More Victorian households will be able to store cleaner, cheaper rooftop energy, with the Andrews Labor Government expanding its Solar Homes battery rebates to a total of 247 eligible postcodes.

Minister for Solar Homes Lily D’Ambrosio today announced that households in an extra 143 postcodes across the state are now eligible to apply for a Solar Homes battery rebate of up to $4,838.

Households with an average 11kwH battery around can expect to save around $650 a year on their electricity bills, in addition to savings they are already making with solar panels.

More than 70 per cent of the new postcodes are in regional Victoria, including in the Goulburn Valley, North East Victoria, Gippsland and Barwon South West regions.

The expansion will include regional centres such as Bendigo, Shepparton, Wangaratta, Yarrawonga, Mildura, Port Fairy, Traralgon, Sale and Bairnsdale, and reach approximately 50 per cent of households that have a pre-existing solar panel system of at least 5kW.

There have been more than 359 approved applications for solar batteries since they became available in July 2019, with 219 of those systems already installed.

The top suburbs in Victoria for solar batteries applications so far are Torquay, Sunbury, Lara, Craigieburn, Werribee, Mount Duneed, Tarneit, Armstrong Creek, Templestowe and Ocean Grove.

With approximately 550 rebates for solar batteries available from March 2, there has never been a better time for solar households to take further control of their energy bills with added battery storage.

To select the eligible areas, Solar Victoria consulted with Distribution Network Service Providers to target growth areas with large numbers of solar powered homes.

To further strengthen Victoria’s electricity grid, the Labor Government will look to expand the battery rebate program to controlled batteries, microgrids and virtual power plants from July 2020.

To be eligible for a rebate, householders must obtain approval to install a battery from their distribution network service, have an existing rooftop solar system of 5kW or more, and meet other eligibility criteria. Full eligibility details can be found at: solar.vic.gov.au/solar-battery-rebate.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Solar Homes Lily D’Ambrosio

 “Solar batteries will help local families store energy from the sun, reduce their reliance on the grid, and save money.”

“With 140 new postcodes now added to the list, around 35 per cent of Victorian households are eligible to receive a battery rebate through our Solar Homes program.”

“This is a great opportunity for households that already have solar panels to capitalise on their solar systems and take greater control of their energy bills.”