Procurement
Procuring the battery requires finding a manufacturer who fits your requirements, both in terms of battery specifications and manufacture social and environmental standards. Some early community battery projects (e.g. YEF) have put their requirements out to tender to a number of international competitors. This may encourage competition and may result in a better price, as well as ensuring that the manufacturer can meet requirements and that the process is transparent and accountable. It helps if the project has already developed some profile, so can provide reputational benefits to manufacturers. As the industry develops, it is likely that there will be more off-the-shelf models and groups can avoid a tender process, which can be quite onerous.
Installation
Installation and connection requires a licensed installer, but must be coordinated and scheduled with partners and external organisations, including the DNSP (including a connection installer and an inspector), the retailer, the electrical inspector, and the company providing the metering.
Safety
Safety is obviously a key issue in the installation and running of neighbourhood batteries, one that is covered by standards and certification in the manufacture and installation of batteries. In Victoria, Energy Safe Victoria are responsible for oversight of battery safety. Resources available from Energy Safe Victoria include a Battery Compliance Fact sheet.
More information about battery safety can be found here.
Maintenance
Once your battery is installed and operating, your battery system will require some ongoing maintenance and, in some cases, repairs to ensure it is operating safely and properly. Depending on your battery storage system, the type and frequency of this maintenance and repair will differ. You should consider from the planning stage who will be responsible for maintenance of the battery, and what contractual arrangements are necessary to ensure that this is covered.
In Australia, maintenance should be performed by a Clean Energy Council Accredited Installer. You should also carry out frequent (at least once a month) visual checks of the battery to make sure that it still appears in good condition. If you notice anything strange or concerning during these checks, you should immediately get in contact with your accredited installer or battery retailer.
During maintenance, an accredited installer will also be able to provide information on how the battery system is performing. This should allow understanding on its usage and its limitations, which will be useful in checking that the battery is on track to last its predicted lifetime and won’t deteriorate earlier than expected. Battery performance will be influenced by changes in demand for the battery (how much electricity is consumed), so significant changes might call for an installer visit to check on how the battery is going.
Another factor for maintenance and battery operation is extreme weather (hot or cold). For best results, a battery should operate somewhere between 5 and 20°C, depending on the battery type. Your battery may need additional checking and maintenance if performing in more extreme conditions. If such conditions are a regular occurrence, you should take this into account in site design, for example introducing shading or shelter.