³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾

If the power grid goes down in the event of a bushfire or storm, a 13.5kW Tesla solar power battery with 10.48Kw Solar panels will ensure the station will always have the power required for the brigade to respond.

The $30,000 system was funded using $5k of brigade donations and the remainder was through a grant from Bank Australia and contributions provided to the brigade through the Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance’s Community Solar Bulk Buy program.

Malmsbury Fire Brigade Captain Tony Stephens said the donation was a “great result for the Malmsbury community”.

“The battery ensures we can operate and respond from the fire station during a power outage and it can also be a hub for the community at the same time,” Cpt Stephens said.

The Tesla Powerwall 2 battery can operate independently of the power grid, and as such, can provide autonomous power for the entire site for more than a day.

Cpt Stephens said during extended power outages this can mean phone towers and NBN services can go down for a large portion of the community and by having this battery installed people affected by a significant power outage can go to the station.

“Now that our station is able to remain powered, affected community members can use it for communication, storage of medicines, food refrigeration and internet in extreme circumstances,” he said.

“We see the results of climate change through more intense and frequent storms and fires, so being able to reduce our carbon footprint and reduce emissions is important for our members and our community.

“Every summer we’re starting to see power outages more frequently so this is a much needed piece of equipment.

“This is a great example of the community and local interest groups working together to help with CFA’s response to fires and other emergencies and do our bit to reduce the impacts of climate change.”