Solar battery rebate calculator
By Sithum Imarsha Last reviewed
The federal discount is about $252 per kWh for the first 14 kWh of usable capacity, for a battery installed between 1 May and 31 December 2026. It drops to about $211 per kWh on 1 January 2027.
Your result
Federal rebate
$3,367
13.5 weighted kWh × 6.8 = 91 STCs × $37
Batteries must be 5–100 kWh nominal.
- Price before rebate
- $12,150
- Cost after rebate
- $8,783
- Saving in year one
- $1,042
- Simple payback
- 8.4 years
- With battery wear
- 10 years
- Rates used
- 32c/kWh import
5c/kWh feed-in
Next change 1 January 2027. The same battery gets $2,812 (−$555).
Fix the highlighted field to update.
How we calculated this
Check the battery qualifies
The battery must be 5 to 100 kWh nominal capacity.
13.5 kWh qualifiesdoes not qualify
Find the STC factor
Each install period has a factor, and it steps down every six months. The date that counts is when the install is signed off. Your postcode does not change it.
May – Dec 2026: 6.8
Weight the capacity
Only the first 50 kWh of usable capacity counts. For installs from 1 May 2026 it is weighted in bands: 0–14 kWh at 100%, 14–28 kWh at 60%, 28–50 kWh at 15%.
13.5 kWh
Count the certificates
STCs = weighted kWh × the factor, rounded down.
91 STCs(not eligible)
Value the certificates
Rebate = STCs × STC price (default $37, allowed $30–$40).
91 × $37 = $3,367
Work out payback
Saving in year one = 365 × (kWh discharged a day × import rate − kWh charged a day × feed-in rate). kWh charged = kWh discharged ÷ round-trip efficiency. Simple payback = cost after rebate ÷ saving in year one. Payback with battery wear lowers the saving by the wear rate each year and counts whole years, up to 30. If you leave the price empty, we use $900 per usable kWh.
$8,783 ÷ $1,042 = 8.4 years
| Install date | Factor | Bands apply |
|---|---|---|
| Jan – Apr 2026 | 8.4 | No |
| May – Dec 2026 | 6.8 | Yes |
| Jan – Jun 2027 | 5.7 | Yes |
| Jul – Dec 2027 | 5.2 | Yes |
| Jan – Jun 2028 | 4.6 | Yes |
| Jul – Dec 2028 | 4.1 | Yes |
| Jan – Jun 2029 | 3.6 | Yes |
| Jul – Dec 2029 | 3.1 | Yes |
| Jan – Jun 2030 | 2.6 | Yes |
| Jul – Dec 2030 | 2.1 | Yes |
| State | Import | Status | Feed-in | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 33.1 | Dated third-party source | 5 | Estimate |
| Victoria | 27.2 | Dated third-party source | 3 | Estimate |
| Queensland | 27.9 | Dated third-party source | 5 | Estimate |
| South Australia | 41.5 | Dated third-party source | 5 | Estimate |
| Western Australia | 33.2621 | Official source | 3 | Estimate |
| Tasmania | 28.8 | Dated third-party source | 9.276 | Official source |
| Australian Capital Territory | 32.1 | Dated third-party source | 5 | Estimate |
| Australian average | 32 | Average of the states above | 5 | Average of the states above |
Sources
- Clean Energy Regulator: Solar batteries
- Clean Energy Regulator: Battery rebates are changing 1 May 2026
- DCCEEW: Cheaper Home Batteries Program
- DCCEEW: Small-scale technology certificates for batteries
- Canstar: electricity cost per kWh
- EnergyPlans: solar feed-in tariffs July 2026
- OTTER: Tasmanian feed-in tariffs
- WA legislation: Synergy A1 tariff, charges amendment by-laws 2026 (SL 2026/140)
What the federal battery rebate is
The Cheaper Home Batteries Program gives you a discount on a new home battery. It is paid through small-scale technology certificates (STCs). Your installer creates the STCs and takes their value off your price, so you see it as a discount on the quote.
A heat pump hot water system earns STCs too, under its own rules. See the heat pump hot water rebate.
How much you get
- It depends on two things only: the battery’s usable capacity and the install date. Where you live does not change it.
- From 1 May 2026, the first 14 kWh gets the full rate, 14 to 28 kWh gets 60%, and 28 to 50 kWh gets 15%. Capacity above 50 kWh gets nothing.
- The battery must be 5 to 100 kWh nominal capacity to be eligible.
The rebate drops every six months
The factor that sets the number of STCs falls on 1 January and 1 July each year until the end of 2030. The date that counts is the date your certificate of electrical compliance is issued, not the date you sign. If you are close to a step date, ask your installer when the job will be signed off.
What the payback figure means
Payback is the cost after the rebate divided by what the battery saves you in a year. The saving comes from using stored solar at night instead of buying power from the grid, minus the feed-in credit you give up by storing instead of exporting. It does not include future price changes, time-of-use rates, virtual power plant payments, or replacing the battery.
Check before you buy
The official rules are on the DCCEEW and Clean Energy Regulator websites, linked under “How we calculated this”. Rules can change. This page shows the rules as at the “Last reviewed” date below.
Questions
How much is the solar battery rebate?
About $252 per kWh of usable capacity for the first 14 kWh, for a battery installed between 1 May and 31 December 2026. From 14 to 28 kWh each kWh counts 60%, and from 28 to 50 kWh 15%. A 13.5 kWh battery installed in that period gets about $3,367 off.
How is the rebate worked out (STCs)?
The discount comes as small-scale technology certificates (STCs). STCs = usable kWh (weighted by band) × the factor for the install period: 6.8 for a battery installed between 1 May and 31 December 2026. Each STC is worth about $37 after fees. A 13.5 kWh battery installed in that period earns 91 STCs.
How much less will I get from 1 January 2027?
The factor drops to 5.7, about $211 per kWh. A 13.5 kWh battery then gets about $2,812, $555 less.
Does my postcode change the rebate?
No. Battery STCs depend only on usable capacity and the install date. Solar panel STCs do depend on location, but battery STCs do not.
Which date counts as the install date?
The date your certificate of electrical compliance is issued. Not the date you sign the contract or get the quote.
Why does my installer use a different STC price?
STCs trade on a market. Most installers pass on $36 to $38 per STC after fees. $40 is the government Clearing House cap. Change the STC price under Advanced settings to match your quote.
Can I add a state rebate on top?
In some states, yes. When we looked on 1 October 2026, New South Wales and Western Australia each had an open scheme that can be used with the federal discount. Pick your state under By state to see what applies there.
Is there a battery rebate in Tasmania?
We do not know of a state battery rebate in Tasmania, and we have not confirmed that on a Tasmanian Government page. The federal discount is the same in every state. Pick Tasmania in the calculator. It has the highest feed-in rate in our table (9.276c/kWh), so exported solar is worth more and payback is longer.
What does the payback leave out?
Future price changes, time-of-use rates, virtual power plant payments, and replacing the battery. Treat it as a guide, not a quote.