Melbourne solar battery firm PowerPlus Energy is among four manufacturing businesses to share in more than $1 million of Victorian Government funding.
Headquartered in suburban Scoresby, PowerPlus Energy was founded in 2017. The company designs, engineers, and manufactures rack mounted battery solutions for residential, commercial and industrial applications using local and imported components – and the government grant will help it do more of the same.
“This grant is playing a vital role in supporting our growth, enabling future facility upgrades, and strengthening our contribution to the state’s manufacturing infrastructure,” said PowerPlus Energy CEO Bradley Paton. “It will also firmly position PowerPlus Energy at the forefront of renewable technology production right here at home.”
Its latest battery, the LiFe4838P, builds on the PowerPlus Energy LiFe Premium Series that feature lithium ferro phosphate (LFP/LiFePO4) cells. A single module has usable capacity of 3.8 kWh and a continuous discharge power rating of 3.22kW. The firm offers a 10- year warranty (80% State of Health at end of year 10) on the LiFe4838P, which is available in 24V, 48V and 120V variants.
PowerPlus Energy also produces the Eco Series, which the company says is ideal for less demanding applications. Available in 4.7kWh 48V modules, the 10- year warranty on the Eco is for 70% State of Health at the end of year 10.
While both have an IP40 ingress rating – meaning they must be installed indoors in absence of a suitable cabinet – the firm can supply cabinets allowing outdoor installation. PowerPlus also has ready-assembled solutions called the Escape Series delivered in pre-wired cabinets with an inverter, designed to withstand all weather conditions.
The handful of PowerPlus Energy reviews we have here on SolarQuotes from Australian customers have been very positive – 5-star ratings all-round. The company is also currently listed on SQ’s approved battery brands chart. You can compare specifications and estimated pricing with other storage solutions on our home battery comparison table.
About The Grant Program
The “Made in Victoria – Energy Technologies Manufacturing Program” aimed to assist manufacturers in the state to make more products or components supporting Victoria’s transition towards net zero emissions by 2045. Applications for the program closed in December 2023; so it’s been nearly 12 months to find out who got a guernsey.
How much PowerPlus and the other manufacturers received each isn’t clear, but the program guidelines state grants of between $100,000 to $750,000 were up for grabs and all grants had to be matched by a minimum cash co-contribution of $3 for every $1 granted. So, the $1 million total was matched by at least $3 million from the companies involved.
The other recipients and activities the grants support:
- NRW Holdings Limited – large capacity manufacturing for renewables (wind turbines).
- Cavendish Renewable Technology Pty Ltd – Demonstration of a 250 kW Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) electrolyser stack.
- EnyGy Limited – Scaling up graphene materials production for high energy graphene-based ultracapacitors.
“These grants will back manufacturers to contribute towards the net zero transition by increasing their capacity to manufacture key products and technology for renewable energy generation,” said Victorian Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio.
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