Love having solar power? With a solar battery, you can love it for even longer each day.
If you don’t already have a battery, it might be time to get moving. Now is one of the best opportunities to upgrade that we’ve ever seen – especially if you live in NSW or WA, where state solar rebates can be stacked with federal schemes to maximise available discounts.
A new solar battery makes a good solar system great, and these limited-time solar rebates will help you get there.
What state solar battery rebates are available in Australia?
Currently, only residents of NSW or WA can access state government solar battery rebates, offering thousands of dollars’ worth of discounts to upfront installation costs. Additionally, those living in ACT may be eligible to access other state-based funding, which can also be used to install solar batteries (among other sustainable upgrades).
For those of you living in another state, don’t worry! There are still federal incentives to help you go solar – see below.
NSW battery rebate
As of July 1, 2025, Through NSW’s Peak Demand Reduction Scheme (PDRS), households can now receive up to $500 for connecting their battery to a VPP, depending on system size and provider offers.
Eligibility criteria
- Rooftop solar already installed.
- Battery capacity must be between 2 kWh and 28 kWh.
- Must use an Accredited Certificate Provider (i.e. an approved solar battery installer like us).
WA battery rebate
At time of writing, the new WA battery rebate hasn’t started up yet – scheduled to kick off from July 1, 2025. When those doors open, the government is promising discounts of up to $5,000 for Synergy customers and up to $7,500 for Horizon Power customers, with the final value determined by the size of your desired battery.
Additionally, lower to middle income WA residents may also be able to access a zero-interest, 10-year loan of up to $10,000 to assist them in taking part in the scheme, making it one of the most accessible battery rebates in the country.
Eligibility criteria
- Must install a new, VPP-ready battery (second-hand systems aren’t eligible) with at least 5 kWh storage capacity.
- Rebate applies to batteries up to 10 kWh in size. You’re welcome to install a larger battery if suitable for your property, but the rebate only applies to the first 10 kWh of capacity.
- Must use an accredited, WA-based solar installer.
Financial assistance is available for the installation of solar panels as well, so long as they’re a part of a package including a battery. So, if you haven’t gotten started in solar yet, now’s the time!
Up to 100,000 rebates are being offered, rolled out in rounds from 1 July. Learn more: What does WA’s 2025 solar battery rebate mean for you?
Other state-based battery incentives
As we mentioned, state-based battery rebates aren’t available anywhere else, but if you live in ACT you may be able to access alternative incentives…
ACT: This one is an interest-free loan available through ACT’s Sustainable Household Scheme. Eligible homeowners can borrow up to $15,000 with 3% interest and no upfront fees, using the money to purchase sustainable upgrades to their home – including solar batteries, heat pumps, EVs and insulation.
How much is the Australian federal solar battery rebate?
At the national level, the Australian Cheaper Home Batteries Program will offer households and small businesses discounts of up to 30% on the up-front installation cost of a solar battery system from July 1, 2025.
This scheme will be administered through the existing Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme, which already offers an incentive to install rooftop solar up to 100 kW. As a result, the value of the rebate will rely on the value of small-scale technology certificates (STCs), which, to save some complicated explanation, basically means your specific discount may change slightly with market conditions.
Experts currently predict it’ll hover around $335 to $370 per usable kWh, which would mean a 10 kWh AlphaESS Smile 5, estimating the price at around $11,000, would be discounted down to $7,700 (SolarChoice).
Eligibility criteria
The technical requirements for this rebate may change as the scheme launches, but this is what we know so far:
- Must be a VPP-capable solar battery system of 5-100 kWh capacity.
- Must be installed with a new or existing rooftop solar setup.
- Must be installed by an accredited solar installer.
Pro tip: This is another one to move quickly on – this rebate will decrease each year through to 2030, where its funding will run out. Applying sooner than later could mean accessing bigger discounts.
How to maximise your solar battery rebates by “double dipping”
In fantastic news for Australian solar users looking to upgrade with a new battery, you’re allowed to access both state and federal incentives at the same time.
By stacking discounts, you could massively reduce the cost of a new solar battery – allowing you to ensure you get the best product for your property, not just the cheapest.
Stacking with NSW
In NSW, you can combine the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program with one state rebate, which only applies if you connect your battery to a virtual power plant through the Peak Demand Reduction Scheme. This means you’re limited to stacking the federal incentive with the VPP rebate of up to $500, and no other state rebates can be added.
Stacking with WA
In WA, you’re allowed to combine the federal rebate with the full state rebate. This means you can stack the Cheaper Home Batteries Program discount together with the WA battery incentive, making it possible to reduce your upfront costs substantially if you meet all eligibility criteria.
Note: The WA government will top up your rebate to bring the total (federal + state) to up to $5,000 max.
To put that in numbers
Assuming you were looking to invest in that same roughly $11,000 AlphaEss Smile 5, and you were a middle-income Synergy customer in WA (and none of the details change as these schemes launch), your discounts might look like this:
- This unit has a capacity of up to 10.1 kWh – the federal rebate offers $330 off per usable kWh, bringing the price down to around $7,700.
- The WA state rebate will top this up to up to $5,000 total, in this case offering up to $1,700, bringing the price down to about $6,000
- Also, if your household earns under $210,000, you can also apply for a no-interest loan of up to $10,000, repayable over 10 years, to cover this upfront cost.
In other words … it’s never been easier to invest in a solar battery in Australia!
Make sure you’ve checked eligibility and compliance criteria
We’ve mentioned eligibility criteria a few times this article, but we want to make note of a few really important things to remember as you investigate rebates and start your applications.
- Applicable batteries almost always have to be approved by the Clean Energy Council and fit within a certain capacity range, so there may be restrictions on what you can install.
- Batteries almost always have to be VPP-capable.
- You will need to use an accredited solar installer to access most rebates.
- Move fast if you can – application deadlines can close fast, and others in your state will be applying at the same time.
Need a solar installer you can trust? Give us a call
We’re the award-winning Aussie solar installers of choice for thousands of Australians, and we’re accredited to deliver high-quality battery installations in line with both state and federal requirements. Plus, with offices in both WA and NSW, we’re right next door.
If you’re not sure about your options, or you’d like suggestions on how to choose the right battery for your property, book a free consultation and let’s get your application rolling.
