. The program has also saved 12,890t CO2e annually or 154,900t CO2e over the lifetime of the products.