Cheaper Home Batteries Program · rules as at 9 November 2026

Battery rebate calculator

See what the federal battery rebate takes off your battery, how the size tiers affect it, and how much less you'd get by installing after the next step-down.

Your battery

Models currently on the approved list, with usable capacity as listed.
kWh
The rate is set by the date the battery is installed and commissioned, not the date you sign.
$per certificate
What your installer credits you for each certificate. Typically $38–$40; check your quote.
$before rebates

NSW pays a one-off incentive (PDRS) for connecting your battery to a virtual power plant. There's no fixed amount: it depends on usable capacity up to 28 kWh and on the provider, and providers deduct fees, so offers in 2026 have mostly been around $1,000 for a large battery. Enter the net amount from your VPP offer. Separately, the NSW Home Energy Saver program offers zero-interest loans of up to $15,000 for solar and batteries to households earning under $210,000.

$
May–Dec 2026 rate · factor 6.8

Federal battery rebate

$6,612

174 STCs × $38 per STC

Only the first 50 kWh earns certificates, so capacity above that gets no rebate.
Effective rebate$120/kWh
State incentive$0
Out of pocketAdd a quote
Rebates cover–

How your capacity is counted

Capacity bandkWh in bandShare of rateSTCsValue
0–14 kWh14100%95.2$3,618
14–28 kWh1460%57.12$2,171
28–50 kWh2215%22.44$853
Over 50 kWh5.30%0$0
Total, rounded down55.3174$6,612

Same battery, different install dates

Rebate for a 55.3 kWh battery at $38 per STC. The STC factor steps down every six months until the program ends in 2030.

Rebate for this battery in each install period$6,612May–Dec2026$5,548Jan–Jun2027$5,054Jul–Dec2027$4,484Jan–Jun2028$3,990Jul–Dec2028$3,496Jan–Jun2029$3,002Jul–Dec2029$2,508Jan–Jun2030$2,014Jul–Dec2030
Install periodSTC factorSTCsRebatevs now
May–Dec 2026 (your date)6.8174$6,612–
Jan–Jun 20275.7146$5,548−$1,064
Jul–Dec 20275.2133$5,054−$1,558
Jan–Jun 20284.6118$4,484−$2,128
Jul–Dec 20284.1105$3,990−$2,622
Jan–Jun 20293.692$3,496−$3,116
Jul–Dec 20293.179$3,002−$3,610
Jan–Jun 20302.666$2,508−$4,104
Jul–Dec 20302.153$2,014−$4,598

Before you count on it

  • The exact model is on the Clean Energy Council approved batteries list on your install date. Listings expire, so check the “listed until” date.
  • Nominal capacity is between 5 and 100 kWh. Only the first 50 kWh of usable capacity earns certificates.
  • It can join a virtual power plant (VPP). You don't have to join one, but the battery and inverter must be capable of it.
  • An installer accredited by Solar Accreditation Australia, with a battery endorsement, installs and commissions it. The discount comes off the quote at point of sale, so there's nothing to claim yourself.
  • It's new, installed with solar panels, and the only battery claimed at your address. One rebate per home.
  • The quote shows the number of STCs and the price per STC. If it doesn't, ask.
  • State incentives have their own rules. The NSW VPP incentive, for example, needs a contract with a VPP provider.

How it's calculated

The rebate is paid as small-scale technology certificates (STCs). Since 1 May 2026, each band of usable capacity earns a share of the STC factor. The total is rounded down to whole certificates, then multiplied by the STC price.

STCs = floor( kWh in 0–14   × factor × 100%
             + kWh in 14–28  × factor ×  60%
             + kWh in 28–50  × factor ×  15% )
Rebate = STCs × STC price

e.g. 14 kWh at factor 6.8 → 95.2 → 95 STCs
Battery rebate calculator | Solar Battery Planner