Stand-alone power systems

Stand-alone power systems can replace poles and wires in regional and remote areas.  

They provide safe, reliable and affordable power as existing assets reach the end of service.  

We install, maintain and operate SAPS for eligible customers at no extra cost to a normal connection. 

SAPS are an off-grid electricity system. They typically include solar panels, battery storage and a backup energy generator.  

They can improve reliability for customers living at the end of a line or in hard to access terrain. They also remove dependency on the standard network of poles and wires. 

How SAPS work: 

•  Solar panels generate electricity to power the property during the day.  
•  Unused solar is stored in a battery that provides power at night and when the sun isn’t shining. Batteries also help to meet peak demand.  
•  A diesel generator provides backup power when solar panels cannot meet demand. 

Customers in remote and rural areas are more likely to have power outages. They face more extreme weather and rely on infrastructure that is harder to maintain.  

SAPS allow them to join the energy transition and make their property more resilient. They are also safer, more reliable and cheaper to run than the ageing connection they replace.  

These customers tell us they feel more exposed to the natural disasters. SAPS are one way we are making their power more reliable while keeping prices affordable. 

We contact a customer if a SAPS will be more cost-effective than a standard connection. 

This is undertaken in line with our SAPS Customer and Stakeholder Engagement Strategy.  

Powercor-owned SAPS are only available if customers meet eligibility criteria, including:  

•  being connected to rural feeder approaching the end of its working life  
•  the cost of building, upgrading or maintaining their connection exceeds a SAPS  
•  agreeing to abolish their standard network connection and transition to a SAPS  
•  having suitable land available.