Side by side
Battery STC vs solar STC: registration and claim differences
In short
Both create STCs through the REC Registry, but the calculation, eligibility tests and evidence differ. Solar STCs depend on kW, zone and deeming years; battery STCs on usable kWh, a stepped factor and tiers. Do not reuse a solar claim checklist for a battery.
Installers who know the solar STC process well sometimes assume a battery claim works the same way. The lodging route is similar. The numbers, the product tests and the evidence are not.
Side by side
| Solar STC | Battery STC (Cheaper Home Batteries) | |
|---|---|---|
| Basis of calculation | System kW x zone rating x deeming years | Usable kWh x program factor, with tiers |
| Zone | Postcode zone: 1 is 1.622, 2 is 1.536, 3 is 1.382, 4 is 1.185 | Not zone-based |
| Time element | Deeming period: 5 years for 2026 installs, 4 for 2027, down to 1 in 2030 | Factor steps every six months: 6.8 now, 5.7 on 1 Jan 2027, 5.2 on 1 Jul 2027 |
| Capacity limits | Up to 100 kW, and above 100 kW up to 1 MW from 1 Oct 2026 | 5 to 100 kWh usable; up to 50 kWh eligible |
| Tiers | None | First 14 kWh at 100%, 14 to 28 kWh at 60%, 28 to 50 kWh at 15% since 1 May 2026 |
| Product test | Approved panels and inverter | CEC-approved, VPP-capable battery |
| Installer | Accredited designer and installer (SAA) | Accredited installer |
| Per property | Not limited in the same way | One battery per property |
| Evidence | Photo, SLD and form rules | New photo and evidence rules from 1 March 2026 |
The calculation
A 6.6 kW solar system in zone 3, installed in 2026, is 6.6 x 1.382 x 5, about 45 STCs. A 13.5 kWh battery at the 6.8 factor, installed after 1 May 2026 and below the first tier limit, is 13.5 x 6.8, about 91 STCs. Use the STC calculator and battery STC calculator rather than doing it by hand on a quote.
What catches installers out
- Date, not quote date. The factor and deeming period depend on the installation date.
- Product eligibility. A battery must be on the approved list and VPP-capable; a panel and inverter combination must be approved for solar. Check each.
- One per property. A second battery at the same property is not eligible under the program.
- Evidence. Battery photos have their own requirements. A solar photo checklist will not cover the serial and installation shots a battery claim needs.
Registering and lodging
Both claims go through the REC Registry and both can be assigned to a trader, so the lodging route is familiar. The battery submission guide shows what a battery claim needs, and STC photo requirements covers solar. For the difference between installation types on solar, see new, replacement and additional installs.
A claim-day checklist
Before lodging a battery claim, confirm the installation date, so you apply the right factor; the usable capacity, so you apply the right tiers; the approved product listing and VPP capability; your accreditation for the installation type; and that no other battery claim exists at the property. Then check the photos against the current rules, particularly the serial number and the installed location. For solar, the equivalent checks are the zone from the postcode, the deeming period for the year, the panel and inverter listing, the single line diagram and the installation type. Run each checklist separately even when the two systems went in on the same day. Mixing them is how a perfectly good job ends up with a rejected claim.
A fair verdict
The registry route is the same, but the rules are not. Treat solar and battery as two claim types, each with its own calculation, evidence and eligibility test, and a battery on a solar job as two claims. See /battery-stcs/ for the program overview, the Cheaper Home Batteries installer guide for the walkthrough, and /how-it-works/ for how a claim moves through us. For before and after 1 May, read battery rebate before and after 1 May 2026.
How we wrote this. Energy Merchants is a certificate trader, so we have a horse in this race. Statements about other providers are taken from their own public websites on the date shown above and are attributed. If something here is out of date, tell the desk and we will fix it.
Sources: Clean Energy Regulator: Cheaper Home Batteries Program · Clean Energy Regulator: Small-scale renewable energy systems
Questions
Before you decide
Do batteries use the same STC zones as solar?
What evidence changed for batteries?
Can I claim a battery and solar STCs on the same job?
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