Yarra Glen’s Memorial Hall now boasts solar panels and battery storage allowing the venue to act as an emergency refuge centre and keep the lights on in times of crisis.

The Evo Power battery system, installed by True Solar Time, was unveiled in front of Casey MP Tony Smith and Yarra Ranges Council Mayor Fiona McAllister on Thursday 22 April.

Council’s sustainability officer and project manager Julian Guess said, “It’s about making some of our emergency relief and recovery centres more resilient, particularly in times when the halls are activated to provide relief and recovery measures.

“If the hall was being used in the case of an emergency and there was no main power, this hall would still be able to operate.”

During Black Saturday, the Yarra Glen and Steels Creek areas were impacted by the bushfires. The hall was used to aid locals in need.

“On Black Saturday, I think the lighting was still on, but if it (the bushfires) were closer, maybe there would have been no power here and the hall would have been almost useless,” Mr Guess said.

“It has the ability to take solar power and the ability to convert that to DC power in the batteries… During the evenings when the sun isn’t shining, that power stored in the battery can be used for those essential circuits.”

Yarra Ranges Council Mayor Fiona McAllister said she was “pretty bloody excited” to see the first connected battery energy storage system up and running on council property.

She said the projects would free up more money for council to spend on other projects, while supporting community groups.

$70,000 in funding for the project was pledged by Mr Smith at the last federal election.

“Of all the things that were pledged at the last election, I’m pretty sure no one else did anything like this,” he said.

“There’s the certainty of the savings on power and emissions which are very important, but also the certainty that in a crisis and bushfire, you’ve got these solar resilient centres, where people know they can come.

“I am pretty confident that a lot of my colleagues will copy me… That’d be really good if they do.”

Identical projects are being put in place at Healesville’s Memo Hall and Yarra Junction’s Yarra Centre.

This article first appeared in Star Mail Mountain Views on 27 April 2021.