STC Battery Rebate Eligibility (July 2026)
In this short video, Brad Vanders from OFFGRID NOW® walks through STC (Small-scale Technology Certificate) rebate eligibility for solar batteries, drawing directly from the Clean Energy Regulator (CER) website as it stood on 28 July 2026. Because the CER updates this page regularly — and those changes aren't always obvious — it's worth checking the current version yourself. You'll find it by searching "CER STC battery rebate" or you can click the link here: https://cer.gov.au/schemes/renewable-energy-target/small-scale-renewable-energy-scheme/small-scale-renewable-energy-systems/solar-batteries
General eligibility
To qualify for STCs, a solar battery generally needs to tick a handful of boxes:
It must be a new system — not previously installed or claimed — and created within 12 months of the installation date.
It must be installed alongside new or existing solar PV.
It must have between 5 and 100 kWh of nominal capacity.
It must be installed in a single job, not pieced together over time.
It must appear on the Clean Energy Council approved battery list.
It must comply with Australian/New Zealand standards and state or territory electrical safety laws.
It must be VPP (Virtual Power Plant) capable if grid-connected, or within one kilometre of the grid for off-grid systems.
It must be installed by an SAA-accredited installer with battery endorsement, in line with SAA's technical requirements.
At OFFGRID NOW®, every system is installed by SAA-accredited electricians and our inverters are VPP capable, so this side of things is already covered when you puchase and install an OFFGRID NOW® power cabinet.
Off-grid batteries — the important part
Around 90% of what we do is off-grid, so this is where it gets interesting. The rule that "only one solar battery system is eligible per premises" has been a bit ambiguous when it comes to tiny homes and granny flats. The key clarification: additional off-grid solar batteries can be installed on other dwellings at the same address and be eligible for STC battery rebates if these additional solar batteries meet the qualification criteria detailed below.
That means on a property with multiple off-grid lived-in structures — a remote farmhouse plus a tiny home, granny flat, houseboat or caravan — you may be able to claim additional STCs for each separate dwelling. Each battery must:
Be installed on a lived-in dwelling that is separate from the main residence.
Have its own solar system producing power.
Be VPP capable.
Remain installed until after the end of 2030, or for the duration of the warranty period — whichever is later. (Most of our systems carry a 10-year warranty.)
On distance from the grid: properties more than 1 km away don't need to be VPP capable, while those within 1 km must be VPP capable or provide written evidence.
The paperwork
Your accredited installer handles the documentation — photos, uploads to the CER, plus clear images of each dwelling, a map showing the locations, and vehicle numbers for mobile dwellings like caravans and houseboats.
This latest guidance finally clears up the long-standing grey area around tiny homes and granny flats, confirming that multiple off-grid systems on a single property can qualify.
Got questions? Email inquiry@offgridnow.com.au or call 1300 141 255 — we're happy to talk it through.
