The battery rebates have started !

If you are not interested in the WA battery rebate then you can install your battery now.

However, if you want the WA rebate as well then it's more waiting.

Retailers are being added daily to the approved list. We are on it.

Product approval is moving a lot slower.
Fronius GEN24Plus inverters are the first to be approved.
There's a few other brands including Growatt that are getting close.
Sigenergy, iStore, Huawei...still somewhere in the queue.

In other news...
AC Coupled batteries aren't possible if you want the WA rebate.
People who wanted to retain their existing solar inverter and add an AC Coupled battery, now can't.
Synergy now require the AC coupled battery to fully control the existing solar inverter.
It can't. Not possible, but that's what they say must happen.

So the choice is...
a) Replace the existing solar inverter with a DC Coupled inverter and battery.
or
b) Do what you want and forgo the WA battery rebate.

I have never been a fan of AC Coupled batteries.
DC Coupling is cheaper and more efficient.
However, I do understand the total waste of throwing out a perfectly good solar inverter.

Huawei inverters and batteries and the WA rebate.
Whilst ALL inverters and batteries are currently awaiting approval by Synergy, Huawei are an odd case.
iStore took over distribution of Huawei solar products in 2024.
iStore now want to sell a lot of batteries to the existing installed Huawei base.
That's why they have tried to include Huawei inverters alongside their own application to Synergy.
It may work, it may not. It may be many more weeks before we know.
If not, then the WA battery rebate will not apply to people with Huawei inverters.
The Federal battery rebate will apply though.

WA Battery subsidy for Synergy customers.
The WA battery rebate is $130 per kWh of 'usable' battery storage capped at $1,300.
The WA rebate is on top of the Federal battery subsidy.

Federal Battery subsidy scheme.
For installations in 2025, 9.3 STCs are created for each 'usable' kWh of battery storage, then rounded down.
The value of each STC is $40 less 'administration costs' of $5, making it $35.
Therefore a 10kWh battery with 9.5kWh of usable storage would attract...
9.5kWh * 9.3 = 88.35 STCs, rounded down to 88 * $35 = $3,080.

Here are some examples to show how it works out...(Fed means Federal Subsidy, WA means WA subsidy)
5kWh iStore battery (5kWh usable), $1,610 (Fed), $650 (WA), combined battery subsidy $2,260.
10kWh iStore battery (10kWh usable), $3,255 (Fed), $1,300 (WA), combined battery subsidy $4,555.
15kWh iStore battery (15kWh usable), $4,865 (Fed), $1,300 (WA), combined battery subsidy $6,165.
16kWh Sigenergy battery (15.6kWh usable), $5,075 (Fed), $1,300 (WA) combined battery subsidy $6,375.
24kWh Sigenergy battery (23.4kWh usable), $7,595 (Fed), $1,300 (WA), combined battery subsidy $8,895.
32kWh Sigenergy battery (31.2kWh usable), $10,150 (Fed), $1,300 (WA), combined battery subsidy $11,450

Other requirements for the WA battery scheme
Battery retailer must be an NETCC approved seller and have a business address in WA.

Solar4Ever are an approved NETCC seller and can therefore display this logo on our website, quotes and invoices.



I searched the NETCC list and found Solar4Ever and just 35 other Perth residential solar retailers that were NETCC approved.
According to my regular solar wholesalers, they think there are about 400 solar retailers in Perth.
Only 35 out of 400 currently NETCC approved to sell batteries with the rebate?
That will mean a mad scramble for hundreds to get NETCC approved...which is a slow and arduous and quite expensive process.
I suspect many won't bother and will sell batteries with the Federal rebate only and cite the unpopular VPP obligation as a good reason.

Other requirements
Battery installer must have SAA battery installation accreditation.
You must have a Synergy account.
You must agree to connect to a VPP plan. 2 year minimum term after which you can leave the VPP.

95,000 Synergy customer rebates are now available and 5,000 for Horizon customers

Virtual Power Plant requirement (WA).
It is now obligatory to become part of a VPP for 2 years minimum, if you accept any money from the WA rebate scheme.

The most likely VPP is the one operated by Synergy.

This VPP scheme allows the VPP to dump power from your battery to the grid up to 30 times a year.
You will be paid $0.70 per kWh taken and they will extract no more than one full cycle of your battery each time.
With a 10kWh battery this might mean revenue to you of 30 x 10 x $0.70 = $210 a year.
I presume that would be deemed as taxable income by the ATO.
You also get 'offset credits' meaning you get credited for the battery power taken that you would have used yourself.
However, it also means you lose control of your own asset; your battery.
It means that your battery may be drained just when you need it during a grid outage.
The Synergy VPP is by no means unfair as far as VPPs go, but is it worth taking whatever small WA rebate you get?

Interest-free WA Government loans.
If your household pre-tax income is less than $210,000 you can apply for an interest-free loan.
Loans must be above $2,000 and limited to $10,000 over 3 to 10 year terms.
There are no fees unless you don't pay your monthly installments on time.

What is 'useable' battery storage?
Both Federal and WA schemes specifically indicate 'useable' storage as the criteria for subsidies.
Some batteries may be advertised as a 10kWh battery, but only 9.5kWh is useable.
The other 0.5kWh is reserved to stop the battery being drained too deeply and reduce its life expectancy.
Many other batteries will have a useable capacity that's the same as their advertised rating.
The manufacturer has added a 'safety buffer' of additional storage on top of the rated amount.

If I get a battery will I have power to my house during a blackout?
Not necessarily.
Most batteries have this function but require additional, often quite expensive equipment, to be installed.
There's also usually a few hours work by an electrician at your switchboard(s) to make it all work.
Grid power in Perth is very stable (usually) and more and more batteries are only going to improve that grid stability.

Can I AC Couple a battery without solar?
Yes you don't need solar to charge a home battery, you can do it from the grid using off-peak priced power.
The Federal battery subsidy scheme requires the house to have solar though.

Only two battery installations per day per installer.
This rule from Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA) enforced by the Clean Energy Regulator restricting solar installs to 2 sign offs per day is understandable.
It was born from the experience of shonky solar operators who signed off on multiple jobs per day they never went to.

However, it also applies to 'battery installations' and that's a big difference in terms of installer hours.
For example, if someone wants to add a couple of batteries to an existing stack, that usually takes an hour.
If they have an existing hybrid inverter and energy meter and want to add a new battery stack, that typically takes about 2 hours.
Therefore, under the '2 per day' rule, a battery installer is only going to be allowed to work for 3 or 4 hours a day.
I raised this with the CER and their email reply today was encouraging saying...
"We are in discussions with Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA) currently regarding what this number may be in respect to solar batteries.
We expect this information to be publicised very shortly, as well as SAA's policy in respect to exemptions from this requirement"


Solar4Ever have been selling and installing solar in Perth, WA since 2011.

(08) 9467 9655

or email

This review was written by Andrew MacKeith, Solar4Ever service manager since 2011.