Winki Energy was engaged by AGL to supply and install a 500 kW / 1,118 kWh EVO Power Neo Series Battery Energy Storage System at a private school in Melbourne’s northern suburbs. Winki Energy is run by licensed electricians and shows how projects like this one actually get delivered. The school had four pre-existing solar PV systems across the site, a congested underground services corridor, and a firm requirement to keep disruption to school operations at an absolute minimum. Winki carried out the full installation and commissioning copes including metering and integration across all five solar and battery system assets.
The Project
The BESS comprised two EVO Power Neo Series cabinets and a 500 kW Power Conversion System (PCS), crane-lifted into position on site. Winki installed new underground cabling from the main switchboard (MSB) area to the BESS location, routing through a live services corridor that required careful survey and staged excavation. A brand new MSB was also installed as part of the scope, serving as the central connection point for the battery system, the PCS, and the four existing solar arrays.
To enable accurate energy allocation and unlock the full commercial value of the installation, Winki fitted Azzo metering to each of the four pre-existing solar systems as well as the new BESS. This gives the school a clear, real-time picture of everything happening across their energy setup, from how each solar array is performing through to how the battery is charging, discharging and interacting with the grid. Without it, tracking performance or accessing energy market benefits simply would not have been on the table.
The Challenge
The primary site constraint was the condition of the inherited solar infrastructure. The four existing PV systems had been installed at different times by different contractors, with inconsistent documentation and varying standards of workmanship. Significant rectification was required before any of these arrays could be safely integrated with the new large scale battery system.
The underground services corridor between the MSB and the BESS location was heavily congested with existing infrastructure. Routing new high-voltage cabling through this environment without cutting into live services required precise planning and careful execution at every stage. The switchboard and site power shutdown required to complete the installation was a major undertaking, and it could not overrun school operating hours.
The project also had several external parties to coordinate, each moving at their own pace and with their own sign-off requirements. CitiPower had to be coordinated for transformer isolation, the crane provider required detailed access planning given the school environment, and electrical inspectors needed to be available for timely sign-off at key milestones. Any one of these dependencies, if mismanaged, had the potential to delay commissioning.
The Approach
Winki built the project programme around the school’s schedule. All shutdown windows were planned in detail with school administration well in advance, with clear start and finish times agreed before any work commenced. Crane lifts for the PCS and BESS cabinets were staged to minimise time in restricted areas of the site. The underground cabling works were sequenced to avoid concurrent disruption to existing services.
Stakeholder coordination was expertly managed directly by Winki’s project team rather than delegated. CitiPower was engaged early to secure transformer isolation approvals within the required timeframe. The crane contractor was briefed on site-specific access constraints. Electrical inspectors were scheduled at each hold point so sign-offs did not create programme lag. AGL and the school’s facilities team were kept informed throughout, with issues escalated promptly and resolved before they affected the delivery timeline.
The solar rectification work was absorbed into the programme without delaying commissioning. Winki prioritised bringing each legacy array up to a standard that would allow safe integration, rather than deferring remediation. The result was a fully commissioned BESS and a metered, standardised solar portfolio delivered on time and without a single unplanned disruption to school operations.
Key Numbers
| Metric | Detail |
|---|---|
| System capacity | 500/1,118 kWh |
| Battery model | EVO Power Neo Series |
| Installation type | Ground-mounted cabinets, crane-lifted |
| Site | Private school, Melbourne North, Victoria |
| Client | AGL |
| Solar integration | 4 pre-existing PV systems metered and integrated |
| Key scope items | New MSB, underground HV cabling, crane lifts, Azzo metering (x5) |
| Monitoring | Azzo metering, real-time performance across all solar arrays and BESS |
| Delivery | On time, zero unplanned site disruptions |
Thinking about a BESS or commercial solar system for your site?
If you’re looking at a commercial BESS project and want to talk to people who have actually delivered one, get in touch with our team today. We’re happy to have a straight conversation about what’s involved and whether it stacks up for your site. Learn more at winkienergy.com.au/commercial-battery-solutions-bess or get in touch at winkienergy.com.au/contact-us
