Yes, Western Australia has a state rebate, but it is for batteries, not solar panels. As at 15 October 2026 the WA Residential Battery Scheme is open and pays up to $1,300 for Synergy customers (Perth and the South West) or up to $3,800 for Horizon Power customers (regional and remote WA). You must join a virtual power plant (VPP), and households earning under $210,000 can add a no-interest loan of up to $10,000 that can also cover solar panels. The rebate stacks with the federal battery discount, worth about $3,460 to $3,640 on a 13.5 kWh battery. Solar panels get only the federal STC discount, about $1,710 to $1,800 on a 6.6 kW system in Perth.
This guide is independent desk research, checked against WA and federal government sources. No installer or retailer paid to be mentioned.
Western Australia solar rebates at a glance
| Program | What it covers | Worth | Status (15 Oct 2026) | Stacks with federal? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WA Residential Battery Scheme rebate | Batteries of 5 kWh usable or more, with VPP sign-up | $130 per kWh to $1,300 (Synergy) or $380 per kWh to $3,800 (Horizon Power) | Open until 100,000 rebates are paid | Yes |
| WA Residential Battery Scheme loan | Battery, plus solar panels and inverter if installed with it | $2,001 to $10,000 at 0% over 3 to 10 years | Open, household income under $210,000 | Yes |
| Cheaper Home Batteries Program (federal) | Batteries paired with solar | About $258 to $272 per usable kWh on the first 14 kWh | Open. Steps down 1 January 2027 | It is the federal program |
| Solar panel STC discount (federal) | Rooftop solar | About $1,710 to $1,800 on 6.6 kW in Perth | Open. Steps down 1 January 2027 | It is the federal program |
| WA solar panel rebate | Nothing | $0 | No program | Not applicable |
| Hot water STCs (federal) | Heat pump and solar hot water | Depends on model and zone | Open | It is the federal program |
| Energy Assistance Payment | Power bills for concession card holders | $377.14 a year | Open | Separate bill credit |
How much you could save on a typical system
An estimate for 6.6 kW of solar plus a 13.5 kWh (usable) battery installed before 31 December 2026, at an STC price of $38 to $40. The Clean Energy Regulator’s June quarter 2026 Carbon Market Report (9 September 2026) says STC prices “remained close to $40”. Installers often pass on slightly less.
| Item | Working | Perth (Synergy, zone 3) | Karratha (Horizon Power, zone 1) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solar STCs | 6.6 kW x zone rating x 5 years | 45 STCs: $1,710 to $1,800 | 53 STCs: $2,014 to $2,120 |
| Battery STCs | 13.5 kWh x 6.8 | 91 STCs: $3,460 to $3,640 | 91 STCs: $3,460 to $3,640 |
| WA battery rebate | Capped at 10 kWh | $1,300 | $3,800 |
| Total | About $6,470 to $6,740 | About $9,270 to $9,560 |
For context, our battery cost guide puts a 13.5 kWh battery at roughly $11,000 to $15,000 installed before discounts. This is an estimate, not a quote.
WA Residential Battery Scheme rebate
Run by Energy Policy WA, with Plenti as administrator, since 1 July 2025.
What it is worth. The rebate is paid on usable battery capacity: $130 per kWh for Synergy customers and $380 per kWh for Horizon Power customers, capped at 10 kWh. A 10 kWh or larger battery gets the full $1,300 or $3,800.
Eligibility:
- WA resident, 18 or older, Australian permanent resident, and a Synergy or Horizon Power customer.
- A new, additional or replacement battery of at least 5 kWh usable capacity. Batteries installed before 1 July 2025 do not qualify.
- The inverter must be on Synergy’s or Horizon Power’s Supported Solutions List. Separate battery modules must be on the Clean Energy Council approved list.
- You must sign up to a VPP. Horizon Power customers must use Community Wave. Synergy customers can use Synergy Battery Rewards or an approved alternative from their battery supplier.
- A standalone home or unit-titled property, owned or rented (with written landlord consent).
- One rebate per property (per electricity meter), an internet connection, and no income test.
- Not eligible: solar-only systems, electric vehicles, and homes owned by government housing schemes or mining and telecommunications companies.
How to claim. Choose an approved vendor from Plenti’s vendor directory. The vendor applies and takes the rebate off your quote. You then have six months from conditional approval to install.
How long it runs. Until 100,000 rebates are paid (up from 20,000). More than 20,000 batteries were installed by 19 May 2026, and the government’s Q&A page says it was expected to run until 2027.
Does it stack? Yes, with the federal discount. Your vendor claims both.
Sources: Information for applicants, WA Government, eligibility requirements and questions and answers.
The no-interest battery loan
This is the only state help in WA that can pay for solar panels.
- Borrow $2,001 to $10,000, over 3 to 10 years, with no interest, no early repayment fee and no security.
- Household gross income must be under $210,000, checked against your tax return. Plenti also runs a credit check.
- The loan can cover the battery plus new or upgraded solar panels and inverters, but only when a battery is part of the install.
- You must still join a VPP, and the loan plus rebate cannot exceed the total cost.
- The only fee is a $10 weekly late fee, capped at $120 a year.
Source: WA Residential Battery Scheme eligibility requirements and Plenti loan eligibility.
The federal battery discount (Cheaper Home Batteries Program)
Every WA household can get this on top of the state rebate. Your battery earns small-scale technology certificates (STCs) and the installer takes their value off the invoice.
For installs from 1 May to 31 December 2026, the factor is 6.8 certificates per usable kWh, tapered by size:
| Usable capacity band | Share of the factor |
|---|---|
| Up to 14 kWh | 100 per cent |
| Above 14 up to 28 kWh | 60 per cent |
| Above 28 up to 50 kWh | 15 per cent |
| Above 50 kWh | Nothing |
At $38 to $40 a certificate that is roughly $2,580 to $2,720 on a 10 kWh battery (68 STCs), $3,460 to $3,640 on 13.5 kWh (91 STCs) and $4,520 to $4,760 on 20 kWh (119 STCs).
The next cut. On 1 January 2027 the factor falls to 5.7, then drops every six months to 2.1 in late 2030. A 13.5 kWh battery then earns about 76 certificates, roughly $570 to $600 less. The installation date sets the rate.
Who qualifies: batteries of 5 kWh to 100 kWh nominal capacity (certificates on the first 50 kWh usable), installed with new or existing solar, VPP-capable, approved products and an accredited installer. No income test.
Source: Cheaper Home Batteries Program, DCCEEW and STCs for batteries, DCCEEW. Compare other states in our battery rebates by state guide.
Solar panels: the federal STC discount
There is no WA state rebate for solar panels. The federal discount is system size x postcode zone rating x deeming years to 2030, rounded down. A 2026 install gets 5 deeming years.
WA spans four zones, according to the Clean Energy Regulator’s postcode table:
| Zone | Example towns | 6.6 kW system | 10 kW system |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 (1.622) | Karratha, Port Hedland, Carnarvon, Newman, Halls Creek | 53 STCs, $2,014 to $2,120 | 81 STCs, $3,078 to $3,240 |
| Zone 2 (1.536) | Broome, Derby, Kununurra, Geraldton | 50 STCs, $1,900 to $2,000 | 76 STCs, $2,888 to $3,040 |
| Zone 3 (1.382) | Perth, Mandurah, Bunbury, Kalgoorlie | 45 STCs, $1,710 to $1,800 | 69 STCs, $2,622 to $2,760 |
| Zone 4 (1.185) | Albany, Esperance, Manjimup | 39 STCs, $1,482 to $1,560 | 59 STCs, $2,242 to $2,360 |
On 1 January 2027 the deeming period drops to 4 years, and a 6.6 kW Perth system falls to about 36 STCs. Our STC explainer covers the mechanics.
Source: Calculate STC entitlements, Clean Energy Regulator.
Hot water rebates in WA
WA has no state rebate for heat pump or solar hot water as at 15 October 2026, and no energy-saving scheme like those in NSW and Victoria. Eligible systems earn federal STCs, depending on model and zone. Compare options in solar hot water versus heat pumps. The federal Household Energy Upgrades Fund offers discounted green loans through participating lenders.
Renters, apartments and concession card holders
- Renters qualify with the landlord’s written consent, and stay liable for any loan after moving out.
- Apartments and units need their own Synergy or Horizon Power account and owners’ corporation approval. Embedded network or strata supply homes miss out.
- Energy Assistance Payment: $377.14 a year from 1 July 2026 for concession card holders. Apply through Synergy or Horizon Power, or RevenueWA if someone else bills you.
- Dependent Child Rebate: $396.56 for one child plus $103.91 for each extra child.
- Hardship Utility Grant Scheme (HUGS): up to 85 per cent of an overdue bill, capped at $640 a year south of the 26th parallel or $1,060 north of it, according to the ERA.
None of these pay for solar or batteries. Sources: Energy Concession Extension Scheme, WA Government and concessions and assistance, ERA.
Programs that have closed
- The $5,000 and $7,500 election promise. The ABC reported on 4 June 2025 that the figures promised at the March 2025 election were cut to $1,300 and $3,800 before launch.
- Renewable Energy Buyback Scheme (REBS). Replaced by DEBS for new and upgraded systems in September 2020.
- WA Feed-in Tariff scheme. Open July 2010 to August 2011. Its 10-year contracts have ended.
- Horizon Power Commercial Buyback Scheme. For larger systems installed before 1 July 2025 in high-cost towns. Replaced by Buyback Bonus.
- Federal Energy Bill Relief Fund. The $150 credits for 2025 ended on 31 December 2025. The one-off WA Household Electricity Credits of earlier years are not among the 2026-27 State Budget household measures.
Sources: Energy buyback schemes, Energy Policy WA and Energy Bill Relief Fund, energy.gov.au.
Feed-in tariffs in WA
WA’s buyback is government-set: the Distributed Energy Buyback Scheme (DEBS), paid by time of export.
- Synergy (Perth and the South West): 10c per kWh from 3pm to 9pm and 2c at other times, on up to 50 kWh a day. These are Energy Policy WA’s figures. Synergy’s site blocked our access, so we could not confirm its 2026-27 effective date. DEBS covers systems of 500 W to 5 kW (6.6 kW of panels on a 5 kW inverter counts as 5 kW).
- Horizon Power, 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027: low-cost towns such as Broome, Karratha and Esperance pay 10c peak and 3c off-peak. Medium-cost towns pay 37.76c and 11.33c, and high-cost towns 55.99c and 16.80c. Community Wave members, including systems over 5 kW, get Buyback Bonus, which lifts low-cost town summer peak exports to 33.26c.
Exporting at 2c and buying back at more than 30c in the evening (Synergy’s A1 rate was 32.37c in August 2026) is the case for a battery in Perth. Compare retailers in our feed-in tariff tracker.
Sources: Energy buyback schemes, Energy Policy WA and Horizon Power buyback pricing schedule 2026-27.
How to claim, step by step
- Check your retailer. Synergy or Horizon Power sets your rebate cap, VPP options and buyback rates.
- Shortlist approved vendors from Plenti’s directory. Check the retailer is a New Energy Tech Approved Seller and check the installer’s accreditation yourself on the Solar Accreditation Australia website.
- Get at least three quotes. Confirm the inverter is on the Synergy or Horizon Power supported list. With existing solar, ask what must change for “whole of site compliance”.
- Read the quote line by line. Look for separate lines for solar STCs, battery STCs and the WA rebate, plus usable capacity, model numbers and install date. See how to compare solar quotes.
- Apply through the vendor. They lodge the rebate and any loan with Plenti.
- Sign the VPP agreement and install within six months of conditional approval.
- Keep the paperwork: invoice, electrical safety certificate, warranties and VPP contract.
Watch out for
- Old rebate figures still advertised. On 15 October 2026, installer pages quoting “up to $5,000” for Synergy customers were on Google’s first page for WA rebate searches. Even the WA Government’s example of about $5,000 combined for a 10 kWh battery predates the federal cut. Today it is closer to $4,000.
- The 1 January 2027 step-down. Battery and solar certificates both fall. A delayed install can cost $570 or more.
- VPP terms. The VPP agreement runs for two years before you can opt out. The WA Government says Synergy can call on your battery up to 30 times a year, for up to 6 hours, paying 70c per kWh exported during those events.
- Upselling on existing systems. The government warns some quotes include unnecessary replacements. Shop around before replacing a working inverter.
- Deposits on promises. Energy Policy WA says action has been taken against companies breaching consumer law over the scheme. Pay deposits only to approved vendors once eligibility is confirmed.
FAQ
Is there a solar rebate in WA in 2026?
Yes for batteries, no for panels alone. Batteries get up to $1,300 (Synergy) or $3,800 (Horizon Power) plus the federal discount. Panels get only the federal STC discount, about $1,710 to $1,800 on 6.6 kW in Perth.
How much is the WA battery rebate on a 13.5 kWh battery?
$1,300 (Synergy) or $3,800 (Horizon Power), because the state rebate is capped at 10 kWh. Add the federal discount of about $3,460 to $3,640 for an install before 31 December 2026.
Can I get the battery rebate if I already have solar?
Yes, but the whole site must meet current standards and VPP requirements. Older inverters may need replacing, and the loan can cover that.
Do I have to join a virtual power plant?
Yes, for the WA rebate and loan. The federal discount only needs a VPP-capable battery.
Can the no-interest loan pay for solar panels?
Yes, if a battery is part of the same install, for households earning under $210,000. Solar-only systems are not eligible.
Do renters and apartment owners qualify?
Yes, with conditions. Renters need written landlord consent. Apartments need their own Synergy or Horizon Power account. Embedded network customers miss out.
How long will the WA battery rebate last?
Until 100,000 rebates are paid, expected to be some time in 2027. More than 20,000 were installed by May 2026.
Find an installer in WA
Browse Western Australian solar companies or our top 10 WA solar installers. City guides: Perth solar companies, Mandurah solar companies and Bunbury solar companies. See also our battery reviews and what a VPP is.
Other state guides: NSW, Victoria and Queensland.
About this guide
This is independent desk research by Solar Cobber. We checked every program against Energy Policy WA, RevenueWA, Horizon Power, the ERA, the Clean Energy Regulator and DCCEEW sources on 15 October 2026. No installer, retailer or program was contacted or paid us. This is general information, not financial advice. Confirm details with the program or your installer before you sign. If you spot an error, tell us through our contact page.
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