Small Scale Technology Certificates (STCs) - Batteries

Published: 30 JUNE 2025

The Federal Governments Cheaper Home Batteries Program will commence 1^st July 2025.

It will provide an up-front discount on the purchase and installation of home batteries. The incentive will be delivered through the existing Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) – the same program that has successfully and safely been delivering solar subsidies since 2011. In addition to homes, small businesses and community facilities will also be able to access the subsidy, with support for up to 50 kWh of batteries sized up to 100 kWh eligible. The amended regulation have now come into effect allowing solar batteries to be eligible under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme from 1 July 2025:

• Scheme will be regulated by the Clean Energy Regulator (CER) under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES)
• Scheme commences 1 July 2025
• The subsidy is not means-tested
• The batteries will need to have been approved by the Clean Energy Council (CEC)
• Installers must be accredited battery installers through Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA).
• The minimum nominal battery capacity is 5 kWh.
• The maximum usable capacity is 50 kWh – but you can install systems up to 100 kWh and still receive the rebate for a 50kWh system.
• Batteries must be Virtual Power Plant (VPP) ready (but there’s no requirement to join a VPP).
• Owners of existing battery systems can install another and be eligible for the rebate on the additional battery.
• System owners need to connect the battery to a new or existing solar system.
• One federal government battery STC claim per property address.
• Batteries installed between now and 1 July cannot be wired or turned on until 1 July and the Electrical Certificate of Compliance (CoC) cannot be dated prior to 1 July. The installer will also need to return to site to switch the battery on, take the final selfie and photos and complete the CoC. Photos will need to include unwired then wired batteries at this time
• Batteries installed in 2025 will receive 9.3 STCs per kWh of usable capacity of battery installed rounded down to nearest whole number (eg 13.5kWh x 9.3 STCs = 125 STCs).
• As with STCs for solar the number of STCs for batteries will reduce each year through to 2030.
  • 2025 = 9.3 STCs per kWh
  • 2026 = 8.4 STCs per kWh
  • 2027 = 7.4 STCs per kWh
  • 2028 = 6.5 STCs per kWh
  • 2029 = 5.6 STCs per kWh
  • 2030 = 4.7 STCs per kWh
• The scheme can work back to back with state based schemes.
• However, in the case of the NSW PDRS scheme the NSW Government have decided to cease the claiming of PRCs from 01/07/2025 which means only the STCs can be claimed on the batteries.
• An installer is limited to the number of jobs they can do in a day. For more information please visit the following link

We will be managing the Program through our FormBay portal. Jobs can now been created for PV & Battery installs and Battery only installs. Check your FormBay portal for the new job creation options. For more informaion about the scheme you can view the Cheaper Home Batteries Webinar held 27/05/2025 by DCCEEW and the CER at the following links:

• Webinar
• Q&A Session
• Presentation

Link to DCCEEW intended eligibility criteria for the scheme can be found at https://www.dcceew.gov.au/energy/programs/cheaper-home-batteries/eligibility The Clean Energy Regulator has set up a page outlining program information and agent compliance requirements. This can be found at https://cer.gov.au/batteries. Whilst the current known information is detailed above please feel free to reach out if you have any questions. Commercial solar often uses the best solar panels such as Canadian, JA, Longi, Trina, Q-cells,  and the preferred inverters i.e SMA, GoodWe, Sungrow, Fronius, SolarEdge, Growatt. The optimum commercial solar project normally has a payback period from 2 to 3 years. The cash price for a commercial solar system will always be the lowest (leading to the shortest possible payback time for your business). Good quality commercial solar power – over 30kW and less than 100kW – will, as a ballpark figure, cost around $1,000 per kW installed in Australia. Using micro-inverter or solar optimizer will add around 15-20% to the overall final cost, compared to using a string (or central) inverter system.