The short answer
Solar Victoria is no longer taking applications for its interest-free battery loans, and points households to the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program instead.
That federal discount takes around 30% off a 5 kWh to 100 kWh battery: up to $2,720 on a 10 kWh battery installed between May and December 2026.
Adding solar panels at the same time? The Solar Homes panel rebate of up to $1,400 is still open for the panels.
Battery rebate calculator
Type the usable capacity on the battery's spec sheet. The federal certificates use the factor for the install date and the 14 kWh, 28 kWh and 50 kWh steps; the WA rebate is paid per kWh up to 10 kWh.
Up to $2,720 off
- Usable capacity
- 10 kWh
- Certificates (STCs) at the May to December 2026 factor of 6.8
- 68
- Federal discount at $40 a certificate
- up to $2,720
- State rebate
- None added
- Installed price in our solar cost guide, Battery 10–13 kWh (mid-range)
- $8,000 to $15,000
Enter the price on your quote to see what you would pay. Ask the installer to show the number of certificates and the price per certificate on the quote.
The NSW payment is set by your virtual power plant provider and contract, so it is not added here. Prices are the installed bands from our solar cost guide.
How much the federal discount is worth in Victoria
The discount comes as small-scale technology certificates (STCs). Each kWh of usable capacity earns certificates at the STC factor for the day the battery is installed - 6.8 for May to December 2026. Since 1 May 2026 the full factor applies to the first 14 kWh, 60% of it to each kWh from 14 to 28 kWh, and 15% of it to each kWh from 28 to 50 kWh. No certificates are created for capacity above 50 kWh.
| Usable capacity | Certificates, May to Dec 2026 | Discount at $40 | Certificates, Jan to Jun 2027 | Discount at $40 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 kWh | 34 | $1,360 | 28 | $1,120 |
| 10 kWh | 68 | $2,720 | 57 | $2,280 |
| 13.5 kWh | 91 | $3,640 | 76 | $3,040 |
| 20 kWh | 119 | $4,760 | 100 | $4,000 |
| 30 kWh | 154 | $6,160 | 129 | $5,160 |
| 50 kWh | 174 | $6,960 | 146 | $5,840 |
The government buys these certificates through the STC Clearing House at a fixed $40 each, excluding GST. The discount your installer gives is based on the certificates the battery creates, so ask for the number of certificates and the price per certificate on the quote.
The discount drops every six months
The factor that counts is the one in force on the day the battery is installed, and it falls every six months from 1 May 2026. It is set to keep the discount at around 30% of the upfront cost.
| Battery installed | STC factor |
|---|---|
| January to April 2026 | 8.4 |
| May to December 2026 | 6.8 |
| January to June 2027 | 5.7 |
| July to December 2027 | 5.2 |
| January to June 2028 | 4.6 |
| July to December 2028 | 4.1 |
| January to June 2029 | 3.6 |
| July to December 2029 | 3.1 |
| January to June 2030 | 2.6 |
| July to December 2030 | 2.1 |
On a 10 kWh battery, installing in January 2027 instead of December 2026 means $440 less discount.
Who can get the federal battery discount
- The battery is connected to a new or existing solar PV system. A battery that only stores energy from the grid is not eligible.
- It is on the Clean Energy Council approved battery list and is installed by a Solar Accreditation Australia accredited installer with battery endorsement.
- The battery and its inverter are able to join a virtual power plant. You do not have to join one.
- It is the first battery at the premises to claim. A battery added later at the same premises cannot claim again.
- It was installed on or after 1 July 2025 and has a capacity of 5 kWh to 100 kWh.
- Households, businesses and community organisations can all claim it.
You do not apply to the government. The accredited installer or retailer takes the discount off the price, or pays it to you as a rebate after installation. You can instead create and sell the certificates yourself through the REC Registry.
The Victorian solar panel rebate
OpenEligible households can get a Solar Homes rebate of up to $1,400 towards solar panels: up to 50 per cent of the purchase cost, worked out after the federal STC discount is taken off. An optional interest-free loan of up to $1,400 is repaid monthly over 4 years - $29.17 a month on a $1,400 loan.
You must be the owner-occupier, the owners' combined taxable income must be under $150,000 a year, the property must be worth under $3 million, and it must not have had solar installed in the last 10 years. More on the solar rebates page.
What a home battery costs
Installed prices from our solar cost guide:
- Battery 5 kWh (e.g. Sungrow): $5,000 to $9,000
- Battery 10–13 kWh (mid-range): $8,000 to $15,000
- Tesla Powerwall 3 (13.5 kWh): $12,000 to $17,000
Ask every installer whether their price is before or after the federal discount, so you compare like with like.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a battery rebate in Victoria?
Solar Victoria has closed its interest-free battery loans and points households to the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program, which takes around 30% off an eligible battery.
How much is the battery rebate in Victoria?
The federal discount on a 10 kWh battery installed between May and December 2026 is up to $2,720 (68 certificates at $40). On a 13.5 kWh battery it is up to $3,640.
Can I still get a solar panel rebate in Victoria?
Yes. Eligible households can get a Solar Homes rebate of up to $1,400 towards solar panels, plus the option of a matching interest-free loan.
Do I need solar panels to get the battery rebate?
Yes, for the federal discount. The battery has to be connected to a new or existing solar PV system; a battery that only stores energy from the grid is not eligible.
Is the battery rebate going down?
Yes. The STC factor falls every six months, from 6.8 for batteries installed May to December 2026 to 5.7 for January to June 2027, and the certificate scheme behind it ends in 2030.
Compare quotes from local battery installers, and ask each one how many certificates the battery creates and what they pay per certificate.
Get battery quotes →Sources
Rebate rules, amounts and dates change, and every program has its own eligibility rules - confirm with the program below before you sign a quote. Checked against these pages in October 2026:
- Small-scale technology certificates (STCs) for batteries - DCCEEW (dcceew.gov.au) · www.dcceew.gov.au/energy/programs/cheaper-home-batteries/small-scale-technology-
- Solar batteries | Clean Energy Regulator (cer.gov.au) · cer.gov.au/schemes/renewable-energy-target/small-scale-renewable-energy-scheme/s
- Cheaper Home Batteries Program - DCCEEW (dcceew.gov.au) · www.dcceew.gov.au/energy/programs/cheaper-home-batteries
- Eligibility information for the Cheaper Home Batteries Program - DCCEEW (dcceew.gov.au) · www.dcceew.gov.au/energy/programs/cheaper-home-batteries/eligibility-information
- Calculate small-scale technology certificate entitlements | Clean Energy Regulator (cer.gov.au) · cer.gov.au/schemes/renewable-energy-target/small-scale-renewable-energy-scheme/s
- Virtual power plant (VPP) incentive | NSW Climate and Energy Action (energy.nsw.gov.au) · www.energy.nsw.gov.au/households/grants-rebates/household-energy-saving-upgrades
- Solar battery loans (solar.vic.gov.au) · www.solar.vic.gov.au/solar-battery-loan
- Solar panel (PV) rebate (solar.vic.gov.au) · www.solar.vic.gov.au/solar-panel-rebate
- WA Residential Battery Scheme - Eligibility Requirements (wa.gov.au) · www.wa.gov.au/organisation/energy-policy-wa/wa-residential-battery-scheme-eligib
- WA Residential Battery Scheme (wa.gov.au) · www.wa.gov.au/organisation/energy-policy-wa/wa-residential-battery-scheme
Related guides
- Solar battery rebate: what you get in 2026
- Solar battery rebate in NSW
- Solar battery rebate in Queensland
- Solar battery rebate in WA
- Solar battery rebate in South Australia
- Solar panel rebates in 2026: federal and state
- Solar Calculator: STCs, Output, Cost and Payback
- Solar + Battery vs Solar Only: 2026 Cost Comparison (with Rebates)
- Solar & Battery Cost Australia 2026