Harnessing new and innovative battery technology to provide standby power ensuring ABC Local Radio stays operational in times of emergency.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 7th December 2018 Broadcast Australia, a BAI Communications company, has completed the installation of a Tesla Powerwall in Corryong, Victoria which will provide critical backup power to support the ABC Local Radio Service. The installation of the Tesla Powerwall provides a more reliable solution for local radio services in the region.

The project in Corryong was initiated and supported by the Corryong Fire Brigade to secure a solution that will provide a backup capacity of up to twenty-seven hours.

In Corryong, Broadcast Australia and the ABC worked together with the community identifying the benefits backup power could bring to improve service reliability. The innovative application of Tesla Powerwall will help ensure that the ABC Local Radio service in Corryong has enough stored energy to operate in times of emergency when the network supply to the facility has failed. This is crucial during emergencies like blackouts, flood or fires to ensure the Corryong and Upper Murray community remain informed and up to date with local news and emergency broadcast information.

“To date, we haven’t had a back-up power solution which historically meant that during inevitable mains power outages, people weren’t able to get the ABC Local Radio,” said Warwick Ross of Corryong Fire Brigade. “Thanks to the efforts within our community as well as the technology and support of Broadcast Australia, this Tesla Powerwall will ensure failures won’t leave Corryong’s residents uninformed.”

“Local radio services are so important to communities like Corryong, especially in times of emergency. However, times of emergency often also coincide with power outages making it difficult to keep the services running consistently. When we heard about the challenge that Corryong was facing, we saw it as a great opportunity to apply the 13.5kWh Tesla Powerwall to improve the site’s backup capacity and strengthen the community’s radio infrastructure.”

“At Broadcast Australia we take pride in our strong focus on technology innovation. When we needed to replace our existing lead-acid power supply at Hopetoun, our engineering team realised this was the optimal opportunity to trial new lithium-Ion technologies, which is why we turned to Tesla,” said Peter Lambourne, Chief Executive Officer of Broadcast Australia.

Broadcast Australia has already successfully tested Tesla Powerwall technology at its Hopetoun site in Victoria to assess its suitability to be applied elsewhere. The Tesla Powerwall uses advance battery technology to provide industry-leading standby power availability for the critical supported loads.