What battery schemes can you use in South Australia?
| Scheme | Status | What it pays |
|---|---|---|
| Cheaper Home Batteries Program (federal) | Open to 31 December 2030 | The first 14 kWh earn $272 each; above that the rate falls to 60%, then 15% |
| SA Home Battery Scheme | Closed | No state battery rebate open |
Source: SA Home Battery Scheme.
The rebate South Australian homes can get today
There is just one scheme open to households in the state, and it is the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program. It cuts roughly 30% from the cost of a home battery and stays open until 31 December 2030. The state government program shut its doors and takes no new applicants, so there is no state money to stack on top. For a home in Adelaide or anywhere else in the state, the federal discount is the full rebate.
The rate drops every 6 months, so when your battery goes in matters far more than where you live.
Can you still apply for the SA state battery scheme?
No, you cannot. The official notice says new applications will not be accepted, and Energy and Mining SA confirms this. If a salesperson brings up a South Australian state rebate, they are working from old information.
With nothing extra to stack on, the only figures worth checking are the federal discount and the final installed cost.
How the discount varies with size
You receive the discount as money off your quote, not as certificates to manage: your installer or retailer creates and sells the certificates after you transfer that right to them. How many you earn depends on the size of the battery and when it is installed, based on the rate table the Clean Energy Regulator publishes.
| Battery size | Discount if in place by 31 Dec 2026 | Discount from 1 Jan 2027 | Discount from 1 Jul 2027 | What you typically pay once discounted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 kWh | $2,720 | then $2,280 | then $2,080 | roughly $7,000–$11,000 |
| 13.5 kWh | $3,640 | then $3,040 | then $2,800 | roughly $9,800–$13,800 |
| 20 kWh | $4,760 | then $4,000 | then $3,640 | roughly $14,000–$19,000 |
Larger batteries earn less for each kWh. The first 14 kWh get the full rate, the next 14 kWh get 60% of it, and storage from 28 to 50 kWh earns just 15%. That is why a 20 kWh battery does not receive double what a 10 kWh battery gets. The price ranges come from figures published by CHOICE.
What your battery needs to satisfy
- Size has to fall between 5 and 100 kWh, and certificates only apply to the first 50 kWh.
- The model needs to be listed as approved by the Clean Energy Council.
- It must go in alongside solar panels, either new ones or ones you already have. A battery that only charges from the grid does not qualify.
- It must be capable of joining a virtual power plant, meaning a network of home batteries an energy company can call on at peak times, usually in exchange for a credit on your bill. Joining is optional.
- The person installing it must be accredited with Solar Accreditation Australia and carry a battery endorsement.
- Only one battery per property can receive the discount, and it must have been installed on or after 1 July 2025.
How the discount gets to you
There is no government application for you to fill out. Instead, you hand your installer or retailer the right to create the certificates, they subtract the value from your quote, and they handle creating and selling them later.
This explains why two installers can quote different discounts on the same battery. One installer may price each certificate at $40 and another at $37, so the same battery can show a few hundred dollars' difference in the discount line, which is why comparing quotes side by side matters.
Common questions
Does the federal battery discount continue past 2027?
Yes, the program stays open until 31 December 2030, though the rate steps down every 6 months. During the last six months of 2030, a 10 kWh battery is worth just $840, against $2,720 if it goes in before the end of 2026.
What battery rebates are open in each state in 2026?
The federal discount applies in every state. Western Australia is the only state that adds a cash rebate on top: up to $1,300 through Synergy or $3,800 through Horizon Power, if you join a virtual power plant. In New South Wales, some virtual power plant providers pay a bonus when you join, and the ACT offers low-interest loans rather than a rebate. Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and South Australia currently have no state rebate open.
Can I also get a discount on new solar panels?
Panels you add create their own certificates as well. In Adelaide, a 6.6 kW solar system earns about $1,800 off in 2026, or about $1,440 in 2027, on top of the battery discount. Send the short form and local accredited installers will quote both together, rebates already deducted, so you see one real price.