Large battery energy storage systems installed at City of Mitcham’s Civic Centre and Depot are set to reduce energy costs and carbon dioxide emissions.

Each battery is 280kWh (kilowatt hour) in size and along with a 100kW Inverter will store cheap renewable energy from the grid during the day to power the Civic Centre and Depot at night.

Weighing 2.8 tonnes each, the batteries are large enough to power both buildings from dusk until dawn, allowing Council to avoid peak and shoulder time energy costs.

They will also offset the use of power supplied by gas peaking plants, with both batteries estimated to reduce emissions by 100 tonnes of CO2e annually, equivalent to the energy consumed by 13 homes in one year, or 23 petrol-powered cars driven for a year.

City of Mitcham Mayor Dr Heather Holmes-Ross said working with partner ShineHub, Council had secured a low-interest loan to pay for the batteries.

“The total annual cost of both batteries is equal to the anticipated bill savings, so the batteries start paying for themselves from the time they are installed. As Mitcham generates more solar power, the savings will increase for the next 15 years,” Mayor Holmes-Ross said. “In the wake of our declaration of a climate emergency in 2019, this is another exciting step that reflects our commitment to take action on climate change, create a sustainable future and save money for our residents.”