Battery STCs under the Cheaper Home Batteries Program carry real money, so the evidence standard is tighter than for a standard solar job. From 1 March 2026 new photo and evidence rules came in, and assessors are applying them.
What the evidence needs to show
You are proving four things: that the battery exists and is installed, that it is the approved model you claimed, that its usable capacity matches the STC calculation, and that it is installed by an accredited installer to the program’s requirements. In photo terms, expect to capture:
- The battery in position, with enough context to show the location.
- The serial number and rating labels, legible.
- The connection to the switchboard and, where relevant, the inverter.
- Anything that evidences VPP capability, as the program requires.
Rules on exactly what must be photographed and how have been revised, so confirm against the Clean Energy Regulator’s current guidance before you rely on any list, including ours. Our battery submission guide tracks the practical steps.
Why batteries get more scrutiny
At roughly a 30% discount at launch and up to 50 kWh eligible, battery certificates are worth far more per job than a typical rooftop system. Stronger evidence rules protect the program from claims that do not stack up. The STC factor is 6.8 per kWh for 2026 installs, stepping down to 5.7 on 1 January 2027 and 5.2 on 1 July 2027 (the factor now steps every six months to 2030), so each rejected or delayed claim is a larger cash flow problem than it used to be.
What this means for installers
Treat the battery photo set as a separate checklist from your solar one and train every crew on it. Energy Merchants’ compliance desk reviews battery evidence before lodgement, so gaps get flagged while you are still reachable. See the battery STC pillar, the installer guide to the program and how it works.
If you install batteries at volume, consider a short pre-departure routine: one person confirms the serial, the rating label, the connection and the VPP evidence are all in the folder before the crew leaves. It takes two minutes and removes most of the avoidable rejections, particularly on retrofit jobs where access is awkward and the unit is already on the wall.