The federal rebates (they apply in Western Australia too)
Whatever WA offers sits on top of two national rebates that every Australian home gets.
Solar panels — the STC discount. The federal Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme knocks money off your panels through Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs). Your installer claims them and applies the value as an upfront discount, so you never touch a certificate. It shrinks a little every January and ends in 2030.
Batteries — the Cheaper Home Batteries Program (BSTCs). Since July 2025 a second federal rebate takes roughly 30% off an installed battery, run through the same certificate system. From 1 May 2026 it’s tiered by size: the first 14 kWh of usable capacity earns the full rate, 14–28 kWh earns 60%, and 28–50 kWh earns 15%. It steps down every six months from 2027 and ends in 2030. On-grid batteries must be on the approved list and VPP-capable.
What Western Australia adds on top
WA Residential Battery Scheme. On top of the federal battery rebate, WA pays its own battery rebate: $130 per usable kWh up to $1,300 if you’re a Synergy customer (Perth and the south-west), or $380 per kWh up to $3,800 if you’re with Horizon Power (regional WA). It’s capped at 10 kWh of capacity and isn’t means-tested. The condition is that you join an approved virtual power plant (Synergy’s Battery Rewards or Horizon’s Community Wave).
No-interest loan. Eligible households (gross income under $210,000) can also borrow $2,001–$10,000 interest-free over 3–10 years, through Plenti, to cover the rest of a battery or solar-and-battery system.
Solar panels. There’s no WA state rebate on the panels themselves — that’s the federal STC discount above.
Feed-in tariff
WA’s feed-in scheme is DEBS (the Distributed Energy Buyback Scheme). For Synergy customers it pays about 10c/kWh for electricity exported between 3pm and 9pm and around 2c/kWh at other times; Horizon Power rates vary by town. Because the daytime rate is low, a battery that shifts your solar into the evening is where the value sits.
Bottom line
WA is one of the strongest states for batteries in 2026: stack the federal rebate, the state rebate ($1,300 or $3,800) and the interest-free loan, and the upfront cost drops sharply — provided you’re happy to join a VPP.
