Malaysia
What a Malaysian household should know before buying a home battery: how Solar ATAP replaced net energy metering, why a battery matters more under the new rules, rebate reports, self-consumption and portable power stations.
- Malaysia
- Press, regulator and installer sources
- Checked 13 November 2026
- Malaysia's net energy metering (NEM 3.0) closed on 30 June 2025. The replacement, Solar ATAP, took effect on 1 January 2026. Legacy NEM installations keep their original 10 years terms, according to an installer guide.
- Solar ATAP keeps the core idea of exporting surplus to the grid as an energy offset, but installer guides report that credits no longer roll over and reset monthly. If that is right, a battery that stores surplus instead of exporting it matters more than before.
- Reported support: a rebate called SuRIA Home of RM600 per kWac, capped at RM3,000 per household, reached at a 5 kWac system. We could not read the official rules, and we saw a report that the household rebate was extended only to April, so confirm that it is still open.
- Self-consumption (SELCo) is a separate scheme for solar used on site, with or without a battery and no export, and remains available where export is restricted.
- We could not confirm VAT, duty or any subsidy for the battery itself, and Sarawak and Sabah have their own utilities and rules.
Last checked
Figures and rules on this page were checked on 13 November 2026 against the sources linked in each section. Malaysian rooftop schemes changed in 2025 and 2026, so open the linked source before you sign a quote.
How the Malaysian market works
In Peninsular Malaysia most households buy electricity from Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB). Sabah is served by SESB and Sarawak by Sarawak Energy, with their own rules. Rooftop solar policy comes from the ministry (PETRA) and the Sustainable Energy Development Authority (SEDA), and grid-connected systems need TNB approval.
A TNB article in The Edge describes Solar ATAP as a more flexible approach to system capacity than NEM, and calls the battery energy storage system the most significant development in the 2026 toolkit for households (TNB article via The Edge).
NEM ended and Solar ATAP began
NEM 3.0 closed on 30 June 2025 and Solar ATAP (Solar Accelerated Transition Action Programme) took effect on 1 January 2026, according to an installer guide (Plus Xnergy). pv magazine reports that Solar ATAP continues the core principles of NEM by letting rooftop owners export surplus to the grid as an energy offset (pv magazine).
Applicants must be TNB customers who have not taken part in SELCo or earlier NEM schemes, and households go through a grid impact assessment before applying, according to SEDA as summarised by pv magazine China (pv magazine China). Before, NEM 3.0 had three categories: NEM Rakyat for households (quota 700 MWac), NEM GoMEn and NOVA for commercial users (1,700 MWac), and 87.71% of quotas were taken by the end of 2025 (IEA PVPS).
Installer guides report that Solar ATAP removes the national quota and allows applications all year. We could not read the PETRA or SEDA rules, so ask your installer which version of the scheme applies to your application.
1 January 2026
Solar ATAP effective date
30 June 2025
NEM 3.0 closing date
Monthly credit reset and why batteries matter
Under NEM 3.0 excess solar credits could roll over for up to 12 months. Installer guides say Solar ATAP removes this and resets the balance monthly (NewPages). One guide describes this as making a battery more valuable, because a battery captures surplus that would otherwise be exported for little (Trexon).
These are installer claims, and installers sell batteries. We could not confirm the monthly reset from a PETRA or SEDA document, so do not rely on it without checking the contract terms you are offered.
If exported credits are valued below the price you pay for imports, the economics favour storing midday solar and using it in the evening. Run the calculation with your own bill: the result depends on your evening use, your tariff and the quote.
The reported rebate
An installer guide says the SuRIA Home programme gives domestic users who install under Solar ATAP a cash rebate of RM600 per kWac, capped at RM3,000 per household (Plus Xnergy). A property news site reported that the household rebate was extended only until April (EdgeProp, December 2025).
We could not confirm whether the rebate is open, whether a battery counts towards it, or how to claim it. Ask your installer to show the rebate on the quote in writing and ask whether it is conditional on approval.
SELCo: self-consumption
The self-consumption scheme (SELCo) covers solar used on site without export. Baker McKenzie reports 2026 updates to the SELCo scheme, including the standby charge and a requirement for battery storage that changed (Baker McKenzie), and an installer guide lists SELCo as always available (Malaysia4U).
The updates are mainly about commercial users. We could not tell how SELCo treats a household with a battery, so ask TNB or your installer.
Heat, humidity and safety
Heat and humidity shorten battery life. Choose lithium iron phosphate (LFP), install the battery in a shaded, ventilated spot, and check the manufacturer's maximum operating temperature. Flooding is a risk in some areas, so mount equipment above expected water levels.
A grid-tied inverter normally shuts down in an outage. For backup, ask for a hybrid or backup-capable inverter and a backup circuit wired by a qualified electrician. We did not find a Malaysian rule written specifically for a household battery, and we did not review the Energy Commission's electrical rules.
Tax, duty and incentives
We could not confirm VAT-like sales tax, import duty or any subsidy for the battery itself in Malaysia. Ask the seller to show tax on the quote and ask an accountant before you rely on any relief.
Portable power stations versus a home battery
Many Malaysians search for a portable power station for camping, food stalls, caravans and outage backup. A power station is a battery with sockets that you can use immediately. It is not wired into the house, does not switch over by itself and does not export power.
A home battery is installed by a qualified electrician, can run whole circuits and works with rooftop solar. Choose a power station for portable backup of a few devices, and a home battery to move solar into the evening and back up the house.
Outside Malaysia
Rules, tariffs and incentives for home batteries differ from country to country, so do not apply the figures on this page to a home elsewhere. We are adding guides for other countries to this section.
Common questions about Malaysia
Is net energy metering (NEM) still available in Malaysia?
NEM 3.0 closed on 30 June 2025. Solar ATAP replaced it from 1 January 2026. Legacy NEM installations keep their original terms.
What is Solar ATAP?
Solar ATAP (Solar Accelerated Transition Action Programme) is Malaysia's rooftop solar scheme from 1 January 2026. It lets owners export surplus to the grid as an energy offset.
Do solar credits roll over under Solar ATAP?
Installer guides say no, and that the balance resets monthly. We could not confirm this from an official document, so check your contract.
Is a home battery worth it in Malaysia?
If exports are valued below the retail price, storing solar for the evening is worth more than exporting it. Whether a battery pays depends on your evening use, your tariff and the quote.
Is there a rebate for home solar and batteries in Malaysia?
An installer guide reports a SuRIA Home rebate of RM600 per kWac, capped at RM3,000 per household. We could not confirm that it is open or that it covers a battery.
Is a portable power station the same as a home battery?
No. A power station plugs into individual devices and is not wired into the house. A home battery is installed by a qualified electrician and can run whole circuits and work with solar.
Related guides
Work out what a battery would do in your home
Run your own numbers through the same hourly model our guides use, then compare the result with what installers quote.