Community batteries and distributed energy in Australia with Graeme Martin (Founder - Village Power)

As rooftop solar booms and the grid grows more complex, one question is gaining urgency: how do we store energy locally, efficiently, and in a way that benefits everyone?

Community batteries are emerging as one solution small-scale, shared storage systems designed to maximise solar self-consumption, reduce network strain, and deliver value back to neighbourhoods.

In this episode of Transmission, Wendel is joined by Graeme Martin - Founder of Village Power to take a closer look at the real-world deployment of community batteries in Australia.

From funding and grid integration to ownership models and consumer trust, this conversation explores what it takes to build energy infrastructure at street level and why that might be the key to a more resilient, inclusive electricity system.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What community batteries actually do and how they fit between household solar and grid-scale storage.
• The biggest roadblocks to rollout, from regulatory complexity to grid connection delays.
• Why customer experience and transparency matter, and how trust shapes participation.
• The economics of local storage, including how these systems are funded and who benefits.
• How community-led models can scale, and what Australia’s experience means for global grids.

About our guest

Graeme Martin is Founder and Director of Village Power, a volunteer-led community energy group based in Melbourne. With over 30 years in environmental science and geospatial consulting, Graeme has led the group’s multi-year campaign to install a community battery in Alphington/Fairfield. For more information on the work Village Power is doing - head to their website.

About Modo Energy

Modo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.

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