In an all-electric precinct our homes, businesses and vehicles, are powered by an abundant supply of clean, renewable energy!

Our neighbourhoods are filled with a collection of energy resources – including rooftop solar and batteries, smart appliances and electric vehicles.

These energy resources are connected to the electricity grid and can be coordinated to manage supply and demand, so that everyone, everywhere, can access the cheapest possible energy, at all times.

Our appliances and vehicles are all energy efficient and electrified. They are powered by renewable electricity that avoid the burning of fossil fuels.

Our energy needs are met by a combination of locally generated electricity from rooftop solar and renewables supplied by the grid.

Households and businesses who used to only 'consume' energy, can now generate and store it!

We now have a more distributed energy system.

Our vehicles are all powered by electricity, charged at home or at a local public charger.

Many have traded their cars in favour of active and public transport.

The network of petrol stations that surround our precinct, along with the underground gas connections to our buildings, are relics of the fossil fuel past.

Everything is powered by cheap, clean electricity.

Our precinct is connected to the National Electricity Market– the NEM - and connected to us via the grid - the poles and wires that supply electricity across the Country.

The grid is 100% renewable thanks to utility scale solar and wind farms, hydroelectricity, and excess rooftop solar from precincts just like ours.

We generate more electricity than ever before: enough to power our homes, vehicles, businesses, and our industries.

Big batteries provide the storage capacity that enables more and more renewable energy to enter the market.

A fresh breeze replaces the pollution that once spewed from coal-fired power stations. Some of this breeze is even harvested by wind farms.

Vast coal mining, oil and gas extraction industries are no longer needed, at least by our precinct.

Our energy system is clean and reliable.

Back over in our precinct, everyone receives just one bill - for electricity.

Households and businesses are also saving more energy than ever before via improved energy efficiency!

We use electricity for our heating, cooking, and driving from place to place.

We spend less money on energy than we did before, because our electric appliances and vehicles cost less to run.

Electricity that is generated by rooftop solar is the cheapest energy available.

With batteries you can store that excess solar energy produced during the day, and use it when the sun goes down.

Solar households and businesses also benefit by selling excess electricity to the grid when others need it.

This sharing of energy — facilitated by a smart grid and supported by the energy market operator — is the new norm for the energy system.

It means that everyone in the precinct, including those that can't install solar and batteries, can access cheap, renewable energy.

Our all-electric precinct is more affordable, stable and resilient than ever before.

Let's start with the big stuff!

Electricity is produced in large quantities from utility scale (and some mid-scale) renewable energy generators that are usually located far outside of our precinct.

Storage helps these power plants by allowing them to store and supply electricity when needed, ensuring they can always meet demand and keep the system reliable.

The power from these faraway renewable energy sources is sent across a network of high voltage transmission lines to our precinct where it is connected to our local distribution network.

These are the poles and wires that line our streets.

In the distribution network, our homes, businesses, and vehicles are both electricity users and producers.

Some of our excess electricity goes to our neighbours and some is stored by batteries (either home, community, or vehicle level) for when we need it most.

The evolution of a smart grid means that, as a precinct, we are able to connect to and participate in a fairer and more efficient electricity market for all.

Just how the smart grid operates might feel overwhelming and a bit irrelevant to our little precinct.

But it's important to remember that we're all connected to the grid. And we need it to serve our energy needs.

In our precinct, solar installations on larger community, industrial and commercial buildings are designed to produce excess electricity that can be shared with the community.

Our roof space is a valuable community energy asset.

These solar energy resources can be supported by storage, such as community batteries, that help to balance the supply and demand for electricity, at the precinct level.

This approach enhances the local grid's resilience and stability for all users.

In our precinct alone, there are thousands of distributed energy resources.

These can be managed by software that can combine and orchestrate their demand and export to act as a virtual power plant that lets us share energy with our neighbours and our local area when required.

All of the homes in our precinct (both owned and rented) are powered solely by electricity.

Induction cooktops, heat pump or solar hot water units, and reverse-cycle air conditioners are found in every house and apartment.

Vehicles per household in Yarra have greatly reduced.

For homes that do have electric vehicles, chargers are commonplace in garages and apartment parking lots, replacing the need to fill up the tank at local service stations.

Accessible public chargers can be found in streets and at frequently visited locations, make charging an EV locally easy.

The many homes able to install solar benefit from generating and using their own electricity.

Many have on-site battery storage so that they can store electricity generated when the sun is up, for use in the evenings and overnight.

Renters and apartments with barriers to installing solar and batteries will have access to the benefits of community energy resources and are supplied with 100% renewable electricity from the grid.

Community buildings — including the local leisure centre, schools, places of worship and sport facilities — are powered by electricity.

Many of these buildings have solar and battery units installed so that they can contribute to community energy initiatives and benefit from participating in the energy market.

All of the local businesses that we visit and work at are powered by electricity.

Many businesses offer their employees access to either EV or micromobility fleets.

Industrial businesses with manufacturing shift any gas powered processes to electric alternatives.

This is possible in our precinct as no large, energy intensive industries operate here.

Larger commercial buildings with lots of roof space are full of solar and batteries and are able to participate in the local or broader energy market.

These buildings now generate a financial return from their roof.

Solar is now on most available roof space in the precinct.

These solar installations help power our all-electric precinct.

Our precinct's buildings are no longer merely consumers of energy but can – when required – act as producers and providers of energy.

The number of private vehicles has greatly reduced in Yarra - high quality bicycle and pedestrian networks with efficient public transport is the preferred option for many residents.

The cars we do own are electric and cheaper to fuel and maintain.

Personal micromobility vehicles are common and for many in our precinct, they are used instead of cars for shorter trips and commutes, and local deliveries.

Micromobilty vehicles can be privately owned, or provided by sharing services.

Public transport is convenient with trains, trams and buses running off 100% renewable electricity.

All light commercial vehicles, trucks and fleet cars - including taxis - will be electric.

Electric vehicles can be charged from a combination of at home, on-street, and public chargers.

Home chargers can use solar power during the day or a slow overnight charge, to help balance the overall demand for electricity.

Public chargers are fast and conveniently located in places like car parks near shops and along our streets.

There are a lot more places to charge up your vehicle than in the internal combustion age!

Businesses that operate electric vehicles have installed on-site chargers to keep their vehicles powered and ready for business!

Oh, and to store all that excess solar!

It is now commonplace for electric vehicles to act as mobile batteries, providing support and flexibility to the grid through bidirectional chargers.

The community is realising the benefits of income generated from their vehicle (for vehicle owners), lower costs and more reliable electricity supply for everyone, particularly in peak demand times in winter and summer.

The energy resources in our precinct are bought from local retailers and suppliers, and require on-site installation by skilled trades and electricians.

As most of our energy is produced locally and domestically, our community makes substantial savings on energy bills that can be spent in our local economy.

All gas cooktops and indoor gas heaters are gone, along with the unhealthy particles released when they burn gas. The dangers of leakages from gas heating units are no longer a problem. Reverse-cycle air conditioners that provide space heating can even be equipped with air purification features.

Our homes and workplaces are healthier and safer than ever before.

Electric vehicles don't produce the air pollutants that came from combustion engine vehicles. Our streets are no longer polluted by smoke from ageing petrol/diesel engines and instead, are filled with cleaner, fresher air.

The precinct, and the City of Yarra is a healthier and more liveable environment for everyone.

Electric vehicles don't produce the noise that came from combustion engines. Our streets are no longer filled with the sound of puttering (or roaring) engines, but filled with a gentle hum and the sound of birdsong.

Our precincts energy comes from renewable sources that produce no greenhouse gases. Our energy system helps in the fight against climate change.

The distributed nature of our precincts energy system and local energy storage capacity means that our community is more resilient to climate risks and events like storms and flooding that can disrupt the electricity grid.