Battery pricing online is a mess. One site quotes a hardware price with no installation, another quotes a "from" price for a battery nobody would actually fit, and a third has the rebate baked in at a rate that changed months ago. So here are the numbers we actually quote on the Sunshine Coast, with the rebate shown separately so you can see the working.
As at August 2026, an installed solar battery on the Sunshine Coast costs about $8,500 to $9,500 for 5 kWh, $13,000 to $14,500 for 10 kWh, and $17,500 to $19,500 for 15 kWh, before the federal rebate. The rebate, currently about $252 per usable kWh, takes roughly $1,260, $2,520 and $3,679 off those sizes respectively, which puts a 10 kWh battery at about $10,480 to $11,980 out of pocket. Switchboard upgrades and cable runs are what move a job from the bottom of a band to the top.
Last updated: 26 October 2026. Prices are as at August 2026; the rebate rate is the one in force since 1 May 2026.
How much does a solar battery cost on the Sunshine Coast?
Here are the installed bands, before and after the federal Cheaper Home Batteries rebate.
| Usable capacity | Installed, before rebate | Federal rebate (approx.) | Installed, after rebate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 kWh | $8,500 to $9,500 | about $1,260 | about $7,240 to $8,240 |
| 10 kWh | $13,000 to $14,500 | about $2,520 | about $10,480 to $11,980 |
| 15 kWh | $17,500 to $19,500 | about $3,679 | about $13,821 to $15,821 |
| 20 kWh | Quoted individually | about $4,435 | Quoted individually |
"Installed" means supplied, installed, programmed and commissioned, which is what you actually care about. A hardware-only price from an online store is not comparable.
A couple of things people search for that are worth clearing up:
- "10kW solar battery price" almost always means a 10 kWh battery. Kilowatt-hours (kWh) are how much a battery stores; kilowatts (kW) are how fast it can deliver it. The 10 kWh row above is the one you want.
- "20kW solar battery price" usually means a 20 kWh battery. We don't publish a band for that size, because at 20 kWh-plus the inverter, backup design and often the array itself all change. We quote them individually after a site visit.
How the rebate is worked out by battery size
The rebate is a federal certificate scheme. Since 1 May 2026 it's 6.8 STCs per usable kWh, and at a certificate price of about $37 after admin that's roughly $252 per usable kWh (6.8 × $37 = $251.60). It's also tiered: the first 14 kWh earns the full rate, capacity between 14 and 28 kWh earns 60%, and 28 to 50 kWh earns 15%.
Here's the arithmetic for each size in the table:
- 5 kWh: 5 × $252 = $1,260
- 10 kWh: 10 × $252 = $2,520
- 15 kWh: first 14 kWh at full rate, 14 × $252 = $3,528. The 15th kWh at 60%, 1 × $252 × 0.6 = $151.20. Total $3,679.20
- 20 kWh: first 14 kWh, $3,528. The next 6 kWh at 60%, 6 × $151.20 = $907.20. Total $4,435.20
Two things to take from that. First, the rebate is calculated on usable capacity, not the number in the product name, so check the usable figure on your quote. Second, every kWh past 14 earns less rebate, which is worth knowing before anyone talks you into a bigger battery "because of the rebate".
The rate steps down every six months through to the end of 2030, so the figure that matters is the one current on your install date. We confirm it in writing on every quote. The full background is on our solar rebate QLD page.
How much should a 10kWh battery cost?
On the Sunshine Coast, as at August 2026: $13,000 to $14,500 installed before the rebate, or about $10,480 to $11,980 after it. That's per kWh roughly $1,300 to $1,450 before the rebate ($13,000 ÷ 10 and $14,500 ÷ 10), or about $1,048 to $1,198 after.
If you've been quoted well below that band, check what's missing. The usual suspects are no switchboard work, no backup circuits, a battery that's smaller usable than its name suggests, or a "price" that's hardware only. If you've been quoted well above it, check whether you're paying for a premium brand, whole-home backup or a new inverter, and whether you actually need them.
10 kWh is the size we quote most for the standard Sunshine Coast family home, because it covers a normal evening through to morning: cooking, air con, a hot water boost. Most homes land between 8 and 16 kWh of evening and overnight use, which is why 10 and 15 kWh are the two sizes we quote most often.
What moves the price within the band?
Two homes ordering the same 10 kWh battery can land $1,500 apart. The difference is almost never the battery. It's:
- Switchboard condition. An older board often needs upgrading before a battery can go in safely and compliantly. This is the biggest single variable.
- Cable run. A battery in the garage next to the meter box is cheap. A battery on the far side of the house is not.
- Backup. Not every install includes blackout backup. Wiring an essential-loads sub-board adds cost; whole-home backup adds more and needs a bigger inverter.
- Location rules. Battery installs are governed by AS/NZS 5139, which restricts where a battery can go relative to doors, windows and habitable rooms. Sometimes the convenient spot isn't a compliant one.
- Phase supply. Three-phase backup costs more than single-phase.
- Brand. Tesla Powerwall (13.5 kWh, fixed) costs more per kWh than the alternatives. Sigenergy sits at the premium end of what we fit. Deye is our default on value. Our Deye vs Sigenergy comparison covers the trade-off.
How much does it cost to add a battery to a solar system?
If you already have solar, the battery bands above still apply. What changes is whether your existing inverter stays.
Our rule of thumb:
| Your situation | What we usually fit |
|---|---|
| Existing inverter is healthy and under 8 years old | AC-coupled battery alongside it. Panels and inverter stay put |
| Inverter is failing, out of warranty, or you're adding panels | Replace it with a hybrid inverter and DC-couple the battery |
| New solar and battery together | DC-coupled hybrid from day one |
An AC-coupled retrofit is usually the cheaper, faster path, because nothing on the roof or the existing inverter changes. If the inverter is near the end of its life anyway, replacing it with a hybrid costs more upfront but avoids paying for a second inverter in a couple of years. Inverters usually fail before panels, so on systems from the early 2010s this is a real consideration.
The full walkthrough is in our guide to adding a battery to existing solar. The rebate applies to retrofits exactly the same way.
Solar and battery package price: a worked example
For a household doing both at once, here's the example we use for a standard single-storey Sunshine Coast home, as at August 2026:
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| 6.6 kW solar system, installed, STC discount already deducted | about $6,000 |
| 10 kWh battery, installed, before rebate | about $13,500 |
| Less federal battery rebate on 10 kWh | about −$2,520 |
| Battery, net of rebate | about $10,980 |
| Total out of pocket | about $16,980 |
The $6,000 is the middle of the $5,000 to $7,000 range for a 6.6 kW system, and the $13,500 sits in the middle of the 10 kWh band. A combined install is usually a DC-coupled hybrid, so one inverter runs both the panels and the battery.
Bigger homes often pair a 10 kW array ($8,000 to $11,000 installed with STCs deducted) with a 10 or 15 kWh battery. We quote those combinations individually because the inverter choice changes with the size.
Is it worth getting battery storage with solar?
For a lot of Sunshine Coast homes, yes, but not for everyone, and the reason is the gap between what you're paid to export and what you pay to import.
Feed-in tariffs in south-east Queensland commonly sit around 3 to 12 cents per kWh. Grid power at peak costs roughly 25 to 35 cents. A typical Sunshine Coast home with solar only uses 30 to 50% of its own generation; the rest goes out cheap and comes back expensive after dark. A well-sized battery lifts that self-consumption to roughly 80 to 90%.
What that's typically worth:
- Battery added to existing solar: $1,000 to $1,500 a year in savings
- Solar and battery together: up to around $2,500 a year
Payback, with the working shown
Battery payback on the Sunshine Coast models out at roughly 7 to 12 years, or about 6 to 8 years for households with heavy evening loads like air conditioning, a pool pump or EV charging. The rebate typically takes two to three years off.
You can see where the 7 to 12 comes from with the 10 kWh numbers above:
- Best case: $10,480 net ÷ $1,500 a year ≈ 7 years
- Worst case: $11,980 net ÷ $1,000 a year ≈ 12 years
For the combined example, $16,980 against up to $2,500 a year gives a payback of roughly 7 to 14 years, depending almost entirely on how much of your power you use in the evening rather than exporting.
We don't build speculative future price rises into those numbers. Anyone promising a guaranteed three-year payback is selling, not calculating.
When it isn't worth it
- You're out all day and use very little power in the evening
- You're on a legacy high feed-in tariff you'd lose by changing the system
- You're selling within a couple of years
- Your array is small and has little surplus to store
How much are solar batteries in Australia?
Everything in this post is Sunshine Coast pricing for our installs. Prices elsewhere in Australia vary with labour costs, travel, competition and which brands are common in that market, so treat our bands as a Sunshine Coast reference rather than a national figure. The federal rebate is the same everywhere; it's calculated per usable kWh, not by postcode.
Getting a solar battery quote you can compare
A battery quote worth comparing shows:
- Usable capacity, not just the product name
- The rebate as a separate line, at the rate for your install date
- What's backed up in a blackout, if anything
- Switchboard and cable work, itemised
- Warranty terms for the battery and the workmanship
Our solar battery installation on the Sunshine Coast starts with your interval data so we size from your evening use, not a guess. When you're ready, request a solar battery quote and send a recent bill.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to add a battery to a solar system?
On the Sunshine Coast, as at August 2026, about $8,500 to $9,500 for 5 kWh, $13,000 to $14,500 for 10 kWh and $17,500 to $19,500 for 15 kWh installed, before the federal rebate. If your existing inverter is healthy the battery goes in alongside it; if it's failing, replacing it with a hybrid adds cost but is often the better long-term call.
How much are solar batteries in Australia?
It varies by region and installer. Our Sunshine Coast installed bands are above. The federal rebate, about $252 per usable kWh since 1 May 2026 for the first 14 kWh, applies nationally and is deducted on the invoice by the installer.
Is it worth getting battery storage with solar?
For most homes that use a fair amount of power in the evening, yes. Batteries typically save $1,000 to $1,500 a year when added to existing solar and pay back in roughly 7 to 12 years. If you use little power after dark, or you're on a legacy high feed-in tariff, the case is weaker.
How much should a 10kWh battery cost?
About $13,000 to $14,500 installed on the Sunshine Coast before the rebate, or roughly $10,480 to $11,980 after the current rebate of about $2,520. Switchboard work and cable runs are the main variables.
How much is a 20kWh solar battery?
We quote 20 kWh batteries individually, because the inverter and backup design change at that size. The federal rebate on 20 kWh of usable capacity is about $4,435 at the current rate, less per kWh than a 10 kWh battery because capacity above 14 kWh earns 60% of the full rate. A 20 kWh battery usually only makes sense with EV charging or a large array to fill it.
Does the battery rebate come off the quote?
Yes. Your accredited installer claims it and takes it straight off the invoice. You don't apply for it or wait for a payment. Ask for it to be itemised.
