SunWiz prints 1,043 MWh of small batteries in October and a 9.7% rise on 966.5 MWh - the division is 7.9%, one page prints 16.6 GWh beside 600,000 systems, another estimates 16.8 GWh, and a box over 100 kWh sits outside the band
On 10 November 2026 pv magazine Australia reported SunWiz figures for batteries of 5 to 100 kWh: an estimated 1,043 MWh in October, called 9.7% above 966.5 MWh in September. 1,043 divided by 966.5 is a 7.9% rise, our arithmetic. The same page says Chris Bowen put Cheaper Home Batteries at more than 600,000 residential and business systems and close to 16.6 GWh since 1 July 2025. Energy-Storage.News the same day says Bowen gave no capacity figure and estimates 16.8 GWh from about 28 kWh. A workplace battery above 100 kWh is outside this band.
A buyer pricing a battery for a workplace can read an October tally this week. The tally is for boxes of 5 to 100 kWh. A larger workplace battery sits outside it.
On 10 November 2026 pv magazine Australia reported SunWiz figures. The page says households and businesses installed an estimated 1,043 MWh of battery storage in the 5 to 100 kWh range in October 2026. It calls that up 9.7% on the 966.5 MWh registered in September, and the strongest month since April's 3,262 MWh. It calls the October tally about 18% more than the 885 MWh registered in October 2025.
The 9.7% and the two megawatt-hour figures in that sentence do not agree. 1,043 minus 966.5 is 76.5. 76.5 divided by 966.5 is 7.9%, our arithmetic. 966.5 times 1.097 is 1,060.3, our arithmetic, which is not 1,043. The page does not print a second September figure that would produce 9.7%.
Two other percentages on the same page land on the megawatt-hours. 1,043 minus 885 is 158. 158 divided by 885 is 17.9%, our arithmetic, beside the printed "about 18%" against October 2025. 1,043 divided by 3,262 is 0.320. One minus 0.320 is 68.0%, our arithmetic, beside the printed line that volumes are about 68% below April. The page says volumes are nearly double a May low. It does not print the May megawatt-hours.
Size bands, as the page quotes SunWiz. The 20 to 30 kWh segment is 399 MWh. The 40 to 50 kWh segment is 273 MWh. The 30 to 40 kWh segment is 210 MWh. The page says the bands from 20 kWh upward made up 85% of capacity. 399 plus 273 plus 210 is 882, our addition. 882 divided by 1,043 is 84.6%, our arithmetic, beside that 85%. The page also prints 10 to 20 kWh at 150 MWh, up 3%, and 0 to 10 kWh flat at 11 MWh. 882 plus 150 plus 11 is 1,043, our addition, matching the month total. The national average system size is printed as 26.74 kWh. The page does not print an October system count.
States, as printed. New South Wales is 356 MWh, up 10% on the previous month. Victoria is 227 MWh, up 17%. Queensland is 217 MWh, up 5%. 356 plus 227 plus 217 is 800, our addition. 1,043 minus 800 is 243 MWh, our arithmetic, and the page gives that remainder no state name. The page does not print the prior-month megawatt-hours those state percentages sit on.
The minister's tally is a different count, and the trade pages do not use the same capacity figure. pv magazine Australia says Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen said more than 600,000 residential and business batteries, close to 16.6 GWh, have been installed under Cheaper Home Batteries since 1 July 2025. It also prints a comparison with other countries and a line that more than 75% of the batteries were in outer suburban and regional communities. RenewEconomy, dated 9 November 2026, quotes him at a Solar Citizens webinar it calls last Thursday: Australia has surpassed 600,000 Cheaper Home Batteries since the first of July 2025, and 16.6 gigawatt-hours. A bracket on that page, "combined behind-the-meter storage", is the page's gloss on the quote. 9 November 2026 was a Monday, so the previous Thursday is 5 November, our reading of the calendar. The page does not print the date 5 November.
Energy-Storage.News, also dated 10 November, says Bowen announced 600,000 home battery systems in a LinkedIn post and did not give an installed capacity figure. From an average system size of about 28 kWh, that page estimates roughly 16.8 GWh. 600,000 times 28 kWh is 16.8 GWh, our arithmetic, next to that estimate. 16.6 GWh divided by 600,000 is 27.67 kWh, our arithmetic. That 27.67 kWh is not the 28 kWh on the Energy-Storage.News page, and 16.8 is not 16.6. This note did not open the LinkedIn post. A webinar quote and a report of a social post are not the same document.
What the program covers, on the Energy-Storage.News page. The Clean Energy Regulator administers it. The page says it launched in July 2025 and cuts the upfront cost of a small-scale battery connected to solar by around 30%, delivered as small-scale technology certificates. Eligible systems are 5 kWh to 100 kWh. The same page says that from 1 May 2026 the full discount applies only to the first 14 kWh, then 60% from 14 kWh to 28 kWh, and 15% from 28 kWh to 50 kWh. Those bands are that page's account of the scheme. They are not an October invoice. A workplace battery above 100 kWh is outside the October 1,043 MWh and outside this certificate band. An earlier note separates that federal cap from the NSW workplace voucher, which runs to 30 MWh: two Australian battery counters. The NSW range is a different page: the NSW business battery discount.
Analogy: a counter that rings up small boxes. The 9.7% sticker does not match the two figures on the same line. The 16.6 and the 16.8 are two tellers counting one queue. The large workplace cabinet is not on this counter.
Good: A dated SunWiz tally with megawatt-hours, a size band of 5 to 100 kWh, segment splits that add back to 1,043, three state figures, and two trade pages that do not print the same gigawatt-hour total for 600,000 systems.
Bad: 9.7% does not fall out of 1,043 and 966.5. 7.9%, 1,060.3, 17.9%, 68.0%, 882, 84.6%, 800, 243, 16.8 from 28 kWh, and 27.67 kWh are our arithmetic. The May megawatt-hours are blank. The state percentages have no prior-month base on the page. 16.6 GWh is in a webinar quote reported on 9 November. 16.8 GWh is Energy-Storage.News estimating from about 28 kWh, and that page says the minister gave no capacity figure. The LinkedIn post was not opened for this note. The 75% line and the country comparison are on the pv magazine page.
Ugly: Treating 9.7% as if 1,043 and 966.5 produce it. Treating 16.6 GWh and 16.8 GWh as one official figure. Treating 600,000 small systems as a quote for a workplace battery above 100 kWh. Reading the May discount bands as the price on an October invoice.
Soft next step: write October as 1,043 MWh in the 5 to 100 kWh band, write the rise on 966.5 MWh as 7.9% by division, and keep 16.6 GWh and 16.8 GWh on the pages that print them.
Source: pv magazine Australia, David Carroll, 10 Nov 2026, SunWiz October battery volumes. Primary for the estimated 1,043 MWh in October 2026 for 5 to 100 kWh systems, households and businesses, the printed 9.7% on 966.5 MWh in September, April's 3,262 MWh, about 18% more than 885 MWh in October 2025, about 68% below April, nearly double a May low with no May megawatt-hours printed, 399 MWh, 273 MWh, 210 MWh, 85% from 20 kWh upward, 150 MWh and 11 MWh, the 26.74 kWh average, 356 MWh, 227 MWh and 217 MWh, and the page's account that Chris Bowen said more than 600,000 residential and business systems and close to 16.6 GWh since 1 July 2025, plus the 75% outer-suburban and regional line. RenewEconomy, Sophie Vorrath, 9 Nov 2026. Primary for the webinar quote of 600,000 Cheaper Home Batteries since the first of July 2025 and 16.6 gigawatt-hours, the "last Thursday" placement, and the bracketed gloss. The page does not print 5 November. Energy-Storage.News, George Heynes, 10 Nov 2026. Primary for the statement that Bowen gave no installed capacity figure, the estimate of roughly 16.8 GWh from about 28 kWh, the 5 kWh to 100 kWh band, the around 30% cut via certificates, and the 1 May 2026 bands of 14 kWh, 60% and 15%. This note did not open the LinkedIn post that page describes. 76.5 divided by 966.5, 966.5 times 1.097, 158 divided by 885, 1,043 divided by 3,262, 399 plus 273 plus 210, 882 divided by 1,043, 882 plus 150 plus 11, 356 plus 227 plus 217, 1,043 minus 800, 600,000 times 28, and 16.6 GWh divided by 600,000 are our arithmetic.