Residential
Home battery storage, sized to your actual evening load
Set Energy installs home battery systems across Greater Sydney and NSW, sized from your interval data rather than from your solar system size or whatever the current incentive rewards. Both the federal battery discount and the NSW PDRS incentive can apply to one installation; we show each as a separate line item, so the price underneath stays visible.
How we size a battery
We size batteries from interval data, not from your solar system size and not from whatever the current incentive rewards. The binding constraint is the lesser of your overnight consumption and your available daily solar surplus — the full method is set out in how to size a home battery.
This regularly produces a smaller recommendation than households expect. A battery that cycles fully every day returns more per installed kilowatt-hour than a larger one that spends most of the year partly charged.
Incentives, itemised
Two separate incentives apply in New South Wales and they are calculated in completely different ways:
- The federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program — an upfront discount delivered through Small-scale Technology Certificates, based on usable capacity, with a full rate on the first 14 kWh and a reduced rate above that since 1 May 2026.
- The NSW Peak Demand Reduction Scheme — Peak Reduction Certificates, based on the capacity you can discharge during the peak window.
Both can be claimed on the same install. PDRS certificates can only be created by an IPART-accredited certificate provider — we are not an ACP ourselves and work with one, so the state incentive can be claimed on jobs we install. The full mechanics, including the BESS1 to BESS5 activities and what changed on 1 July 2026, are in the NSW battery rebate guide.
Backup power
Blackout backup is a separate design decision, sized on power rather than capacity. It requires a dedicated backup circuit or changeover arrangement and correct isolation so the system cannot energise the network during an outage. We specify what will and will not run during an outage in writing, because the gap between expectation and reality here is the most common source of disappointment with battery systems.
Retrofit versus new installation
| Existing setup | Typical approach |
|---|---|
| String inverter, no battery provision | AC-coupled battery, existing inverter retained |
| Hybrid inverter already installed | DC-coupled battery to the existing inverter, if compatible |
| Ageing inverter near end of life | Replace with a hybrid inverter and DC-couple the battery |
| Microinverters | AC-coupled battery with its own inverter |
Common questions
How much does a home battery cost in NSW?
Installed cost depends on usable capacity, whether an inverter replacement is needed, backup requirements and switchboard work. Both the federal discount and the NSW PDRS incentive reduce the figure, and neither is fixed — both move with certificate prices. We show each as a separate line so the underlying price is visible.
Can I add a battery to my existing solar system?
In most cases yes. If your inverter is a hybrid model with battery capacity, a DC-coupled battery may connect directly. Otherwise an AC-coupled battery works alongside your existing inverter without replacing it.
How long do home batteries last?
Current lithium systems typically carry warranties around ten years or a stated energy throughput, whichever comes first. Cycling depth and operating temperature both affect real-world life, which is one reason installation location matters.
Do I have to join a virtual power plant?
Not for a new battery. Federal eligibility requires the battery to be VPP-capable, not enrolled, and the NSW new-battery activities require aggregator-capable hardware without a contract. Only the retrofit activity for an existing battery requires a VPP agreement.
What size battery do I need?
Most three-to-four-person Sydney households land between 10 and 14 kWh usable. The correct figure is your overnight consumption — roughly 4pm to 7am — capped by your daily solar surplus, both of which you can read from your interval data. The full method, with a worked Blacktown example, is in our battery sizing guide.
How much is the battery rebate in NSW?
Two incentives stack. The federal discount runs at 6.8 STCs per usable kWh for May–December 2026 installs, at full rate on the first 14 kWh — illustratively around $3,000 on a 13.5 kWh battery at current certificate prices. The NSW PDRS incentive is paid in Peak Reduction Certificates whose value floats with the certificate market, so no honest quote states it as a fixed dollar figure months ahead. The full arithmetic for both is in our NSW battery rebate guide.
Get a proper assessment
Send us twelve months of bills and a photo of your switchboard and roof. We will tell you what is worth doing, in what order — including where the answer is to wait.