Bendigo’s off-grid data centre, solar boom give its tech scene a green edge

Bendigo is about to get its own off-grid data centre, a 300kW facility backed by solar panels and a 240kWh battery, from Edge Centres. The project, called EC3, marks a significant green-tinged upgrade to the region’s internet infrastructure.

It’s a move that puts Bendigo’s tech scene on a distinctive global footing. While many cities talk about sustainability in tech, Bendigo is already walking it, its power comes from the sun, and its hardware is being built to run without the grid.

Up to 20 percent of homes in Bendigo already have rooftop solar panels, according to a 2023 report in Junction Journalism, reflecting a rapid uptake of renewables that provides the local energy ecosystem with abundant, low-cost power. The Greater Bendigo City Council has also swapped more than 22,600 street lights to LEDs, saving an estimated $22 million and 172,626 tonnes of CO2e over two decades, a separate government report shows.

That’s the kind of local infrastructure that makes an off-grid data centre viable, not just as a pilot but as a commercially sensible bet.

Why this matters now

Global headlines this week are full of AI news, Apple opened its new Siri AI to everyone with the iOS 27 public beta, and Anthropic’s latest ad is creeping people out. But the infrastructure that powers those services is increasingly thirsty for electricity. Data centres can consume as much power as a small town. Bendigo’s EC3, running on solar and battery storage, sidesteps that problem entirely, offering a model for how regional centres can become nodes in a low-carbon internet.

The timing is no accident. City of Greater Bendigo has set a goal of reaching zero carbon in its own operations and across the community. That ambition dovetails with a broader push: a report by the Victorian government’s C4NET research network found that the region’s solar resource is among the best in the state, and that coupling it with storage could unlock new economic opportunities.

Edge Centres’ EC3 is a concrete example of that potential moving from paper to pavement.

What’s next

The data centre is expected to come online later this year. For Bendigo’s tech ecosystem, the question now is how to build on that foundation. Data centres attract startups, cloud service providers, and remote-work infrastructure. Combined with Bendigo TAFE’s recent push into new education delivery methods, three new ways of teaching announced this year, the region is making a play for tech workers who don’t want to be in Melbourne.

For residents considering solar, the math is already strong. With a fifth of homes already generating their own power, and a data centre that runs entirely off-grid, Bendigo’s green-tech identity is becoming something rare: a regional city that doesn’t just consume tech but powers it differently.

The key going forward will be ensuring that small businesses and local startups can tap into that cheap, green energy, and that the new data centre becomes a catalyst rather than an island. If the council and community keep the same momentum they’ve shown with solar rebates and LED upgrades, Bendigo’s distinctive global pitch could be a renewable-powered tech hub that leaves the grid behind entirely.