Western Australia Synergy DEBS Solar and Battery Tariff Guide

Key Takeaways

• Synergy provides time-of-export feed-in rates where Electricity exported between 3pm to 9pm earns 10 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh);.
• Daytime generation receives lower baseline compensation: Electricity exported between 9pm and 3pm earns 2 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh)..
• Retailers provide buyback payment for 50 units (kWh) per day per premises (which is more than a 5kW solar PV system would be expected to generate on any given day)..
• Sizing regulations mandate that For a renewable energy system to be eligible for DEBS, it must have a generating capacity of between 500W and 5kW..
• In regional WA, Off-peak rates: Electricity exported between 9pm and 3pm earns 3 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh)..

The Structure of Western Australia's DEBS Tariff

The Distributed Energy Buyback Scheme (DEBS) is the official Western Australian Government framework governing electricity export payments for residential and non-profit customers connected to the SWIS.

Administered by state-owned retailer Synergy, the scheme replaced legacy net metering programs: as of 8 September 2020, DEBS replaced the previous Renewable Energy Buyback Scheme (REBS) for new and upgraded distributed energy installations.

DEBS introduces time-of-use pricing designed to encourage self-consumption during peak midday solar generation and reward evening battery exports when wholesale system demand peaks:

• Evening Peak Window: Electricity exported between 3pm to 9pm earns 10 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh);.
• Overnight and Midday Off-Peak: Electricity exported between 9pm and 3pm earns 2 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh)..
• Regional Networks: For remote grids, Off-peak rates: Electricity exported between 9pm and 3pm earns 3 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh)..

System Sizing Rules and Battery Integration

DEBS accommodates standard residential rooftop solar configurations and encourages household battery storage integration:

1. System Inverter Capacity: For a renewable energy system to be eligible for DEBS, it must have a generating capacity of between 500W and 5kW.
2. Panel Oversizing Allowance: Sizing provisions clarify that The state is investing in batteries, including the Big Battery in Kwinana and 13 PowerBank community batteries;.
3. Battery Storage Inclusions: There is no eligibility limit on home battery or electric vehicle battery size, but retailers are only obligated to offer buyback up to the daily volume cap.
4. Daily Volume Limitation: Retailers provide buyback payment for 50 units (kWh) per day per premises (which is more than a 5kW solar PV system would be expected to generate on any given day). Any exports beyond 50 units per day receive zero feed-in credit.

Statutory Eligibility and Customer Classes

DEBS obligations are established under state law via the Electricity Industry (Licensing Conditions) 2005.

Customer classes eligible to apply for DEBS tariff rates include:

• Residential Households: Specifically a residential customer who consumes not more than 50MWh of electricity per annum; or.
• Community Organisations: Eligible entities include Furthermore, From 1 May 2026, all new or upgraded solar PV and battery systems up to 30 kVA must support modern grid communication standards...
• Educational Facilities: Eligible premises encompass a customer that is a school, university or other educational institution; or.

Householders pairing rooftop arrays with home batteries can maximize export revenue by scheduling automated discharge during the lucrative 3pm to 9pm peak period.