Western Australian households are set to receive a major financial boost to store their own solar energy, with WA Labor announcing rebates of up to $5,000 for home battery storage—or $7,500 for those on the regional Horizon Power grid.
If re-elected in March, the state government will roll out the $387 million Residential Battery Scheme starting in July, aiming to more than double the number of home batteries installed across the state.
A Bold Move to Support Home Energy Independence
With Western Australia leading the nation in rooftop solar adoption, this new scheme is designed to address a growing challenge: storing excess solar power for use when the sun isn’t shining.
The program will underwrite at least 200 megawatt hours (MWh) of small-scale battery storage, equivalent to the first stage of the Kwinana Big Battery, one of the state’s largest grid-scale storage projects.
Premier Roger Cook announced the initiative at WA Labor’s election campaign launch, emphasizing that affordable battery storage is key to making solar energy work better for households and the wider grid.
“These WA-first schemes will help thousands of Western Australian households play their part in WA’s clean energy transition – while saving up to $1,500 a year on their power bills,” Cook stated.
Making Batteries More Accessible for Low-Income Households
In addition to direct rebates, the plan includes no-interest loans of up to $10,000, aimed at making battery storage more accessible for low and medium-income families.
Households will have up to 10 years to repay the loans, ensuring that financial barriers don’t prevent families from benefiting from lower energy costs.
The loan program is means-tested and expected to help up to 20,000 households overcome the high upfront cost of battery installation.
“Many people want to store their own energy but simply can’t afford the initial investment,” Cook explained. “This program will change that.”
A Boost for Wa’s Battery Manufacturing Industry
The initiative isn’t just about helping homeowners—it’s also designed to stimulate local manufacturing. WA Labor has committed $50 million to a Battery Manufacturing Program, offering direct grants and low-interest loans to businesses working on homegrown battery solutions.
With Western Australia sitting on some of the world’s richest lithium reserves, the state has a unique opportunity to develop a homegrown battery supply chain, reducing reliance on imports while creating local jobs.
A Grid Under Pressure: Why Battery Storage Is Critical
Western Australia’s main electricity grid has seen record levels of rooftop solar penetration, with solar power accounting for 80.5% of generation at one point in November 2023.
With residents installing 200 MW of new solar capacity every year, the need for storage solutions is becoming urgent.
Already, the WA government and market operators have greenlit multiple large-scale battery projects, including:
- Kwinana Big Battery (Stage 1): 100 MW / 200 MWh, completed in 2023
- Kwinana Big Battery (Stage 2): 200 MW / 800 MWh, currently under development
- Neoen’s Collie Battery (Stage 1): 219 MW / 878 MWh, recently commissioned
Adding home batteries into the mix would help ease pressure on the grid, allowing households to store and use their own solar power instead of exporting excess energy during the day when demand is low.
A Game-Changer for Energy Bills and Sustainability
The Residential Battery Scheme marks a significant shift in how Western Australia approaches household energy independence.
By making battery storage more affordable, the initiative could cut electricity bills, ease grid congestion, and accelerate WA’s clean energy transition.
Energy policy expert Saul Griffith, from Rewiring Australia, welcomed the announcement, calling it a major step toward empowering households.
“We know people want to store energy at home, and this program helps make that happen,” Griffith said.
