All Perth solar rebates and incentives in 2026: a complete guide
Perth homeowners installing solar and battery storage in 2026 can access four financial incentives: two separate federal STC rebates (one for solar, one for the battery), the WA Battery Scheme rebate for Synergy customers, and Distributed Energy Buyback Scheme export payments. Here's what each is worth and how they work.
Four incentives can apply to a Perth solar and battery install in 2026, and they come from three different places. The federal government pays through two separate STC mechanisms, one for the solar panels and one for the battery. The WA government adds a state rebate for Synergy customers who install a battery. And Synergy, as your retailer, pays you for the power you export. They land at different points in the project, so it pays to know which is which before a quote arrives.
For an entry-level 6.6kW solar and 10kWh battery installation, that's roughly:
- $1,796 off your invoice in solar STCs.
- A further $2,713 in battery STCs.
- Up to $1,300 from the WA Battery Scheme, applied through your approved vendor as the scheme sets out.
- Around $154 a year in ongoing DEBS export payments. That is less than a solar-only system earns, because a battery keeps more of your generation at home instead of sending it to the grid.
How much are STCs worth for a Perth solar system?
Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs) are a federal incentive. They sit under Australia's Renewable Energy Target. Each one stands for a megawatt-hour of electricity your system is expected to generate over its deeming period, currently 5 years from installation for a new system. How many you get depends on your postcode's zone rating and your system size.
STCs almost always show up as a point-of-sale discount rather than a cheque. You assign them to your installer, who sells them and takes the value straight off your invoice, so you never handle the certificates yourself. There's no separate application either; your installer manages the paperwork as part of the sale.
For a 6.6kW system in 2026, the numbers work out like this:
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Zone rating (Perth, STC Zone 3) | 1.382 |
| Deeming period | 5 years |
| STC count | 45 (6.6kW × 5 years × 1.382, rounded down) |
| Market price per STC (mid-2026) | around $39.90 |
| Total discount | approximately $1,796 |
That discount is already baked into the price your installer quotes. If a quote shows a price "before" and "after" STCs, the "after" figure is what you actually pay.
The property owner (homeowner or long-term leaseholder) qualifies, as long as an SAA-accredited installer fits CEC-approved panels and inverters and the system is no larger than 100kW. The certificates must be created and assigned within 12 months of installation. Rental properties qualify too, though the landlord keeps the STCs, not the tenant.
All of that covers the solar panels only. A battery installed alongside earns its own set of STCs under a different formula, so a solar-and-battery package claims both. The value should already be netted off a compliant quote, and the quote checker is a quick way to sanity-check that.
How do battery STCs work, and how much is a 10kWh battery worth?
Batteries earn STCs through a separate federal mechanism, sometimes called the Cheaper Home Batteries Program. It has no postcode zone rating and no 5-year deeming period. Instead, usable battery capacity is multiplied by a per-kWh factor that steps down every six months as the scheme winds toward its 2030 close.
Here is what a 10kWh battery installed in the second half of 2026 earns:
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Usable capacity | 10kWh |
| Half-yearly STC factor (2026, second half) | 6.8 |
| STC count | 68 (10kWh × 6.8, rounded down) |
| Market price per STC (mid-2026) | around $39.90 |
| Total discount | approximately $2,713 |
Bigger batteries don't scale in a straight line. Above 14kWh the scheme tapers how much capacity counts: the first 14kWh counts in full, the next 14kWh (up to 28kWh) at 60%, and the next 22kWh (up to the 50kWh cap) at 15%. Batteries under 5kWh of usable capacity aren't eligible at all. Most home batteries sit between those bounds, so most households get the full rate without the taper coming into play.
Like solar STCs, this arrives as a point-of-sale discount built into your installer's quote, not a separate payment to you.
What rebate changes took effect in 2026?
Two federal rebates were reduced in 2026, and the WA Battery Scheme held steady. Solar STCs stepped down on 1 January, and the battery rebate moved to a tiered taper on 1 May. Western Power also changed its inverter connection rules on 1 May, separately from the rebates.
The solar deeming period shortens by one year every January, and this year's step cut the STC discount on a 6.6kW Perth system from roughly $2,155 in 2025 to about $1,796 in 2026, around $360 less.
| System size | 2025 STC value | 2026 STC value | Reduction |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5kW | ~$1,636 | ~$1,357 | -$279 |
| 6.6kW | ~$2,155 | ~$1,796 | -$359 |
| 10kW | ~$3,272 | ~$2,753 | -$519 |
| 13.2kW | ~$4,349 | ~$3,631 | -$718 |
The battery rebate changed shape on 1 May. The Cheaper Home Batteries Program moved from a flat per-kWh rate to the tiered taper described above, and the half-yearly certificate factor stepped from 8.4 down to 6.8. Under the pre-May rates a 10kWh battery earned roughly $3,100; the same battery now earns roughly $2,713. The taper bites harder on larger systems: a 20kWh battery now receives roughly $4,748 versus around $6,200 under the earlier settings (part of that gap is the taper, part is movement in the certificate price itself).
The WA Battery Scheme didn't move. It's still $130/kWh, still capped at $1,300. Put together, here's the same 10kWh battery, at today's price estimate, under each set of rebates:
| Component | Rebates before 1 May 2026 | Rebates now (since 1 May) |
|---|---|---|
| Installed cost (estimate, Oct 2026) | $7,000–$9,000 | $7,000–$9,000 |
| Federal battery STCs | -$3,100 | -$2,713 |
| WA state rebate | -$1,300 | -$1,300 |
| Your net cost | $2,600–$4,600 | $3,000–$5,000 |
So size the battery to your evening and overnight use. Capacity above 14kWh earns certificates at a much lower rate, which means the rebate covers less of it, but a home that needs that capacity can still come out ahead over the battery's life. Undersizing is the costlier mistake, because adding capacity later usually means a second installation.
Western Power's inverter connection rules moved on 1 May too. The only cap on inverter capacity is now 30kVA in total, battery inverters included. A single-phase home has a generation limit of up to 15kVA. Above that, Western Power approval and a generation-limit setting apply, with no three-phase upgrade needed. Export has its own limit, which Western Power sets for your connection and your installer confirms. If you're sizing a bigger system, what size solar system do I need in Perth? covers what the limits mean for your install.
How does the WA Battery Scheme rebate work?
The WA Battery Scheme is a state rebate for eligible batteries installed alongside solar. It pays $130 per kilowatt-hour of eligible capacity, capped at $1,300, which is 10kWh of capacity. A battery system needs an inverter on Synergy's Supported Solutions List to be eligible for the WA Battery Scheme. Other scheme conditions apply.
The full list of conditions:
- You're a Synergy residential customer on the SWIS network. The scheme doesn't reach households outside the south west grid.
- Your system's inverter is approved for DER Storage on Synergy's Supported Solutions List (SSL), your battery is paired with it, and the battery has at least 5kWh of usable capacity. The SSL is an inverter approval list, so eligibility follows the inverter pairing, not the battery badge.
- Your solar system is connected.
- An SAA-accredited installer does the work.
- The system complies with AS/NZS 5139.
- You enrol your battery in Synergy Battery Rewards, Synergy's virtual power plant program, for a minimum two-year term.
That last one catches people out. It's a mandatory condition of the rebate, not an optional extra. Synergy gets some say over when your battery charges and discharges, and pays you for the capacity it uses. Ask your installer, or Synergy directly, what Battery Rewards pays before you commit.
At $130 per kilowatt-hour, a 5kWh battery earns $650 and a 10kWh battery hits the $1,300 cap. A 20kWh battery still only earns $1,300, because the cap doesn't move for the extra capacity. The federal battery STCs above are separate and keep counting usable capacity up to 50kWh.
There's a loan on top, too. Eligible households (income under $210,000) can access an interest-free loan of up to $10,000 through the scheme to spread the remaining cost. For households that would otherwise finance through a typical personal loan, the interest saved can end up worth more than the $1,300 rebate itself.
The Tesla Powerwall 3 does not qualify for the $1,300 rebate. It is on Synergy's list, but isn't approved for the WA Battery Scheme. Other scheme conditions apply. Listings change as Synergy reviews products. Before you sign anything, ask your installer to confirm current SSL status and rebate eligibility in writing for any battery and inverter pairing, Powerwall 3 included.
You don't apply yourself. Your approved vendor lodges the application on your behalf, and the scheme sets out how the approved rebate reaches you. Ask your vendor to confirm in writing whether it comes off the battery price or arrives afterwards. Plenti, the scheme administrator, publishes the list of approved vendors, so check yours is on it before you sign. Once you have conditional approval, you have six months to get the battery installed, or you'll need to re-apply.
The WA battery scheme explainer has the full eligibility checklist and application walkthrough.
What is DEBS and how much do export payments add up to?
The Distributed Energy Buyback Scheme (DEBS) is an ongoing payment for the electricity your solar system exports to the grid, not an upfront rebate. It pays 10c per kWh from 3pm to 9pm and 2c at all other times. New solar connections from 6 November 2020 onward are automatically enrolled.
Credits are capped at 50kWh of exports per day, and a one-off $7.85 application fee applies when you first register. To qualify, your system needs a Western Power network connection approval and a Synergy meter configured with an export register. Your installer arranges both as part of a standard install.
For a 6.6kW Perth system with moderate self-consumption, around 35%, annual export typically runs to roughly 6,000 to 7,000 kWh. How much of that lands in the 10c peak window rather than the 2c off-peak window depends on your own household's usage pattern. A home that's out at 5pm exports more into the peak rate than one running the aircon at that hour. Across a typical export profile, that credits roughly $213 a year against your Synergy bill.
Add a battery to the same system and DEBS income drops, not rises. A battery stores the power you'd otherwise export, so self-consumption climbs toward 75% and export volume falls to roughly a quarter of generation, well under half of what a solar-only system exports. Less exported power means a smaller DEBS credit, typically around $154 a year for a 6.6kW solar and 10kWh battery combination. The battery itself still unlocks the separate battery STC and WA Battery Scheme incentives above.
What if I connected before DEBS started?
If you connected before 6 November 2020 and haven't switched, you're likely still on the Renewable Energy Buyback Scheme (REBS): a flat 7.135c/kWh for every exported unit, with no time-of-use split. REBS beats DEBS off-peak (2c) but loses to DEBS peak (10c), so which pays more depends on your export profile. You can switch to DEBS, but the move is permanent. There's no going back to REBS once you do.
Can you finance what the rebates don't cover?
Yes, two options sit alongside the rebates: an interest-free loan through the WA Battery Scheme, and Synergy's HEEL loan, which you repay through your electricity bill. Both are tied to specific purchases, and terms can change, so confirm current details with the lender before you count on them.
The WA Battery Scheme loan is the one covered above: interest-free, up to $10,000, income-tested at $210,000 and tied to an eligible battery installation.
Synergy's HEEL loan is a subsidised loan for eligible solar and energy-efficiency purchases, such as panels, battery storage, heat pump hot water and insulation. Repayments go through your electricity bill rather than a separate bank loan, which suits households who'd rather spread the cost across their power bill than find a large upfront payment. The repayments eat into some of your solar savings, but you're not fronting the full system cost on day one. Loan amounts, rates and availability are set by Synergy and can shift over time, so confirm current terms with Synergy directly.
If you're weighing these against cash, a solar loan or a lease, how to finance solar in Perth breaks down the trade-offs.
What doesn't count as a rebate?
WA has no state cash grant for panels, and three other things get called rebates that aren't. Unlike some programs interstate, there's no direct upfront payment for residential solar. Both STC schemes are federal rather than state-funded, and the WA Battery Scheme only covers the battery, not the panels.
"Rebates ending soon" is a sales tactic. STCs exist under legislation and step down on a published schedule; they don't vanish overnight. Treat any claim of an urgent government deadline with scepticism.
A lower Synergy bill isn't a rebate either. What you save by using your own solar power is cost avoidance, not a government payment. It's real money in your pocket, just not one of the four incentives above.
Concessions and hardship support are separate programs again. The Energy Assistance Payment, the Hardship Utility Grant Scheme and card-based concessions help with electricity bills whether or not you install solar, and they stack with everything above. Check your eligibility with Synergy and Concessions WA directly.
How much are all four incentives worth together?
For a 6.6kW solar system, the incentives come to around $2,000 in year one, from solar STCs plus DEBS. With a 10kWh battery added, they come to around $5,960 in year one, once both federal STC payments and the WA Battery Scheme rebate land. This table breaks each one down.
| Incentive | Source | Type | Solar only (6.6kW) | Solar + 10kWh battery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar STCs | Federal government | Upfront price reduction | approximately $1,796 | approximately $1,796 |
| Battery STCs | Federal government | Upfront price reduction | not applicable | approximately $2,713 |
| WA Battery Scheme | WA Government, for Synergy customers | Applied through your approved vendor, as the scheme sets out | not applicable | up to $1,300, subject to SSL eligibility and Battery Rewards enrolment |
| DEBS | Synergy | Ongoing export payment | approximately $213 a year | approximately $154 a year |
The battery raises self-consumption and so lowers your DEBS income compared to a solar-only system. The battery STC and WA Battery Scheme amounts together far outweigh that difference, assuming the inverter it's paired with qualifies.
These figures are indicative for a typical Perth household. Your solar STC count depends on your system size. Your battery STC count depends on its usable capacity and the half-yearly factor in effect when you install. Your DEBS income depends on your export volume and timing. And your WA Battery Scheme rebate depends on the inverter your battery is paired with being one the SSL approves for DER Storage, not just on installed capacity. A battery system needs an inverter on Synergy's Supported Solutions List to be eligible for the WA Battery Scheme. Other scheme conditions apply.
To see which of these apply to your own bill and system, the free energy audit report works it out from your numbers rather than a typical household's.
Rebate amounts, eligibility and scheme availability are current as at July 2026 and can change without notice. Verify current terms before you install. The Clean Energy Regulator covers both STC programs. Synergy covers Battery Rewards and HEEL, Plenti administers the WA Battery Scheme, and Energy Policy WA sets the policy.