Formbay > Formbay News > July 1
Important Update
Published: June 30, 2025

Battery STCs:
Cheaper Home Batteries Program Launches 1 July

Here’s a quick reference guide to help you navigate the scheme efficiently. For more information, you can also visit dcceew.gov.au/cheaper-home-batteries

Solar Battery Installation

1. CER Processing Times

We understand how important fast processing is, especially for small businesses managing tight cash flow. As the Cheaper Home Batteries Program rolls out, the Clean Energy Regulator (CER) will be manually reviewing all battery STC applications. This means processing will take a little longer than usual.

To help your jobs progress smoothly, please ensure you submit accurate and compliant applications the first time. This will reduce delays and help us process certificates faster for everyone. If you're unsure, check out our Tips Before You Submit.

2. Tips Before You Submit

Before you click Submit, please double-check the following to avoid unnecessary delays:

  • Date of test: Ensure that Certificate of Electrical Compliance, STC form, and commissioning selfie all show the same date.
  • Signatures: All signatures must be captured on or after the job was completed, never before.
  • Installer onsite evidence: The installer must take at least three selfies clearly showing they were onsite.
  • Photo quality: Battery and inverter nameplates must clearly show the serial number and model.

If there are any issues with your job, our team will contact you to resolve them before it can be submitted to the CER.

Please take a moment to review everything carefully before you click submit to avoid unnecessary delays.

3. Your Daily Install Limits

SAA-accredited installers are limited to:

  • 2 x PV installs only, or
  • 2 x battery installs only, or
  • 1 x PV + 1 x battery install
    (Even if both are at the same address)

We’ve combined PV and Battery STCs into a single form to simplify data capture onsite.

However, a solar + battery installation counts as two separate applications, even if they are for the same address.

4. Transition Period: 1 July – 1 August 2025

To ease launch-day backlogs, the following commissioning allowances apply during this transitional window:

  • 1 complete PV system + 2 ready-to-commission batteries
    (*One Solar and battery count as two installs per day even if they are for the same address)
  • 1 complete battery system + 2 ready-to-commission batteries
  • Up to 4 ready-to-commission batteries only

"Ready to commission" means the battery was installed before 1 July but not energized or electrically connected. "Ready to Commission" jobs will have the installers' set up and mid install selfies taken before July 1st.

From 1 August onwards, standard daily limits apply—maximum 2 sign-offs per day.

Exemption scenarios (e.g. aged care facilities or multi-dwelling sites) remain available through Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA).

5. Battery STCs & State Incentive Compatibility

Western Australia

Households in WA can claim both the federal CHBP battery STCs and the WA Residential Battery Scheme(rebate or loan), provided the following are met:

  • Minimum battery size: 5 kWh usable capacity
  • Must participate in a VPP
  • Available to Synergy and Horizon Power customers
  • Must use WA-approved battery equipment

New South Wales

Under the NSW Peak Demand Reduction Scheme, PRCs created via the BESS2(batteries enrolled in a 12-month VPP demand response contract) can be stacked with Battery STCs.

Always confirm compatibility and compliance with the relevant state program.

NSW Installers: If you’ve created PV + PRC or BSTC + PRC forms and you haven’t commissioned yet, please email support@formbay.com.au for next steps.

6. Battery STC Eligibility Summary

  • Commissioned on/after 1 July (Certificate of Compliance date)
  • 5–50kWh usable capacity eligible (Total onsite capacity less than 100kWh nominal)
  • Battery and inverter (if required) must be CEC-listed
  • On-grid systems must be VPP-capable - If battery is not VPP-capable, the inverter must be VPP-capable
  • Off-grid systems must have a CEC-listed inverter.
  • Installed or supervised by an SAA-accredited installer:
    • Grid Connected Battery Systems (GCBS)
    • Off Grid- Stand Alone Power Systems (SAPS)
  • Installer selfies at start, middle and end, and compliance evidence captured via Formbay

Visit dcceew.gov.au/cheaper-home-batteries for more details.

7. FAQ: Can I Add a Battery Module to an Existing Stackable battery system?

Only CEC approved batteries are eligible under the Cheaper Home Batteries Program. If you're adding a new module to an existing stackable battery system:

  • The individual battery module must be CEC-listed on its own to qualify for Battery STCs.
  • If the module is not listed individually, it cannot be claimed.

If in doubt, check the CEC battery list (https://cleanenergycouncil.org.au/industry-programs/products-program/batteries) before proceeding.

8. FAQ: When is a System Considered “Installed”?

🔌 Commissioning = First Energised.

A system is considered commissioned when it is first energised, even if:

  • It is turned off immediately after testing
  • Internet setup or monitoring is still pending

📄 Certificate of Compliance

Under state and territory safety regulations, if you energise and begin testing the system, you are required to issue a Certificate of Electrical Compliance.

  • The Certificate of Compliance date determines whether the job is eligible for Battery STCs under the Cheaper Home Batteries Program (CHBP).
  • If the Certificate of Compliance is dated before 1 July 2025, the system is not eligible - even if the battery was later switched off.

Compliance Warning

Providing false information or re-issuing a Certificate of Compliance that doesn’t reflect the true commissioning date is considered fraud.

🛠️ What if Work Started Before 1 July?

The battery system is still eligible if:

  • It was not electrically connected, and
  • A Certificate of Compliance was not issued

9. All-in-One Battery Systems

If the inverter and battery are integrated into a single, stackable unit, it is not possible to commission the solar and inverter separately from the battery. Therefore:

  • Once the system is wired, tested, and certified, it is considered commissioned in full, including the battery.
  • Even if the battery is disabled via software or hasn't been switched on, it still counts as commissioned if electrical work has been completed and a Certificate of Compliance issued.
  • Please read CER’s release on this here.

To qualify for Battery STCs, all-in-one systems must be commissioned on or after 1 July 2025.

10. Oversized Inverters with Batteries

If a PV array exceeds 133% of the inverter’s nominal output, a battery is typically required to comply with Clean Energy Council (CEC) installation guidelines.

In these cases:

  • The inverter and battery work together to support the system's configuration.
  • It is not possible to commission the PV system separately while leaving the battery disconnected.

To be eligible for Battery STCs, the entire system - PV, inverter, and battery - must be commissioned on or after 1 July 2025.

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