Australia’s small-scale renewable energy market continues to expand, with new data from the Clean Energy Regulator revealing more than 6.8 million small-scale energy installations have now been deployed nationwide. This includes more than 400,000 home battery systems supported under the Federal Government’s Cheaper Home Batteries Program.
The latest postcode installation data, current to 31 May 2026, highlights the ongoing strength of Australia’s rooftop solar sector while providing one of the clearest indications yet of the rapid growth occurring in residential battery storage.
Since solar batteries became eligible under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme on 1 July 2025, a total of 401,185 battery systems have had applications approved, representing one of the fastest technology rollouts in the history of Australia’s distributed energy sector.
Battery uptake has remained strong throughout 2026, with 196,386 approved installations recorded in the first five months of the year alone. New South Wales leads the national market with 141,617 approved battery installations since July 2025, followed by Queensland with 81,192 and Victoria with 76,741.
The figures suggest batteries are increasingly becoming a standard addition to household solar systems as consumers seek to maximise self-consumption and reduce exposure to rising electricity costs.
Solar remains the dominant technology
While batteries are attracting growing attention, rooftop solar continues to dominate Australia’s small-scale renewable energy landscape.
The regulator’s data shows 4.44 million solar photovoltaic systems have been installed nationally since records began, representing almost 29.7 GW of rated generation capacity. Solar photovolatic accounts for the overwhelming majority of Australia’s 4.44 million small-scale generation units, far exceeding small wind and hydro technologies.
Queensland has recorded the highest number of rooftop solar installations nationally with more than 1.19 million systems, narrowly ahead of New South Wales on 1.17 million. Victoria ranks third with 885,373 installations, followed by Western Australia with 573,124 systems.
Beyond solar generation, Australians have also installed more than 1.96 million solar water heaters and air-source heat pumps, demonstrating the growing role of electrification technologies in reducing household energy consumption.
The Clean Energy Regulator notes that installation totals for recent years will continue to increase as system owners have up to 12 months to create small-scale technology certificates under the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000. As a result, current figures represent a snapshot of a market that continues to grow across both solar and battery segments.
For more information, visit the Clean Energy Regulator website.
