The 2023 Australian Battery Report by SunWiz has found that a record amount of battery energy storage systems were installed in Australian homes and businesses in 2022.

Installations of batteries linked to solar systems in 2022 grew by 55% when compared to the previous year’s installations, as shown by a compilation of government, industry and energy market operator data sources.

According to SunWiz’s assessment, 47,100 residential energy storage systems were installed in 2022. SunWiz managing director Warwick Johnston believes this is down to a number of variables.‌

“Australians responded to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, COVID, the energy price crisis and worsening climate fuelled disasters by installing home solar systems linked to batteries, in an effort to increase their energy independence, resilience and self-reliance,” he explains.

“With skyrocketing electricity prices, this data shows Australian households and businesses are taking back power from the energy system by turning to cheaper, renewable sources of energy.”

He adds that solar battery installation will enable free energy generated by the sun to be stored for later use. Homes and businesses set up with solar and storage are guaranteed lower power bills which will be a relief to many as we go into winter.

Installing solar and storage together is becoming more commonplace as Australia upgrades its energy system and looks for climate solutions. There was one battery energy storage system installed for every seven solar power systems installed last year which is up from 1-in-12 in 2021.

“The cumulative total number of Australian homes and businesses with solar and batteries has hit 180,000. That’s still a long way off the three-million homes with solar panels, but many solar households are seeing the light – with one-third of battery installations being retrofitted to existing solar systems” Warwick explains.

Storage by state:

• Victoria and NSW installed the greatest amount of energy storage systems in 2022
• South Australia leads in per-household uptake
• Tasmania and the ACT were the highest growth markets in Australia in 2022, installing four times more batteries in 2022 than in 2021

The national tally of home energy storage systems grew to 1920MWh in 2022. That’s enough energy storage to meet the daily electricity needs of 128,000 typical households.