With power bills soaring and the cost-of-living turning into a years-long crisis, Gippsland households and businesses are turning to solar and batteries – using government subsidies and rebates along the way – to create more affordable energy solutions.

“ We're in for another big month,” solar panel installer Blake Edwards told the Gippsland Monitor, after receiving 13 pallets of panels to his Solar Run Gippsland outlet in Drouin.

Edwards used to be a sole trader in the industry but opened a Solar Run franchise four years ago. He’s seen firsthand the uptake in solar panel and battery installations across Gippsland in recent times.

Millions more solar panels

According to the Clean Energy Regulator, in 2024 there were over four million solar power systems installed in Australian homes and small businesses.

An estimated number of 10.8 million households (37 percent of homes in Australia) currently have solar panels installed.

“Anyone that owns a business and works between nine and five, and they use a bit of power, it's not good business not having solar on your property,” Edwards said.

He reckons the return on investment for a business purchasing solar panels is around two to three years, if the solar panels are sized correctly.

According to the Clean Energy Council Australian power bills could rise by 30 percent for households and 41 percent for small businesses by 2030, “further aggravating the cost-of-living crisis”.

In 2023 the CSIRO estimated the average homeowner could save as much as $2,250 per year on their power bill by converting to an electric car and all-electric appliances.

Battery business booms

Edwards has recently been observing a further shift in the market, with an increasing number of customers choosing to install batteries as well as solar panels.  

This is likely due to the Victorian government's solar battery loan, which allows those eligible to claim an $8,800 interest free loan on batteries.

Edwards estimates 70 to 80 percent of the homes he works on are for customers claiming government subsidies.

Last month he sold 150kW of solar for residential properties (the average home installs a 9.5kWh system) in Gippsland with nearly two in three people (65 percent) installing a battery.

Edwards has noticed that some households have even opted to switch their mains off and run entirely off the grid.

State and federal governments offer rebates on solar and interest-free loans on battery installations to incentivise small scale renewable energy use. The Gippsland Monitor will follow up with a guide on if you are eligible for a rebate and how to claim them.