CLP doubles funding for Northern Territory’s Home and Business Battery Scheme

Amid rising energy costs, the CLP has doubled funding for a solar panel scheme from $3 million to $6 million, calling on Territorians to cash-in on renewable options.

Deputy Chief Minister Gerard Maley and Eco Spark director Manoli Giallouris. Picture: Harry Brill.

Amid rising energy costs, the CLP has doubled funding for a solar panel scheme from $3 million to $6 million, calling on Territorians to cash-in on renewable options.

From December 1, 2024, the Home and Business Battery Scheme bonus will increase from $5000 to $12,000 for a battery subsidy of $400 per kilowatt-hour of usable system capacity.

On Tuesday morning at Berrimah, Deputy Chief Minister Gerard Maley said families and businesses alike would benefit from the move.

“The battery bonus is going to be able to allow people to spend up to $12,000 on a battery for the solar panels, which will include people who have already got solar panels,” he said.

“They’ll be able to go and buy a battery and become independent, thus reducing their power bills.”

The CLP have bumped up the Home and Business Battery Scheme funding pool to $6 million.

Eligible owners can use the grant to buy and install a solar photovoltaic system, or buy and install an eligible battery and inverter to compliment an existing solar PV system.

Eco Sparks Solar director Manoli Giallouris said the extra funding would help Territorians drive down their energy costs.

“I think it’s going to make a big difference to a lot of people probably on the fence of going down the renewable energy sector,” he said.

“People will be more inclined to go buy batteries - not only a smaller battery, but go get a larger battery, which would help them essentially get off the grid and reduce their power bill.”

Eco Sparks director Nickolas Georgiadis, Deputy Chief Minister Gerard Maley and Eco Sparks Director Manoli Giallouri. Picture: Harry Brill

Additionally, the CLP announced it would double the peak feed-in tariff, rewarding households and businesses 18.66 cents/kWh for electricity exported to the grid between 3pm and 9pm.

The CLP has confirmed from July 1, 2025, eligible customers will automatically receive the higher feed-in tariff from their electricity retailer, expected to save customers an average of $150 per year.

With up to 1000 people expected to jump in on the scheme, Mr Maley maintained the bonus was part of a broader effort to bring down energy costs.

“We’ve got a lot of gas on shore, we want to do what we can to get it out and pumped into the system so Territorians can take advantage of that gas and make energy available to Territorians.”