Loading Solar Battery Perth...
Loading Solar Battery Perth...
Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs) reduce the upfront cost of an eligible home battery in Australia. Here's how they work and what's changing.
Under the framework in force since 1 May 2026, federal STCs for batteries are allocated band by band. Each rate applies only to the kWh that fall inside its own band — never to the whole battery:
So a 20 kWh battery claims 14 kWh at the full rate plus 6 kWh at 60% — a blended entitlement of about 88%, not 60% across the pack.
STCs are a federal incentive for renewable energy. For a generating system such as rooftop solar, one certificate represents a megawatt-hour of expected generation out to 2030.
Batteries work differently: the count is your usable capacity in kWh multiplied by the STC factor published for the period you install in, then reduced band by band above 14 kWh. The factor steps down every six months, so the install date decides the rate.
STC prices move with the market. The Clearing House price is legislated at $40 per certificate, while registered agents typically work from $33–$38, so the discount shown on a quote sits in that band. Approximate values for common battery sizes at the current 6.8 STC/kWh factor:
Based on the current factor of 6.8 STCs/kWh (May–Dec 2026). The first 14 kWh earns the full factor; each kWh from 14 to 28 earns 60% and each kWh from 28 to 50 earns 15%.
The battery STC factor is published per half-year and steps down every six months until the scheme ends on 31 December 2030:
Yes. STCs help upfront, but for most systems they account for only 7-12% of the total 15-year value. The ongoing returns continue without federal incentives:
See how STCs, VPP earnings, and self-consumption savings add up over the life of a system.
Synergy customers get $130/kWh back, capped at $1,300.
Activation events credit 70¢/kWh on top of DEBS exports, and signing up is a WA rebate condition.
Worked examples of combining both schemes on a single install.
Answer a few questions and see systems and installers that fit your home.