Sporting Clubs: Up to $100,000 Available for Solar & Battery Upgrades
Community sporting clubs across Melbourne are under growing financial pressure. Floodlights running through evening training sessions, commercial kitchens, bars, HVAC systems, and refrigeration equipment – the electricity bills are relentless, and they only go one direction.
The Australian Government has responded with a program specifically designed for clubs like yours.
The Game On: Teaming Up for Climate Action Program, administered by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), offers eligible sporting clubs grants of $25,000 to $100,000 to fund energy-efficiency upgrades, renewable-energy installations, and climate-resilience projects.
If your club is considering solar panels, a battery storage system, LED sports lighting, or EV charging infrastructure, this grant program could fund a significant portion of the work — but funding is limited, and competition will be strong.
Here’s everything your club needs to know.
What Is The Game On: Teaming Up For Climate Action Program?
The Game On program recognises the important role community sporting clubs play in Australian life – and the financial strain that rising energy costs place on volunteer-run organisations.
The program is designed to help clubs:
- Reduce energy costs through solar generation and battery storage
- Lower carbon emissions in line with national climate targets
- Improve climate resilience against extreme weather events
- Modernise ageing infrastructure through energy-efficient upgrades
- Reduce financial pressure so more resources can go toward programs and people
Eligible clubs may apply for grants ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 for projects that deliver measurable environmental and energy-saving outcomes.
Applications are expected to open in July 2026. Funding is limited, so early preparation is essential.
Who Is Eligible?
The program targets community sporting clubs and sporting organisations. While full eligibility criteria are detailed on the DCCEEW website, generally eligible organisations include:
- Community sporting clubs
- Regional and local sporting associations
- Multi-sport facilities serving local communities
- Not-for-profit sporting organisations
Clubs should review the official program guidelines at dcceew.gov.au to confirm their eligibility before investing time in an application.
What Types Of Projects Are Funded?
The program covers a broad range of sustainability and energy-efficiency upgrades. For clubs considering a grant application, the key funded project types include:
Solar Power Systems
Solar panels are one of the most effective ways for sporting clubs to reduce electricity costs. A well-designed solar system offsets grid electricity use during daylight hours, reducing bills across:
- Clubrooms and administration offices
- Commercial kitchens and bars
- Gym and fitness facilities
- Refrigeration systems
- Battery charging (when paired with storage)
For clubs that operate year-round, solar typically delivers one of the strongest returns on investment among energy upgrades.
Battery Storage Systems
This is where the opportunity becomes particularly compelling for sporting clubs.
Most clubs use the bulk of their electricity in the evening – when solar panels have stopped producing. Floodlights, training sessions, competitions, and social functions all occur after sunset.
Without a battery, clubs either export their daytime solar generation to the grid at low feed-in rates and then buy it back at full price in the evening. With a battery, that relationship reverses.
Battery storage allows clubs to:
- Store surplus solar energy generated during the day
- Power evening activities from stored, renewable energy
- Reduce peak demand charges – one of the most costly components of commercial electricity bills
- Maintain power during outages – critical for events and competitions
- Maximise solar self-consumption rather than exporting at minimal feed-in rates
In most cases, combining solar with battery storage delivers substantially greater long-term savings than solar alone. For clubs with significant evening load – which describes almost every sporting club in Victoria – battery storage is often the single most impactful investment available.
LED Sports Lighting Upgrades
Older metal-halide or fluorescent floodlighting systems can be among the largest electricity consumers at a sporting facility.
Upgrading to modern LED sports lighting typically delivers:
- Energy reductions of 50–70% compared to older systems
- Lower maintenance costs through longer lamp life
- Improved lighting uniformity and quality
- Better experience for players, officials, and spectators
For clubs with high floodlighting usage, LED upgrades can deliver rapid payback periods and represent a strong standalone project for grant funding.
Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure
EV adoption across Australia is accelerating, and clubs that install EV charging infrastructure now will be well positioned for the decade ahead.
EV chargers can:
- Support club sustainability credentials
- Provide a valued amenity for members and visitors
- Create future revenue opportunities through managed charging
- Future-proof club infrastructure ahead of the mainstream EV transition
For clubs with an existing solar and battery system, EV chargers integrate well — allowing vehicles to be charged using renewable energy generated on-site.
Why Sporting Clubs Are Particularly Well-Suited To Solar + Battery
It’s worth stepping back and explaining why the combination of solar and battery storage is so effective specifically for sporting clubs – because it comes down to how clubs actually use electricity.
The typical sporting club energy profile looks like this:
- Daytime: relatively low consumption – administration, refrigeration, some HVAC
- Evening (4 pm- 10 pm): high consumption – floodlights, HVAC running hard, kitchen and bar activity, event lighting
This evening-heavy load profile is precisely where battery storage delivers the most value. Solar panels generate electricity from roughly 7 am to 5 pm. A battery stores that energy. By 6 pm, when training kicks off and the floodlights fire up, the battery is full and ready to supply the load – rather than the club drawing expensive grid power at peak tariff rates.
When designed correctly, a solar and battery system can dramatically reduce what a club spends on electricity each year, redirecting those savings into junior development programs, facility improvements, or simply reducing the financial burden on committee members and volunteers.
How To Prepare A Strong Grant Application
Government grant programs that attract strong community interest – and the Game On program will – reward early preparation. Clubs that have done the groundwork before applications open will be in a far stronger position than those that scramble to put a submission together at the last minute.
Here’s how to prepare:
Step 1: Review The Program Guidelines
Start at the official DCCEEW program page and read the eligibility criteria and assessment guidelines carefully. Understand what the program prioritises and how applications are evaluated.
Step 2: Understand Your Energy Usage
Before designing a solution, you need to understand the problem. Reviewing 12 months of electricity bills will reveal:
- Your peak consumption periods
- Your average daily and monthly usage
- Your current network tariff structure
- Your highest-cost periods
This information is essential for sizing a solar and battery system correctly.
Step 3: Engage A Qualified Electrician Team Early
Grant applications typically require detailed project costings and system specifications. A qualified contractor experienced in commercial solar and battery installations can provide:
- A site assessment
- A system design appropriate for your club’s load profile
- Detailed installation quotations
- Documentation suitable for inclusion in a grant application
Getting these documents prepared before applications open puts your club in a strong position to submit quickly and thoroughly.
Step 4: Consider Your Long-Term Energy Needs
The best grant applications don’t just solve today’s problems – they anticipate future requirements. Think about whether your club plans to:
- Expand facilities
- Add additional floodlit fields or courts
- Install EV charging in the future
- Increase membership and usage over time
A system designed with future growth in mind will serve your club better and may be viewed more favourably by assessors.
Step 5: Align The Project With Program Objectives
Ensure your proposed project clearly addresses the program’s stated objectives – reducing emissions, improving energy efficiency, and increasing climate resilience. Frame your application around measurable outcomes: projected energy savings, emissions reductions, and financial benefits.
Financial Benefits For Sporting Clubs
Beyond the grant itself, clubs that invest in solar and battery systems can expect long-term financial benefits including:
- Reduced electricity bills – potentially saving tens of thousands of dollars per year for larger clubs
- Protection against future energy price increases – hedging against further rises in grid electricity costs
- Reduced financial pressure on the committee – lower overheads mean more room in the budget for programs
- Improved asset value – energy infrastructure adds to the long-term value of club facilities
For many clubs, the combination of grant funding and long-term energy savings makes these projects genuinely transformative – not just an environmental initiative, but a sound financial decision.
How Max Power Electrical Can Help
At Max Power Electrical, we specialise in commercial solar installations, battery storage systems, and energy-efficient electrical upgrades for businesses and community organisations across Melbourne.
We understand that sporting clubs operate differently from commercial businesses – with high evening loads, volunteer committees, and tight budgets. Our team designs systems that match how clubs actually use energy, not just how the numbers look on paper.
We can assist your club with:
- Energy usage assessments
- Solar system design and sizing
- Commercial battery storage solutions
- LED sports lighting upgrades
- EV charger installations
- Detailed quotations and project documentation for grant applications
- End-to-end installation by qualified electricians
Whether you’re at the early planning stage or ready to move forward, our team can guide you through the process and help you build a compelling case for your application.
Act Now
The Game On program is expected to open for applications in July 2026. Funding is limited, and demand from clubs across Australia will be significant.
Clubs that begin planning now – obtaining professional assessments, system designs, and detailed quotations – will be in the strongest position to submit a thorough application quickly.
Don’t wait until applications open to start the conversation.
Contact Max Power Electrical today to discuss your club’s energy needs and receive a tailored quote to support your grant application.
Get a free quote from Max Power Electrical.
Phone: 1300 795 922
Website: maxpowerelectrical.com.au/contact-us
