Unlock additional value from your home battery system
Our exciting new Synergy Battery Rewards program is designed to help you make the most of your household battery, in addition to the available government incentives for renewable energy.
Battery Rewards is a new way to make even more back on your investment in household energy assets. You can earn rewards for exporting your unused energy from your battery when the energy system needs it most. During these times, you could earn credits to help you save on your energy costs and help keep WA’s energy system more reliable for everyone.
Whether you’ve already made the decision or you’re thinking of investing in a household battery, you have a vital role in WA’s energy future.
Battery Rewards estimated value*
How you could benefit from Synergy Battery Rewards
By installing a compatible household battery through the WA Residential Battery Scheme and participating in Synergy's Battery Rewards program, you can unlock more benefits from your investment and support WA’s renewable energy future. Your battery will also help stabilise the energy system, helping to maintain a reliable power supply for everyone.
Battery Rewards is part of Synergy's Virtual Power Plant, designed to create system reliability for everyone and reward customers who can support the energy system through activations when needed.
Here’s how you could benefit from Synergy's Battery Rewards:
Earn activation credits* - 70 cents per unit
Your stored energy is valuable to the energy system, so during a Battery Rewards activation event, you could earn 70 cents for every unit** of electricity exported to the energy system. These are called ‘activation credits’*. This is up to the maximum capacity of your battery during an activation event. To help you compare, our customers on a standard Synergy A1 tariff usually pays 31.5823 cents** per unit of electricity they use.
2 year contract with capped activation events – 30 per year
Under Battery Rewards, Synergy would manage your battery for a two year term, with up to 30 activation events per year during peak demand periods when the energy system needs to draw on household energy assets, such as the hottest or coldest days of the year. Each activation event can last up to 6 hours and involves a single charge/discharge cycle . All other times, your battery remains available for your own use and benefit.
Receive energy offset credits* when we use your energy
To make sure you’re never worse off from sharing your stored battery power, you’ll also receive energy offset credits* to cover energy costs during the activation standby window. This is up to the maximum capacity of your battery during the standby window, which is where your stored capacity is placed on hold before a Battery Rewards event. With Battery Rewards, you’re compensated for the energy used to charge your battery AND the energy that you would have used from the battery during this time with energy offset credits*.
It’s win-win for you and WA’s energy future
By installing a compatible household battery and joining Battery Rewards, you will enjoy the benefits of your investment while contributing to WA’s renewable energy future. Your battery will also help stabilise the energy system, helping to maintain a reliable power supply for everyone – especially when it's needed most.
Synergy will publish Battery Rewards terms and conditions shortly with additional FAQs.
*Activation and energy offset credits are both capped up to your installed battery capacity.
** Prices are subject to change from time to time; Synergy would advise customers in advance of any change.
Help keep WA's energy system more reliable for all
The WA State government has announced new initiatives to support the uptake and installation of household rooftop solar and battery storage solutions, helping more Western Australians transition to a renewable energy future. Find out how you could benefit.
Battery Rewards General FAQs
- How is Battery Rewards linked to the WA Residential Battery Scheme?
-
Battery Rewards is currently only available to customers installing compatible battery storage systems through the WA Residential Battery Scheme.
- Is Battery Rewards available for all residential customers with compatible systems?
-
Battery Rewards is currently available for all eligible residential customers on residential tariffs (Home Plan (A1), Home Business Plan (K1), Midday Saver or Electric Vehicle Add On tariffs) that are installing a compatible battery storage system through the WA Residential Battery Scheme. Customers registered with life support equipment at the property will not be eligible to participate in the program.
- What is Battery Rewards?
-
The Battery Rewards program is a rewards program for residential customers with compatible battery storage systems who participate in Synergy's Virtual Power Plant. Synergy will use advanced software to remotely monitor and control your battery storage system to support the energy system during peak demand periods.
In return, you will be eligible to receive credits or rewards based on your level of participation during Battery Rewards activation events. - What is a Virtual Power Plant?
-
A Virtual Power Plant is a coordinated network of energy assets, primarily of rooftop solar and battery storage systems, which help create system reliability, whilst delivering rewards for participating customers. To participate in Synergy’s Virtual Power Plant, a customer will need to have an energy asset that is equipped and configured correctly.
- What if I’m part of another VPP Program?
-
Synergy Battery Rewards is not compatible with any other Virtual Power Plant programs, as both programs would likely need to communicate and manage your battery storage system at the same time.
- How does Battery Rewards work?
-
Your battery becomes part of Synergy’s Virtual Power Plant to support the energy system during a peak demand period — typically between 3pm and 9pm on very hot or cold days. These periods can trigger a Battery Rewards activation event. There will be no more than 30 Battery Rewards activation events per year.
During an activation event, your battery will automatically discharge stored energy. This is managed remotely through your inverter, which means no action is required on your behalf, and you’ll earn activation credits* for each kilowatt hour (kWh) exported (70 cents per kWh).Ahead of an event, there’s a short period of time (about two hours) known as an activation standby window, where we will hold and/or charge your battery to prepare. You’ll receive energy offset credits* to cover any energy used from the energy system during this time.
During activation events your battery will export energy gradually, so you’ll likely still have access to stored energy for household use during the event. You will only earn activations credits for electricity exported to the energy system.
*Both activation and energy offset credits are capped up to the maximum of your battery capacity (on a per event basis). - How often will my system be activated?
-
Battery Rewards activation events can occur no more than 30 times per year. Battery Rewards activation events are likely to occur during peak demand periods.
They are most likely to occur between 3pm to 9pm in summer and winter months, when extreme temperatures create a higher demand for electricity. They can run for up to four hours in length, though on average will occur for two to three hours. - Will this impact the life of my battery?
-
Charging your battery in preparation for an activation and then discharging the battery has the same effect as charging and discharging the battery for your own use. Under self-consumption mode your battery is usually charging and discharging every day. Through Battery Rewards you will participate in up to 30 activation events per year.
- What is a peak demand period?
-
Peak demand is when electricity usage is at its highest. Here in WA, peak demand in our main electricity system is usually between 3pm and 9pm on the hottest and sometimes coldest days of the year. This is when extreme temperatures create a higher demand for electricity. For example, in summer this is when many people arrive home from work or school and switch on their air conditioners, TVs, gaming consoles, lights and other appliances. The demand for electricity from the system spikes during these times.
- Why is peak demand a problem?
-
Peak demand impacts everyone across WA’s main electricity system: the South West Interconnected System (SWIS). There are two main parts to this:
- The impact of climate change – Climate change is causing more extreme weather conditions and hotter summers, which means that peak demand events are becoming more common. Dramatic temperature changes and sudden weather events can cause big increases in electricity usage.
- Growing demand for electricity – Our WA population is growing and economic development increasing. This means we use more air-conditioning and more electric vehicles, and it has been predicted that our total demand for electricity will
rise.
- What is a Test Event?
-
To make sure everything is ready for peak demand periods, our Synergy team could carry out Test Events from time to time. A Test Event is not an Activation Event and no Activation Event Credits, or any other Credits apply to a Test Event. Test events will generally be shorter than a Battery Rewards Activation event and won’t count as one of the events in the Annual Activation event cap.