Installers sometimes treat VPP capability as a box to tick on the job sheet. It is better thought of as a product status you verify rather than a statement you make.
How capability is established
For on-grid systems under the Cheaper Home Batteries Program, a battery system must be able to connect to the grid and outside entities, receive remote signals and respond to them. The Clean Energy Council runs the approved products list, and the program’s eligibility sits on top of that list. The practical test for an installer is: is this exact battery and inverter combination listed as approved, and does the listing indicate it meets the program requirements? If yes, the product is the evidence. If you cannot find it, you should not install it expecting STCs.
What to record on each job
- Battery make, model and the exact configuration (including any inverter paired with it).
- Serial numbers, photographed legibly on the unit label.
- The date of installation and your accreditation number.
- A screenshot or note of the listing status on the day, which is helpful if the list is later updated.
- Any commissioning record showing the battery connected and communicating, where that is part of your process.
The photo rules were tightened from 1 March 2026, so follow the battery photo guide and the battery submission guide.
Which batteries are VPP capable?
There is no short list worth memorising, because the list changes as products are added and removed. Most mainstream home batteries sold in Australia have been through the approval process, but approval is per model. A battery that qualifies in one capacity may not in another, and a product can be approved only when paired with specific inverters. Always check the model in front of you against the CEC list: how to check the list.
Operator compatibility is a separate check
Program capability does not guarantee that a particular VPP operator will accept the battery. If the customer wants to join a VPP, confirm that operator’s compatible product list as well. Sales promises that a battery “works with all VPPs” are worth treating cautiously.
What this means for installers
Build the check into your ordering process, not your invoicing process. Verify the listing when you order, again on installation day, and file the evidence. When you lodge through us, the compliance desk pre-checks the claim, photos and serials, so a product mismatch is caught before it costs you days. See the pillar page, the rate on /pricing/ and /start-trading/ to set up.