Solar marketing in Australia is now mostly battery marketing: more than 80% of small-scale solar systems installed in April 2026 went in alongside a battery. The federal battery discount steps down every six months and is set by the install date, not the date the customer signs, so every ad, quote and page needs the current number and the date it holds until. And how leads are found is under scrutiny: the ACCC named solar and energy among the industries that rely most on unsolicited selling.
Written by Dan Picken, founder. Last checked 6 November 2026.Solar and battery figures from the Clean Energy Regulator's record quarter announcement and June quarter 2026 market report. The factor comes from the CER battery STC calculator, and it drops to 5.7 on 1 January 2027. A big market where the main selling point changes price twice a year.
Source: CER Quarterly Carbon Market Report, June quarter 2026
How people choose an installer
A big bill or a rebate headline starts it. Then a search, a chat with the neighbour who already has panels, a quote site or two, and three quotes on the kitchen bench. The installer who explains the price, the size and the install date most clearly usually wins.
The psychology
A battery and solar system is one of the bigger things a household buys, and many have already had a pushy salesperson at the door. These are the doubts that decide who gets the job.
01
In ACCC research released in July 2026, two-thirds of people approached by unsolicited sellers said they felt pressured, and solar was one of the industries that leaned on it most.
Show them: Your licence number, your New Energy Tech Approved Seller status if you have it, a real address and no pressure to sign today.
02
The CER says the discount depends on the installation date, not when a contract is signed, and the factor falls on 1 January 2027. A slipped install can cost the buyer real money.
Show them: The install date in writing, and what happens to the price if it moves.
03
Payback is a promise about the future. The ACCC says those claims need reasonable grounds at the time you make them.
Show them: Savings worked out from their own bills, with the assumptions written down.
04
Average battery size reached 30.6 kWh in early 2026, then fell to about 23 kWh in May and June once the size tiers started. Buyers have been told bigger is better, then told it isn't.
Show them: A size based on how much power they use after dark, and what each extra kWh really costs.
05
Battery warranties typically run for ten years or more, and buyers know some of the businesses selling them won't be around that long.
Show them: Who honours the warranty, the manufacturer or you, and how to reach your service team.
From my audits
Solar and battery accounts tend to leak in the same places. These are where I'd look before spending another dollar.
Ads and pages quoting a discount figure that was right in April, or a NSW battery rebate that no longer applies.
Shared leads from quote sites, sold to several installers, rung with the same script as someone who searched for the business by name.
Battery enquiries left until the next day, when the buyer has already booked two other site visits.
Solar, batteries, EV chargers and commercial work crammed onto one services page, so none of them ranks or converts well.
NSW ads and websites without the licensee's name and licence number, which NSW Fair Trading requires in all advertising for electrical work.
Rebate line maths
Enter the system you want to advertise. It works out the federal discount using the Clean Energy Regulator's STC factors, checked on 6 November 2026, and writes an honest line for the ad. The starting numbers are made up.
Federal discount, about
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A line for the ad
An estimate for writing copy, not a quote. Your STC agent sets the final number. Batteries must be on the CEC approved list and installed by an SAA accredited installer to qualify.
AI search
People now ask AI tools things like 'is the battery rebate worth it' or 'what size battery do I need for a family of four'. Google says AI Overviews and AI Mode need no special optimisations beyond normal SEO, and that they run several related searches behind each question. Clear, current, local pages are what get picked up.
The battery factor changes every January and July until 2030. A page that still says 8.4, or '30% off', hands AI tools and buyers the wrong number.
AI tools name installers they can link to an area. Name the suburbs you cover, keep your Google Business Profile current, and show the licence number a buyer can check.
What to do now
My take: in solar, the installer who explains the rebate most honestly earns the trust, from buyers and from AI tools. Being right in January beats being loud in December.
Australian rules
Solar and battery selling sits under the Australian Consumer Law, plus licence, rebate and contact rules. These come up most in marketing, checked on 6 November 2026.
Door-to-door is weekdays 9am to 6pm and Saturdays 9am to 5pm; phone sales weekdays 9am to 8pm and Saturdays 9am to 5pm, never Sundays or public holidays. Buyers get a 10 business day cooling-off, and you can't take payment during it.
In July 2026 the ACCC recommended that lead generation be explicitly included in the unsolicited selling rules, along with stronger penalties.
Check call lists against the Do Not Call Register unless you have consent. Emails and texts need consent, your name and a working unsubscribe, and buying a list doesn’t transfer that responsibility.
Payback and savings claims need reasonable grounds. A 'free' offer with conditions or costs in the fine print is likely to mislead.
NSW requires the licensee’s name and licence number in all advertising for electrical work, whatever its value.
Batteries must be on the CEC approved list, installed by an SAA accredited installer and VPP capable. NSW's own battery installation incentive is suspended, and can’t be combined with the federal program.
A marketer's summary, not legal advice. The full set is on the solar advertising rules page.
The channel mix
The solar and energy hub
For batteries installed from May to December 2026, the factor is 6.8 STCs per usable kWh for the first 14 kWh, 60% of that from 14 to 28 kWh, and 15% from 28 to 50 kWh. At $38 a certificate (the price moves), a 10 kWh battery gets roughly $2,584 off. The factor drops to 5.7 on 1 January 2027.
Not for installing one. NSW suspended its battery installation incentive, which can't be combined with the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program. NSW still pays an incentive for connecting a battery to a virtual power plant (VPP).
Yes, within the rules: weekdays 9am to 6pm and Saturdays 9am to 5pm, never Sundays or public holidays, leaving when asked and respecting 'do not knock' signs. The buyer gets a 10 business day cooling-off period.
You can, but the ACMA says buying a list doesn’t transfer responsibility for consent. Calls must be checked against the Do Not Call Register, and the ACCC has recommended bringing lead generation under the unsolicited selling rules.
Nationally it's voluntary, and more than 2,000 businesses are approved sellers. In Victoria, retailers must hold the status to stay authorised under Solar Homes.
Be careful. Households generally don’t apply to the government for it: the installer claims certificates (STCs) and passes on the discount. The ACCC found misstated eligibility for government programs in its July 2026 unsolicited selling research, so name the program and explain how it works.
Keep going
Takes a minute. Audits come back within 1 to 2 business days. For anything else, I'll get back to you as soon as possible.
What happens next