The federal government has hailed the success of its home battery rebate, confirming over the weekend that 100,000 households batteries had been installed since the start of the scheme in July, representing a total of two gigawatt hours of installed capacity.
“This is a remarkable, remarkable achievement for this program,” federal climate and energy minister Chris Bowen told media on Sunday at an event to mark the occasion.
“And two other milestones are being surpassed today as well. Two gigawatt hours of storage has been added as of today, and that is a 50 per cent increase in the home battery storage on what existed before the 1st of July.”
The event was held at the home of “Kenny” in Rouse Hill, in north-western Sydney, and in the Greenway electorate of federal Labor MP and Attorney General Michelle Rowland. Bowen said his battery system, installed by Penrith Solar, had slashed Kenny’s bills from $240 a month to $10 a month.
Bowen said Rouse Hill and neighbouring Kellyville had the highest take-up of any postcodes in Australia,.
Earlier, in a statement, Bowen said the rapid growth of home batteries was critical for a country that has such a high rate of rooftop solar installations, with rooftop PV now accounting for more than 50 per cent of total grid demand on occasions, and all of demand in states such as South Australia at times.
“Australia is a solar nation – with the highest rate of rooftop solar anywhere in the world,” Bowen said. “Our program takes the next step, delivering a game changer for household bills.”
Rowland said the program has been particularly important for people in the outer suburbs.
“This is not a story of the inner city; it’s a story of the outer suburbs and the regions leading the way on cheaper, cleaner energy,” she said in a statement.
“In Greenway alone, almost a thousand households are already part of this change, showing that practical, affordable clean energy is happening right here in our local community.”
Giles Parkinson is founder and editor of One Step Off The Grid, and also edits and founded Renew Economy and The Driven. He has been a journalist for 35 years and is a former business and deputy editor of the Australian Financial Review.
