Discounts on costs of installing a small-scale solar battery

The Cheaper Home Batteries Program provides Australian households, businesses and community organisations a government-funded discount of around 30% on the upfront cost of installing small-scale battery systems.

The discount applies to batteries with usable capacity between 5 kWh and 100 kWh, is based on the battery's usable capacity and the number of small-scale technology certificates (STCs) the battery is eligible for, and is administered by the Clean Energy Regulator with funding from the government.

Explicit eligibility requirements stated on the page: eligible battery systems are small-scale battery systems with usable capacity from 5 kWh to 100 kWh (including a single battery unit or a system of modular battery cells serving as one battery unit).

The discount is available for batteries connected to new or existing solar PV systems.

Additional capacity added to an existing battery system is eligible if the battery system has not previously received a discount under the program, the additional capacity is at least 5 kWh, and the total upgraded capacity does not exceed 100 kWh in nominal capacity.

Eligibility for the discount is subject to requirements in the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Regulations 2001 being met.

Batteries must be accredited by the Clean Energy Council (CEC) and installers must be accredited by Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA).

Retailers will need to provide assurance that they believe the battery will be installed for permanent use and would not be moved or on-sold.

The discount entitlement is determined by the STC Factor on the date the battery is installed.

Further program eligibility and STC entitlement details are governed by the SRES and administered by the Clean Energy Regulator.