Independent Member of Parliament Kylea Tink has urged the Australian government to implement a federally funded national battery rebate scheme to support households and small businesses in adopting battery storage technology.
The call, made in the federal parliament on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, comes in response to a petition with over 8,000 signatures organised by Solar Citizens.
Tink, representing North Sydney, highlighted the critical role of battery technology in Australia’s energy transition.
“A national battery rebate scheme would absolutely help households and small businesses not only slash their energy bills but could provide them with much-needed cost of living relief in a way that will confer benefits to the household for years to come,” she stated.
The proposed scheme aims to achieve a target of one million batteries nationally by 2030.
Tink argued that such an initiative would create new, well-paid green jobs in suburbs and towns while stabilising the grid and improving energy security.
Solar Citizens National Campaign Director Joel Pringle welcomed Tink’s acknowledgment of public demand for increased government support for household batteries.
“To keep energy bills low, we need a substantial subsidy for household batteries included as an extension to the successful Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES),” Pringle said.
According to the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), one million household batteries are needed nationally by 2030 to harness Australia’s world-leading rooftop solar uptake and stabilise the energy grid.
However, household batteries remain the only technology in AEMO’s roadmap without a federal government policy to drive delivery.
Currently, solar batteries typically cost upwards of $10,000, with payback periods ranging between five and 10 years.
Pringle emphasised that government financial support is necessary to make batteries more affordable, especially given the current cost of living crisis.
While some state governments have introduced incentives, such as New South Wales’ Peak Demand Reduction Scheme, a federal policy is still lacking.
Solar Citizens is calling on major parties to adopt the target of one million batteries by 2030, with incentives for both free-standing homes and apartments, regardless of existing rooftop solar installations.
As Australia continues to lead in home solar uptake, combining this with widespread battery adoption could significantly contribute to replacing aging coal-fired power stations and ensuring access to clean energy day and night, potentially saving households money on electricity bills for years to come.
