1:1.53! Growth Rate of Australian Residential Energy Storage Outpaces Solar PV in First Half of Year
The latest report from the Clean Energy Council (CEC), *Rooftop Solar and Storage Report: January–June 2026*, reveals that Australia's rooftop solar and residential battery storage installations both reached record highs during the first half of the year. Nationwide, new rooftop solar capacity totaled 1.894 GW-a 41% year-on-year increase and the highest volume of new capacity added in six months on record. A total of 180,878 rooftop solar systems were installed, marking a 35% year-on-year rise and the strongest half-yearly performance since 2021.
Even more notable is that the installation rate for residential battery storage systems outpaced that of rooftop solar systems during this period; for every 100 new rooftop solar systems installed, 153 battery units were installed.
A CEC report shows that Australia added 1.9 GW of rooftop solar capacity in the first half of 2026. (Image credit: Clean Energy Council)
Article source: news.solarbe
Driven by the "Cheaper Home Batteries Program," Australia's residential energy storage market has experienced explosive growth. In the first half of 2026, a total of 276,011 battery energy storage systems were installed across Australia, a 52% increase from the 181,428 systems installed in the preceding six months. The program launched on July 1, 2025; in its first 12 months, a cumulative total of 457,439 battery energy storage systems were installed nationwide, representing 12.9 GWh of behind-the-meter storage capacity.
Meanwhile, the rooftop solar market has rebounded significantly. In the first half of 2026, 180,878 rooftop solar systems were installed nationwide-a 35% year-on-year increase and the strongest half-year performance since 2021. This corresponded to 1,894 MW of new capacity, a 41% year-on-year rise that set a record for the highest half-year capacity addition on record. In the second quarter, six states and territories-excluding only the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory-set records for quarterly rooftop solar capacity additions.
A report by the CEC indicates that the pace of investment in rooftop solar and energy storage by households and small businesses is currently significantly higher than projected in AEMO's planning scenarios. If current installation rates are maintained, rooftop and other small-scale solar capacity in the National Electricity Market (NEM) will reach 40.3 GW by the 2029–30 financial year-13% higher than the 35.8 GW projected under the "Step Change" scenario in AEMO's *2026 Integrated System Plan*. Using the same methodology, behind-the-meter battery storage capacity is projected to reach 59.2 GWh, 79% higher than AEMO's previous estimate of 33 GWh.
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