MEMBERS of Totally Renewable Yackandandah (TRY) worked on a community renewable energy system for approximately eight years and it has now come to fruition thanks to the help and support of (among others) the Into Our Hands Community Foundation.

Important questions needed to be answered: how do we get more renewable energy generated and stored locally and how do we effectively move it around town?

A significant solar powered battery was the answer and now supports the community through electricity partner – Mondo Power – by providing electricity to more than 200 properties throughout the town.

"The community scale battery project is an important developmental part of the process in creating a whole of town ecosystem focused on renewable energy," TRY member Matthew Charles–Jones explained.

In addition to the town ecosystem and community battery, Into Our Hands also granted TRY with monies for a battery system located at the Yackandandah CFA station.

This ensures that the station can maintain power during major emergencies and, in particular, communications which is extremely important.

This battery is also part of the move to support community and environmental sustainability.

Having a foundation like Into Our Hands in the local community is an important benefit not only to community groups like TRY, but to whole townships.

An organisation like TRY is run almost exclusively by volunteers, which is fantastic as it empowers the community to be involved, however there can be times when expertise or the ability for is limited, which is where a foundation like Into Our Hands can help.

"Being supported financially by someone like Into Our Hands through grant applications and administration needs is so important as it allows us to stretch ourselves further and do more for the community," TRY member Claire Bishop said.

"Into Our Hands has been a really critical ingredient in the success of a community battery in Yackandandah and have become a really trusted guide for us," Matthew added.

"Being able to raise money and get our projects well–focused means there is a really beautiful connection between effort by community, partnership with community retailer and purchase of clean power and Into Our Hands really enabled that to occur."

Members of Totally Renewable Yackandandah speak further in the Into Our Hands' Digital story project, which can be found via the links below.

The Digital Stories Project shares supporter and grantee stories about how Into Our Hands is benefiting North East communities and how and why people get involved in donating to the general fund, or one of their sub–funds.

For more information on Into Our Hands or any of the other sub–funds available in the Wangaratta, Alpine, Indigo or Mansfield shires, visit intoourhandsfoundation.com.au.

To watch the Totally Renewable Yackandandah video in full visit intoourhandsfoundation.com.au/newsandevents/ or https://youtu.be/baECjTArC6s.