Perth Suburbs Drive Home Battery Adoption
Residents in the City of Armadale have emerged as the leading adopters of home solar batteries under a federal rebate program. Since the scheme commenced on July 1, 828 batteries have been installed in the Armadale area.
Outer suburban regions of Perth have shown strong engagement with the rebate, which in Western Australia is complemented by a state government scheme. This combined incentive provides rebates of $5000 for Synergy customers and $7500 for Horizon customers, along with interest-free loans of $10,000.
Key Adoption Figures by Postcode
- Armadale (postcode 6112): 828 installations
- City of Cockburn (postcode 6164): 825 installations
- Wanneroo (postcode 6065): 773 installations
The top 10 list for installations includes additional outer-suburban council areas such as Canning, Gosnells, Mandurah, Swan, and Rockingham.
Impact and Ministerial Statement
Over 22,000 homes and businesses in Western Australia have utilized the rebates, representing approximately 12 percent of the 190,000 total installations nationwide.
Federal Fremantle MP and Assistant Climate Change Minister Josh Wilson stated that the scheme has added more than 400 megawatt hours of battery capacity to WA's grid. He noted this capacity is equivalent to "double the size of the first phase of the Kwinana big battery project." Wilson also highlighted that six of Australia's top 20 postcodes for battery installations are in Western Australia, primarily in metro suburbs where residents seek to reduce energy costs and emissions by integrating distributed battery storage with rooftop solar systems.
Homeowner Perspective
Oceana Penniment, a Gwelup resident who recently had a home battery installed, reported a substantial decrease in her family's electricity bill. She indicated that prior bills for her family of six were approximately $1600, but after the battery installation, they decreased to around $200, even with air conditioning running during summer. She anticipates even lower costs in winter, despite the continuous operation of their pool.