The Federal Government solar battery rebate

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What is the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program?

How much is the federal solar battery rebate worth?

What are small-scale technology certificates (STCs) and why do they matter?

What changed about small-scale technology certificates (STCs) from 1 May 2026?

How much could I save with the federal solar battery rebate?

How can I claim the solar battery rebate?

What state-specific solar battery rebates are available?

What state-specific solar rebates are available?

Should I install a solar battery now or wait?

Find a solar energy plan for your updated system

Long story short

The federal program cuts the up-front cost of solar batteries

The federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program means an up-front discount of around 30% on eligible solar battery installations.

The rebate amount you get depends on your battery size

The amount reduces over time until the rebate ends in 2030.

From 1 May, the rebate available has changed

The rebate amount will decrease over time, and batteries larger than 14 kWh won’t be able to claim the full rebate.

What is the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program?

The Cheaper Homes Battery Program started on 1 July 2025, offering eligible homeowners in Australia around 30% off the up-front price of installing an approved battery. This rebate is available for one solar battery with a capacity of 5–100 kilowatt-hours, whether you’re installing a new system or adding to an existing rooftop solar system setup. The exact rebate discount depends on how many small-scale technology certificates your system can earn, based on its capacity, until the end of 2030. You’ll just need to meet the eligibility criteria, including choosing a battery approved by the Clean Energy Council.

Since its launch, the Cheaper Home Batteries Program has had its funding increased from around $2.3 billion to $7.2 for the next 4 years by the Australian Government. This is expected to help more than 2 million homes expand their rooftop solar setup by 2030, boosting the country’s energy storage by an extra 40 gigawatt-hours.

How much is the federal solar battery rebate worth?

The federal solar battery rebate is worth around 30% of your solar battery costs, but it’s not a fixed price that applies to all battery installations. The exact amount of your solar rebate will change depending on how many small-scale technology certificates your system can get, which depends on your system size, your location (which affects how much renewable energy you can produce or store), and when you install it.

In most cases, your solar rebate can be paid through an instant discount. This reduces the up-front cost before you even see the bill, rather than having you wait for a refund like some government rebates do.

Helpful tip

Before accepting a quote from an accredited installer, check whether the Cheaper Home Battery Rebate has been applied to your quoted amount or not. Some installers show it as a separate line, while others build it into the final cost.

Julia Paszka

General Manager – Utilities

What are small-scale technology certificates (STCs) and why do they matter?

STCs are tradable certificates created by the Australian government’s Small Scare Renewable Energy (SRES) scheme for installing a renewable energy system. For solar and other generation-based systems, one STC is equivalent to 1 megawatt-hour of renewable electricity generated or displaced. So, the more STCs your battery system is eligible for, the bigger your rebate could be. They matter because they make renewable energy much cheaper for consumers, making it easier for everyone to use cleaner energy.

STCs aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution for everyone across the state. The number of STCs you can receive depends on:

• your solar battery size or capacity
• your system’s energy capacity output until 2030 (when the initiative is set to end)
• your location
• your installation date.

In most cases, your registered installer will handle this whole process for you, but you’re also able to do it yourself. Either way, understanding how STCs work can give you a clearer idea of what your rebate for your new battery could look like.

What changed about small-scale technology certificates (STCs) from 1 May 2026?

From 1 May 2026, there have been some changes to how STCs work in solar battery rebates. The number of certificates you’ll get will gradually decrease as time goes on, from 6.8 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) from May 2026 to 2.1 per kWh from July 2030. Once your battery capacity exceeds 14 kWh, you also won’t be able to claim 100% of its STC value.

Here’s a look at how many STCs you’ll be eligible for up to the 2030 deadline.

STC entitlements from 1 May 2026

Note: These figures reflect STC battery rebate amounts, based on data from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. Data retrieved 17 April 2026.

From 1 May, batteries up to 100 kWh are still supported; however, the larger the solar battery is, the lower the percentage of STCs rates will apply.

• Batteries up to 14 kWh: eligible for 100% of the STC value.
• Batteries between 14 and 28 kWh: eligible for 60% of the STC value after the first 14 kWh.
• Batteries between 28 and 50 kWh: eligible for 15% of the STC value after the 28th kWh.

That means if you install a 50 kWh battery, your full STC trade-in amount could be around $6,960, but you’ll only receive 15% of this, which is $2,520.¹Clean Energy Regulator – Solar battery STC calculator Luckily, for many homes, a 10 kWh battery system should do the job.

How much could I save with the federal solar battery rebate?

With the Cheaper Homes Battery Rebate, you’ll be able to save around 30% off the up-front cost of installing a battery. For a battery with a maximum capacity of 5 kilowatt-hours (kWh), this could work out to be a saving of around $272 for per kWh of battery storage installed.²Clean Energy Regulator – Solar battery STC calculator The exact dollar amount of your solar rebate will depend on the size of your battery and when you install it, but looking at prices today, here’s what you could be eligible to save by the size of the battery you’ll be installing.

Cheaper Home Battery Rebate by solar storage size

Note: These figures reflect STC rebate amounts from May to December 2026, based on data from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water and the Clean Energy Regulator and rounded where appropriate. Estimates include internal iSelect calculations applied to this data. Actual costs may vary depending on system size, installer, location and eligibility for incentives.

How can I claim the solar battery rebate?

For most people, you won’t need to do anything to claim the Cheaper Home Battery Rebate: this should be done by your accredited installer. Once you’ve contacted your chosen installer and gotten a quote, they’ll either work out the rebate and take it off your up-front battery price or leave it till after the installation, where it’ll show up as a discount on your bill.

If you prefer to do it yourself, you can claim the rebate directly through the Renewable Energy Certificate Registry. This can either be done through the clearing house at a fixed price (usually around $40 per STC) or you can sell them through the open market at an uncapped price, where prices are market-driven and can fluctuate.

What state-specific solar battery rebates are available?

Since the Cheaper Home Battery Program was introduced, a lot of state-based solar battery rebates have closed, but there are still some rebates available in Western Australia (WA) and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).

Western Australia: Residential Battery Scheme

The Residential Battery Scheme provides an interest-free loan of up to $10,000 for eligible Australian households, repayable over 10 years, for the installation of a solar battery at their home. To be eligible, you need a combined annual income of less than $210,000 and must meet eligibility requirements, including participation in a Virtual Power Plant (VPP).

Australian Capital Territory: Sustainable Household Scheme

The Sustainable Household Scheme provides a low-interest loan of up to $15,000 to improve your home’s energy efficiency. This can be paid over 10 years with no up-front costs or fees.

Can different solar battery rebates be combined?

In some states and territories, battery rebates or loans may be able to be combined. The Cheaper Home Batteries Program can be used along with the Western Australia and Australian Capital Territory battery schemes. You’ll need to double-check the eligibility requirements and conditions of both rebates to make sure they both apply to your situation.

What state-specific solar rebates are available?

If you’re planning on installing a completely new solar system with rooftop panels, there are a range of solar panel rebates available to help with the costs, like the Small-scheme Renewable Energy Scheme, solar rebates for rental properties, virtual power plant incentives and more.

Here are the solar rebates available in each state:

• solar rebates in New South Wales
• solar rebates in Victoria
• solar rebates in Queensland
• solar rebates in South Australia
• solar rebates in the Northern Territory
• solar rebates in Western Australia
• solar rebates in the Australian Capital Territory.

Should I install a solar battery now or wait?

The sooner you install your solar battery, the more you can get out of the Cheaper Home Battery Rebate. The number of small-scale certificates you can receive for your battery gradually declines over time, which means the longer you leave your installation, the lower your rebate could be.

The choice whether to install now or later really depends on your setup, usage, and budget. While installing sooner is generally better than later, making the upgrade with a solar battery even a year later could still be worth it rather than not installing one at all.

Find a solar energy plan for your updated system

If you’ve just upgraded your solar setup or are thinking about it, then making sure your current power bill works alongside your new system is crucial. With iSelect, you can compare from a range of energy plans and providers to find a fit for your solar-powered home. Head online to compare or call our energy comparison experts at 1800 664 532.