Calculator

Battery STC calculator

Usable kWh in, certificates and dollars out, with the tiered factor applied the way the Clean Energy Regulator applies it.

Usable capacity (kWh)Install periodSTC price ($)Battery price incl. install ($)

—STCs

Tiers applied—

Discount at your price—

Net price after discount—

Eligible capacity is capped at 50 kWh (systems 5–100 kWh usable). Since 1 May 2026 the first 14 kWh earns 100% of the factor, 14–28 kWh 60%, 28–50 kWh 15%, at the time of writing. The factor now steps down every six months, on 1 January and 1 July. Indicative only.

How battery STCs are calculated

The federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program creates Small-scale Technology Certificates for eligible home and small-business batteries. The count comes from usable capacity multiplied by an STC factor that now steps down every six months to 2030.

Install period	Factor (STCs per kWh)
Jul–Dec 2025	9.3
Jan–Apr 2026	8.4
May–Dec 2026	6.8
Jan–Jun 2027	5.7
Jul–Dec 2027	5.2

The schedule changed in 2026 from annual to six-monthly steps, so a battery installed in July 2027 earns fewer certificates than one installed in June.

Since 1 May 2026 the factor is tiered: 100% on the first 14 kWh, 60% from 14 to 28 kWh, 15% from 28 to 50 kWh. Batteries must be 5 to 100 kWh usable, with at most 50 kWh eligible. Figures are at the time of writing; confirm the live factor with the regulator's calculator before quoting.

Worked examples, 2026

Usable kWh	Calculation	STCs
10	10 × 6.8	68
13.5	13.5 × 6.8	91
20	14 × 6.8 + 6 × 6.8 × 0.6	119
30	14 × 6.8 + 14 × 4.08 + 2 × 1.02	154

From the desk: the three things that bounce battery claims are nominal-instead-of-usable capacity, wrong module counts and serials that don't match the photos. Our battery submission guide covers all three.

What happens to the certificates

The installer or retailer applies the discount on the invoice and assigns the certificates to a trader. Energy Merchants buys battery STCs at the published daily rate with no fees and 24-hour settlement, and pre-checks every claim before lodgement. Read the battery STC page for the full process, or use the solar STC calculator for the panels.

Questions

Battery calculator questions

How many STCs does a 13.5 kWh battery get in 2026?

At the 2026 factor of 6.8 STCs per kWh: 13.5 × 6.8 = 91.8, so 91 STCs, because 13.5 kWh sits inside the first 14 kWh tier. At $38 to $40 a certificate that is roughly $3,460 to $3,640 off the invoice.

What changed on 1 May 2026?

The factor became tiered by capacity at the time of writing: the first 14 kWh earns the full factor, 14 to 28 kWh earns 60 per cent of it, and 28 to 50 kWh earns 15 per cent. Capacity above 50 kWh earns nothing.

Does usable or nominal capacity count?

Usable capacity as listed on the Clean Energy Council approved product list. Nominal (gross) capacity is not used, and declaring it is a common reason claims bounce.

Can I add a battery to existing solar?

Yes. The program covers batteries on new or existing solar, one per property, installed by an accredited installer with approved products and VPP capability.

Is the discount the same in every state?

Battery STCs are not zone-adjusted, so the federal discount per kWh is the same everywhere. State schemes can stack on top in some states; see the rebate guides by state.

Selling batteries? Get the certificates paid tomorrow.

Published rate, zero fees, compliance pre-check, 24-hour settlement.

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