At Narara Ecovillage on the NSW Central Coast, residents have built something rare: an embedded network and electricity retailer that’s owned and run by the people who use it. NEV Power, their volunteer-driven, not-for-profit utility, coordinates rooftop solar, a community battery and a smart microgrid so households can share energy, ride through outages and draw far less from the wider grid. It’s a sharp contrast to the commercially run embedded networks found in many apartment towers, where profits flow out and consumer choice is constrained. Dave Parris — one of two people who run NEV Power — explains what it takes for a small community organisation to operate its own network while navigating complex regulations, technical challenges and different levels of household engagement. Narara offers a glimpse of how local energy systems can build trust, resilience and sustainability when they’re designed around people rather than profit.

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