The Government of South Australia is delivering 18 community batteries for South Australia through the emPowering SA program.

The program ensures the benefits of community batteries are realised by households who are currently unable to renewable energy technologies, and for whom lower energy bills means the most.

In partnership with energy retailer AGL, the emPowering SA battery fleet aims to provide direct benefits to more than 10,000 low-income households through access to a retail electricity rate 25% below the Default Market Offer (DMO), equating to an estimated annual saving of up to $575 per household. Over its operational life, the program is expected to deliver approximately $60 million in value to South Australians experiencing cost-of-living pressures.

Find out more about how the emPowering SA batteries will work by watching the video, reviewing the information below and answers to frequently asked questions on this page, or download the flyer.

The community battery will have a capacity of 700kW / 1828kWh and will occupy a footprint of around 11.5m x 7.2m including fencing, with an adjacent SA Power Networks transformer on a separate slab. The battery will be owned by the Government of South Australia and operated and maintained by AGL as part of a Virtual Power Plant (VPP), enabling energy trading to help fund the electricity discounts provided to households.

The battery will store excess energy from the grid when renewable energy is abundant. It will then make that energy available at night, during periods of high demand, or when the grid needs support.

Every household benefiting from the battery will be in a home that cannot support its own solar panels or a battery. This ensures these South Australians are not locked out from accessing renewable energy technologies and the benefits it can provide. The emPowering SA community battery fleet is also one of many South Australian government initiatives to reduce emissions and meet South Australia’s climate change targets.

emPowering SA is jointly funded by the Government of South Australia, energy retailer AGL, and the Australian Government's Community Batteries for Household Solar program.

Carol Martin Reserve has been deemed by the emPowering SA project team as the most suitable site for the installation of a community battery in our council area due to location, proximity to suitable power infrastructure, minimal impact on reserve use and the number of eligible households in close proximity.

Construction of a community battery may only proceed if all requirements are met, including

• Planning and Design Code policies.
• Design, form and appearance.
• Services and infrastructure.
• Environmental impacts.
• Community consultation.

The City of Port Adelaide Enfield supports site selection work by the emPowering SA team, and leads community engagement to ensure local residents are informed and heard. Residents in our council area facing cost of living pressures will be among the first to be offered the opportunity to take up places in emPowering SA, once the battery in our area is installed and operational.

The battery and fencing have been designed to blend in with the existing environment. The fence will be powdercoated with Duralloy® - Mangrove® - Satin colour - artist impression and see approximate colour below.

The community battery will be a 700 kilowatt / 1828 kilowatt hour

battery comprising of:

• an approximately 11.5 metre by 5.5 metre concrete slab on which all the community battery equipment will sit; and
• a separate approximately 3 metre by 3 metre concrete slab/culvert on which an SA Power Networks high voltage/low voltage transformer will sit, as part of connecting the battery to the grid.

The equipment on the larger concrete slab will be three (3) battery cabinets, one

(1) battery connection panel, seven (7) power conversion systems, and one (1) switchboard.

This larger slab will be surrounded by a fence, which the emPowering SA project team intends to design in conjunction with each Council to ensure it meets

Council, community, and project expectations regarding visual amenity, security, and maintenance.

All equipment is rated for external conditions, meaning there is no need for roofing or shade structures.

All emPowering SA community batteries will be owned by the Government of South Australia and operated by energy retailer AGL as part of a virtual power plant (VPP).

AGL is responsible for all ongoing maintenance of the community battery equipment. This will include annual maintenance in line with manufacturer’s recommendations, and remote monitoring at all times.

SA Power Networks is responsible for the ongoing maintenance of the high voltage/low voltage transformer.

emPowering SA will deliver direct benefits to more than 10,000 South Australian government nominated households facing cost of living pressure, through a retail electricity rate 25 percent below the Default Market Offer (DMO, the default price for electricity).

On current figures, a typical household benefitting from emPowering SA could save up to $575 off their annual electricity bill (based on the annual saving estimate for a new residential customer when compared to the 2025-2026 DMO with an annual energy consumption of 4000 kilowatt-hours per year).

Every household benefiting from emPowering SA will be in a home that cannot support its own solar panels or a battery. This ensures these South Australians

are not locked out from accessing renewable energy technologies and the benefits it can provide.

There is no need for households to register their interest for emPowering SA. The South Australian government is following a detailed process to identify suitable homes to participate, and those households will receive information from the government to let them know their home has been shortlisted and how to join.

Across a fleet of 18 batteries, emPowering SA will deliver direct benefits to more than 10,000 South Australian households.

emPowering SA will deliver direct benefits to more than 10,000 South Australian government nominated households facing cost of living pressure, through a retail electricity rate 25 percent below the Default Market Offer (DMO, the default price for electricity).

On current figures, a typical household benefitting from emPowering SA could save up to $575 off their annual electricity bill (based on the annual saving estimate for a new residential customer when compared to the 2025-2026 DMO with an annual energy consumption of 4000 kilowatt-hours per year).

Across a fleet of 18 batteries, emPowering SA is expected to deliver around $60 million of value direct to low-income and energy hardship households across South Australia over the life of the batteries.

emPowering SA is jointly funded by the Government of South Australia, energy retailer AGL, and the Australian Government’s Community Batteries for Household Solar program.