Picture this: You drive into your local grocery store, plug your electric vehicle into a fast charger, and head inside. As you grab your fresh produce under bright, energy-efficient lighting, the heat keeping the store warm is actually coming from the waste energy of the fridge display storing your milk.
This isn’t a prototype for the distant future; it’s now open in Melbourne’s south-east.
Located at Orana Village in Clyde, Victoria, Coles has opened its first-ever fully electric supermarket, ditching on-site fossil fuels entirely.
Partnering with energy giant Origin, the store serves as a real-world blueprint for what the next generation of eco-friendly retail could look like across Australia.
Coles head of energy Jane Mansfield said the new Orana Village location marks a vital stage in the company’s broader transition toward all-electric store operations.
“It represents the next generation of a Coles store and, through our partnership with Origin, gives us a blueprint for what a lower-emissions and more resilient store network could look like.”
How the all-electric engine room works
To eliminate on-site gas and diesel, the Clyde store combines four key renewable technologies into a single, smart ecosystem:
- Sun power on the roof: A 270kW solar array featuring 487 panels blankets the roof, generating clean electricity directly above the aisles.
- Big battery backup: The store features Coles’ first-ever 110kW/225kWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). Instead of relying on a diesel generator during grid outages, this battery keeps essential checkout systems and lights running while managing peak demand.
- Clever heat capture: Rather than using natural gas for winter heating, the store uses a natural CO2 refrigeration system that captures waste heat from the fridges. Combined with electric heat pumps, it provides 171kW of store heating completely fossil-free.
- Shopper EV fast charging: Drivers can top up their electric vehicles with up to 200kW direct-current fast chargers across four parking bays, integrated directly with the store’s battery to smooth out grid demand.
Scaling the grid of the future
Coles is keen to point out this store is not a one-off: The retailer has extended its renewable energy partnership with Origin through 2029.
Under the expanded plan, the companies aim to install an additional 15MW of rooftop solar across 75 stores and add battery systems at 20 more sites nationwide.
Through a ‘Virtual Power Plant’ model, these store batteries can even feed excess energy back into the wholesale electricity market, helping balance local grid demand when energy use spikes.
As major retailers rethink their environmental footprints, turning everyday supermarket runs into zero-emission stops brings circular, low-carbon living one step closer to home.
- Further reading: Victoria solar project set to cut 227,000 tonnes of carbon annually by building a commercial 150-megawatt Carwarp Energy Park.
