Australia Installs 1.04 GWh of Home Batteries in October, the Highest Since April
Australians installed about 1,043 MWh of home batteries in October, up 9.7 percent on September and the strongest month since April, according to SunWiz data reported by ESS News. The federal government says more than 600,000 batteries have been installed under its Cheaper Home Batteries program.
October's numbers
The 1,043 MWh covers systems from 5 kWh to 100 kWh. September was about 966.5 MWh, and October was roughly 18 percent above the 885 MWh of October 2025. It was the second monthly rise in a row. April 2026 was far higher, at about 3,262 MWh, so volumes remain well below that peak.
SunWiz's managing director, Warwick Johnston, described a steady recovery after the rebate changes that took effect in May. The average system size rose for a fifth month, to 26.74 kWh, and systems of 20 kWh and above made up 85 percent of capacity.
By state, New South Wales led with 356 MWh, followed by Victoria with 227 MWh and Queensland with 217 MWh.
The rebate behind the numbers
The government's own description of the May change is that the roughly 30 percent discount became tiered by battery size, with less support per kWh for medium and large systems, and only the first 50 kWh eligible. We reported on how registrations fell in June after the rebate change.
Energy Minister Chris Bowen said more than 600,000 batteries, around 16.6 GWh, have been installed since the program began on 1 July 2025, and that more than three quarters are in outer suburban and regional areas. These are government figures. We could not check them independently.
What to take from it
The market is recovering, but it has not returned to its April peak. Our report on the first half of 2026 from the Clean Energy Council gives the longer view.
Rebate rules differ sharply from country to country, and from state to state in Australia. For the current position, see our Australia country guide. This article is general information, not financial advice.
Sources
- ESS News: Australia installs 1.04 GWh of home batteries in October
- Minister for Climate Change and Energy: More Australians to benefit from Cheaper Home Batteries
- Prime Minister of Australia: Half a million Cheaper Home Batteries
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