Prime Minister of Australia Marks 500,000 Home Battery Milestone, Continuing Support for Local Solar Business

SYDNEY, Aug. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Yesterday, the Smart Energy Council and RKS Energy Solutions, an authorised retailer for Fox ESS, hosted a press conference in a local warehouse in Castle Hill. Government leaders joined the celebrations, marking Australia's milestone of 500,000 home battery installations and reinforcing the impact of the Cheaper Home Batteries Program (the program) on household adoption of residential energy storage. Fox ESS's brand ambassador, Ian Thorpe, also witnessed this achievement.

Targeting more than two million installations by 2030, the program is now tracking at around 25% of the goal midway through 2026, illustrating how targeted upfront support can rapidly reshape an energy market and strengthen consumer confidence.

Building on earlier success, the Government has expanded the program beyond its original $2.3 billion commitment, with funding of $7.2 billion over four years. For local households, solar and home storage mean permanently lower power bills and real control over their energy costs.

The Government's policy direction continues to evolve, including a renewed focus on the "missing middle" for commercial and industrial (C&I) energy storage. This includes further regulatory work to support solar-plus-storage and additional state-based incentives designed to accelerate uptake.

"This has been an extraordinarily successful scheme. It's creating jobs and generating economic activity, while also reducing power bills. And it's making a genuine difference to climate change by cutting our emissions. Overall, this is a complete win-win," said Hon Anthony Albanese MP, Prime Minister of Australia.

"This is a story of global significance! Australian households have delivered 14 gigawatt hours of storage. We're installing around 2,000 batteries every single working day across the country. And for many households, that has brought their power bills down to zero," said Hon Chris Bowen MP, Minister for Climate Change and Energy.

Fox ESS has been a key contributor to this momentum, supporting strong demand through its local footprint. The company has offices in Sydney and Melbourne, with a service team of more than 50 experts dedicated to the Australian market. In this June, Fox ESS also opened its second factory, further supporting the shift to clean energy, and strengthening its capacity to meet growing demand.

"Fox ESS is now No. 1 in the Australian market, and I'm proud to be their brand ambassador, helping Australians make the most of renewable energy at home. We're backing a future where Australia can run on the abundant resources we have, especially our renewable ones," said Ian Thorpe, Olympian and Fox ESS Brand Ambassador in Australia.

Moving forward, with sustained government support, Australia is poised to strengthen energy resilience, delivering lower bills, and cleaner power nationwide.