Plico Energy, the only independent virtual power plant provider approved under Western Australia’s home battery rebate, has won backing from the federal government’s green bank to extend its “end-to-end” home solar and storage offering to more Australian states.
The Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) announced on Monday that it will invest up to $35 million in the Perth-based Starling Energy Group, which operates solar and battery-based retail brand Plico.
The finance – drawn from the Home Energy Upgrades Fund (HEUF) – will help Plico expand its discounted loans for rooftop solar, home batteries and virtual power plant access (VPP) beyond its current reach of WA and New South Wales, to all Australian states and territories.
Plico offers customers easy access to home solar and batteries with lower-cost finance and subscription-based connection to a VPP that offers financial rewards for the provision of essential grid services.
The VPP package is available on a weekly instalment which covers installation and ongoing management of the system, including customer support for the life of the subscription. Members also receive credits for when their power is used to support the grid.
Starling Energy Group says households using the Plico solar, battery and VPP offering can save more than $1,100 a year on energy costs. With the CEFC backing further cutting the cost of finance, they expect to add between $130 to $240 in added savings over 10 years.
“Plico is committed to democratising energy through Plico’s affordable solar and battery plans, with generous VPP rewards and active participation in grid stability using a model that provides direct and meaningful benefits,” Starling Energy Group CEO Robbie Campbell said in a statement last week.
“There is a real sense that VPP contribution makes a difference to Plico members, both through household earnings, and how they support the greater community through energy resilience.
“Working with the CEFC enables Starling Energy Group to bring these benefits to even more Australians, making solar and battery even more affordable.”
Plico has been in the VPP game for some years now, having started up in 2017 as the Dunsborough Community Energy Project (DCEP) founded by Starling Energy Group and funded by Swiss sustainable investor SUSI Partners.
After expanding and rebranding, Plico has grown to a network of 3100 home solar and battery systems, and counting, in WA, with the combined capacity equivalent to a 33 megawatt-hour battery.
Business has been booming for Plico in 2025, with the launch of WA Labor’s Residential Battery Scheme followed by the launch of the federal government’s Cheaper Home Batteries scheme.
In WA, choosing the “stacked” state and federal rebate means a bigger overall discount on the cost of investing in a battery, and gives medium- and low-income households access to a $10,000 interest free loan.
Opting in to the state rebate also makes it mandatory to sign up to a virtual power plant, which is currently limited to two state-owned retailer offerings, with one alternative from Plico Energy (via Synergy).
For this reason, WA has quickly become the state to watch in the nation-wide bid to drive up VPP participation – considered a vital tool to gain better control over and more value from Australia’s booming rooftop solar resource.
This is an effort that, at its core, means not only proving that they’re of value to solar and battery owners, but overcoming deep-seated trust issues between consumers and the energy sector.
“As Australia transitions to a more decentralised and decarbonised energy system, new consumer energy models like VPPs are essential,” CEFC CEO Ian Learmonth said in a statement on the weekend.
“By tapping into the dispatchable energy capacity of households, coordinated technologies like rooftop solar, home batteries and other consumer energy resources can help stabilise the grid, reduce energy costs, improve system reliability, and maximise the value of renewable energy investments.
“This investment supports long-term energy system efficiency and highlights the role of smart, flexible technology in delivering better outcomes for both consumers and the grid.”
