The Real Winner of The Election? Batteries.

From July 1, Australians will be able to knock about $4,000 off a home battery. The goal? A million new batteries by 2030. Based on the number of quote requests we’ve seen at SolarQuotes — up 5x since election night — this is going to move the needle fast.

It’s the biggest shift in household energy since the rooftop solar boom. And if solar decimated the middle of the demand curve, batteries are about to take a bite out of the evening peak.

We’ve talked about the duck curve for years. Now it might finally get roasted.

But this isn’t just about bills and load shaping. Batteries are popular because they’re useful and desirable. They save money, keep the lights on during outages, and they look cool (as long as they are well-installed). Batteries are fast becoming the home tech people really want.

It’s a kind of materialism that doesn’t hurt the environment but helps it.

Another Nail In The Coffin For V2G

The rebate doesn’t just make batteries cheaper. It kills what’s left of the argument for Vehicle To Grid (V2G), which enables electric vehicle batteries to discharge to the grid.

Think about it: with modular systems like Sigenergy or BYD, you can add extra storage later at around $400 per kilowatt-hour after the rebate. No fiddling with EV charge levels, no family drama over unplugged cars, no $4,000 bidirectional charger.

Why bother using your car as a home battery when the real thing is this cheap and this easy?

Battery installs can be complicated, but the rebate will push the industry to streamline the process.

Streamlining Battery Installs

Battery installs are going to get faster too. Just like STCs helped drive down solar installation costs, this rebate will push the industry to streamline battery installs. Fewer cables, faster commissioning. Expect most brands to follow Sigenergy with easy-add stackable systems¹.

This is what happens when government policy meets good tech: things scale.

A battery in the garage used to be a niche product for off-gridders and enthusiasts. Now it’s becoming standard kit. Because it’s useful. Because it’s affordable. Because, frankly, it’s cool.

We’ve entered the second phase of the home energy shift. Not just generation, but proper, household-level storage. And if this rollout mirrors the rooftop solar boom, the impact will be massive.

Labor may have won the election.

But the real winner is the battery.

For more on the impact of Labor’s Cheaper Home Batteries Program, take a look at our explainer on the scheme, our guide on what discount it offers for the best batteries available, and our federal battery rebate calculator. 

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