Residential Batteries In Bendigo Pick Up Serious Charge / Industry News / By Finulent Solutions Federal incentives and strong uptake push the city’s home battery installs to six times the pace over Melbourne. Overview The federal government’s Cheaper Home Batteries (CHB) program has had its ripples across the country. Now in particular, in the regional Victorian city of Bendigo. The CHB program offers about a 30% discount on upfront costs to install small-scale battery systems. Over 100,000 Aussie families slashed their energy four months after it was announced. And as per recent reports, residential batteries have hit a boom in Bendigo. Home battery installations here have been six times the rate of Melbourne’s, despite the city having a population of just 2% of the capital. Bendigo’s BESS pace A strong solar culture and its spot in the proposed Central North Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) has served the city well. Urban Melbourne, with denser grids and smaller “urgency” for personal energy, simply hasn’t matched the pace. The rooftop foundation Australia has the highest rate of rooftop solar anywhere in the world. And households in Bendigo were already solar powerhouses churning out daytime energy but often wasting excess without storage. Batteries now fit right in, holding that surplus for evenings or outages. Community and policy push Adding to the buzz, are high profile demos with federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen and MP Lisa Chesters, featuring residents’ slashed bills and battery capabilities. Such visibility shouts out real gains: Lower costs, grid stability during peaks, and alignment with Bendigo’s net-zero drive. CHB magic And of course, the 30% federal discount has torn down cost barriers, fueling over 1000 local installs amid 235,000 nationwide (42% regional). Payback in as little as four years means families see real ROI fast, not promises of a pie in the sky. Bendigo’s green step Additionally, the government is helping councils and community facilities cut their bills through energy efficiency upgrades, with $1.4m going to projects in the region. The Bendigo Library $1.2 million electrification project for example, aims to reduce carbon emissions and become the city’s first major public building to transition to fully electric thermal systems. This is a big part of the nation’s wider goal to achieve net-zero by 2030. “From powering story time at the library, to bedtime stories at home, our investment in renewable energy is delivering cheaper, cleaner energy for everyone in Bendigo,” says Bowen. In December last year, the federal government announced an expansion of the CHB Program from $2.3 billion to an estimated $7.2 billion over the next 4 years. This would mean over 2 million Australians with residential batteries by 2030, delivering around 40 GWh of additional storage capacity. Bendigo’s forward thinking community certainly plays a part here. And Lisa Chesters’s leadership steers this community toward a common energy goal. “Cheaper Home Batteries are now helping store their power, cut their bills for good, and take control of their energy use.” notes Chesters. “Every local household or small business that installs roof top solar and batteries are also helping to take pressure off the grid.” she added.
