Battery grants drive next renewable wave
To accelerate the uptake of home battery systems, helping Aussies store their solar energy, reduce power bills, and take pressure off the grid. In return for a reduction in their electricity bills (which included feed-in tariff credits), tenants agreed to pay a fair rent increase that could not be more than the savings generated by the system. The zero-interest loans and grants are available to households and small businesses to purchase solar and battery packages. If you are eligible, you can apply for an interest-free loan of up to $10,000, which is repayable within 10 years, or a grant of $3,000. The Victorian Labor government has also committed to providing subsidies of up to $5,000 for 10,000 households to install solar battery storage; assuming the party emerges victorious in Saturday’s state election. If you’re considering a solar upgrade or battery installation, the time to act is now.
In Queensland and Western Australia, every second home on average has solar. Ultimately however, under full subscription the program will see 5000 Queenslanders over the next 3 years with more affordable access to more affordable, renewable energy. What’s more, the recipients will qld solar and battery grant be those that are least likely to be able to afford solar in the first place.
Off-grid systems generally only make sense for remote properties where a grid connection isn't available or would be prohibitively expensive to install. He’s an Electrician, accredited solar installer/designer and an electrical contractor. "In the short-term, not everyone can afford a battery, unfortunately … what we need to do is fix the fundamentals, which is flood the market with gas to get Australian gas back to the grid."
“We’ve announced a project at Bulli Creek, which is west of Toowoomba, right near the connection between Queensland and New South Wales. That’s a big site with huge capacity, it’s got up to 2GW of solar and battery capacity. So we’ve announced that we’re looking at a 400MW battery there, that remains a priority site for us. Bouldercombe isn’t going to single-handedly complete the transition, but it will contribute.
The specific incentives you qualify for will depend on your location, system size, and property type. To find the most up-to-date information and applicable rebates, check our pages. Successful applicants will be required to comply with the department’s Funding acknowledgment requirements. The funding agreement will provide the specific details relevant to the project.
He's been reporting on Australian and international solar energy news ever since. With a storage system in place, such as a Tesla Powerwall or an Enphase battery, solar households can store unused solar power for later use. The rush to take advantage of the solar battery grants offer also reflects Queenslanders’ interest in storing power to save money. STCs reward you for installing a solar PV system or battery under the SRES, slashing upfront costs. Solar STCs reduce solar PV system prices, while battery STCs (new for 2025, ~9.3 STCs/kWh) cover the rebate. Applications for the Battery Booster program are now open, providing an opportunity to lower your energy bills and make your home more energy efficient.
Queensland's solar battery rebate allows residents to upgrade their home energy storage systems. There is no shortage of solar energy in the Sunshine State, so more than one million households in Queensland have installed rooftop solar panels. For many people, the next step after installing solar panels is a solar battery, which can help families survive power outages and significantly reduce household electricity bills. The Federal Solar Battery Rebate is a $2.3 billion subsidy scheme by the Australian Government, officially known as the Cheaper Home Batteries Program. It is a nationwide solar battery incentive designed to accelerate battery adoption across Australia to reduce home battery installation costs by around 30%.
Expressed as a percentage, this is the amount of energy that can be safely used without accelerating battery degradation. Lithium batteries can be safely discharged to about 80–90% of their nominal capacity. Lead-acid batteries can typically by discharged to about 50–60%, while flow batteries can be discharged 100%. For every kWh diverted instead into charging your battery, you'll forgo the feed-in tariff.
One at Bohle Plains, on the outskirts of Townsville, is capable of powering 4,000 homes for about an hour. Ausgrid is trialling batteries in the Sydney suburbs of Bankstown and Beacon Hill, as well as in the city of Newcastle, north of Sydney. Mr Blackhall said having storage close to generation made the energy network more efficient. Mr Bowen said people would have to pay a "small administrative cost" to use the batteries. On June 30, 2025, the upfront discount component of the NSW Battery Incentive Program under the Peak Demand Reduction Scheme (PDRS) came to an end.
With roughly $3–4k knocked off by the rebate, your initial investment is much lower. This means a shorter payback period and a higher return on investment for your solar battery system. “With our policies, interest-free loans and grants incentives we are looking to add another 1500 to the 2500 battery storage systems in place around the state. “From tomorrow (Monday 19 November) Queensland householders can jump online and apply for interest-free loans of up to $10,000 and grants of $3000 to purchase batteries or combined solar-battery systems.
While the ACT loan and federal rebate are both active programs, their combined use has not yet been formally confirmed. However, based on previous scheme structures, it’s likely some level of stackability will apply. “Quinbrook’s battery storage system will be one of the largest installations in Australia, bringing economic benefits and offering greater energy security to Queenslanders. All solar panel installations in Australia are subsidised by the Federal Government’s STCs incentive (Small-scale Technology Certificates) which offset the cost for your system. There are two ways this incentive can affect the cost of your future Off-Grid system. Labor’s Cheaper Home Batteries Program could make solar storage significantly more affordable for many Australians, reducing upfront costs and supporting the transition to renewable energy.
“Working with industry to expand battery storage capacity is also critical to meeting our renewable energy targets. “Our plan includes $500 million for Queensland’s publicly owned energy businesses to invest in battery projects across the state that maximise local content for more large-scale and community batteries. Start generating your own power via solar energy and see a reduction in energy bills. We’re talking about 50% lesser than what it used to be in 2012, with $0 upfront cost even made possible in certain cases. Thereafter, solar energy is virtually free – done right, it cut electricity bills substantially. As a dedicated provider of Battery Energy Storage Systems, BESS Australia is at the forefront of helping Australians transition to clean, resilient energy solutions.