Unlock the Cheaper Home Batteries Program with our Exclusive Eco4840P and LiFe4833P Trade-in Offer. Find out more.
Exclusive Battery Trade-in. Discover
In regional Victoria, access to reliable electricity has long been a challenge. For decades, rural households have endured frequent outages, storm disruptions, and bushfire risks often having to rely on outdated and fragile infrastructure to keep the lights on. One of the biggest culprits? The Single Wire Earth Return (SWER) line. A single-cable power system that stretches for kilometres to reach remote properties, often through dense bushland.
AusNet, the state’s energy provider has trialled a new way of delivering power to their customers faced with these challenges by replacing traditional grid connections with Stand Alone Power Systems (SAPS).
“AusNet’s network covers 80,000 square kilometres, with 93 % located in regional and rural areas. They deliver electricity to around 802,000 customers across Victoria and are responsible for maintaining supply to some of the state’s most isolated and bushfire-prone communities.”
Each year, AusNet spends millions repairing storm-damaged infrastructure and managing vegetation growth around SWER lines to prevent outages or potential fire hazards. Despite these efforts, many customers still experience 5–10+ outages per year with poor power quality that can damage appliances and more importantly disrupt lives.
Faced with increasing maintenance costs, bushfire risk, and the threat of severe financial penalties from the market operator (AEMO) for failing to maintain supply, AusNet began asking an essential question: What would happen if we disconnected some customers from the grid entirely?
Instead of repairing up unreliable SWER lines, what if customers were connected to their own self-sufficient energy systems?
This was the concept behind an innovative two-year SAPS trial across 17 sites near Mansfield and Omeo in Victoria. Working with AusNet’s delivery partners Mondo who provided the Ubi command centre for data collection and analysis, the trial was designed to test whether off-grid systems could replace traditional poles and wires while improving reliability and sustainability.
To bring the idea to life, AusNet approached PowerPlus Energy, an Australian manufacturer renowned for innovation in energy storage. Although PowerPlus Energy didn’t have a ready–made product that met AusNet’s needs, this challenge inspired the design of a brand-new solution, the Escape Series, a completely Australian-made range of BESS’
PowerPlus Energy began designing a bespoke Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). Designed within a durable, industrial-grade enclosure, the system was engineered to withstand harsh environmental conditions, maintain reliable performance, and comply with utility-level requirements tailored to each customer’s needs.
Named the Escape10, the system PowerPlus Energy created involved the following:
Most importantly, these SAPS units were designed not just to function but to deliver consistent reliability, even during Victoria’s severe storms and bushfire seasons. Conscious design decisions to integrate Australian-made products where possible only increases system support and reliability during power events
After 16 months of real-world operation, the evidence was compelling. Across all 17 sites:
To put this into context, in Tolmie, a typical customer would have faced nearly 30 hours of blackout during a summer of intense storms. With SAPS, they experienced no downtime at all. The same success was seen for a customer in Swifts Creek, where they avoided more than 17 hours of outages during a tough winter.
And for AusNet? No AEMO penalties, no SWER line call-backs, and an overwhelmingly positive customer response. In fact, although the original SWER infrastructure was retained as a backup during the trial, it was never used once.
Following the success of the trial, PowerPlus Energy evolved the Escape10 into one of their flagship products, available as a commercial solution for energy providers, rural communities, and even off-grid businesses. It also complemented a growing suite of solutions like the Escape20 and Escape30, offering scalable, resilient options for diverse applications from homes to commercial operations to remote outposts.
The success of the AusNet SAPS project signals a shift in how we think about energy delivery. It proves that decentralised systems are not only viable but offer superior resilience, sustainability, and customer satisfaction even in the most challenging environments.
As Australia transitions toward a smarter, more adaptive grid, solutions like SAPS, forward-thinking partnerships between companies like AusNet and PowerPlus Energy will be at the heart of powering the future to ensure as a Nation we can continue creating more connected and power resilient communities.
In regional Victoria, access to reliable electricity has long been a challenge. For decades, rural households have endured frequent outages, storm disruptions, and bushfire risks o
The Challenge Rumi on Louth, a new secluded eco-resort off the coast of South Australia, presented a unique challenge: how to provide reliable power to a remote island while suppor
In Australia’s rural areas, unstable grid connections are a major challenge, especially for industries that rely on modern technology. Dairy farms, like Willows Pastoral, are inc