The Australian Government has announced the Solar Sharer scheme, a new initiative designed to reward households for using electricity during the middle of the day when solar generation is at its peak.
It's a welcome recognition that Australia's energy system works better when we use more power during solar hours, and a sign that time-varying pricing is becoming mainstream. The Solar Sharer scheme acknowledges what many in the energy sector have known for years: when solar is abundant, electricity should be cheap, and households should benefit from using it.
What is the Solar Sharer scheme?
The Solar Sharer scheme will offer households a discount on their electricity bills when they use power during peak solar generation times. The idea is simple: by shifting energy use to when solar is abundant and cheap, households save money while helping to balance the grid and make better use of renewable energy.
It's part of a broader shift in how Australia thinks about electricity pricing. Rather than paying a flat rate regardless of when you use power, schemes like Solar Sharer recognise that the cost of electricity varies throughout the day based on supply and demand. When rooftop solar is pumping energy into the grid on a sunny afternoon, wholesale electricity prices often plummet - sometimes even going negative.
* This chart shows a typical pattern for wholesale price movements throughout the day. On this day, wholesale prices were more expensive than a typical retail offer from 6pm - 6:30pm. This is a time when lots of people get home from work and put dinner on the stove, which can put pressure on the grid and increase the wholesale price. Meanwhile, wholesale prices were cheaper at all other times. Overall, the wholesale price was cheaper on average than a typical retail offer on this day.
Amber customers are already doing this
For Amber customers, this concept isn't new. We pioneered wholesale pricing for households in Australia, passing through the real-time cost of electricity so you automatically benefit when solar floods the grid and prices drop.
When you're on wholesale rates, there's a real incentive to shift what you can to cheaper, renewable fueled hours: run the dishwasher at lunch, charge devices during the day, do the washing when the sun is out, preheat or precool your home before the evening peak. These small shifts add up, and you're rewarded for them immediately through lower costs - not just during certain hours, but whenever wholesale prices are low.
The difference is that Amber's model is more dynamic. Rather than a discount for a couple of fixed hours, you see the actual wholesale price at any given moment. That means you benefit any time renewable generation is high or demand is low - including windy nights or mild spring days when the grid doesn't need much power.
Taking it further: batteries unlock the full potential
Shifting daytime usage through timers, smart devices, and scheduling can make a real difference. Setting your dishwasher to run at midday, preheating or precooling your home during solar hours, or charging devices when prices are low - these are all effective ways to take advantage of cheap solar.
But there are still limits to load shifting alone. Not all energy use can be moved or scheduled, and some households simply need power in the evening when they're home, regardless of when prices are lowest.
This is where batteries transform what's possible. A home battery stores that abundant daytime solar, whether from your own rooftop or from the grid, and lets you use it whenever you need it. Instead of trying to shift all your usage to match when solar is available, the battery shifts the solar to match when you actually use power. You also have stored energy available during grid outages or price spikes, adding an extra layer of energy security.
For households with solar panels, this is the difference between exporting excess solar to the grid for a modest feed-in tariff and storing it to use when electricity would otherwise be expensive. For households without solar, it means filling your battery when grid prices are low and avoiding expensive peak periods.
For Amber customers with batteries on SmartShift, the benefits go even further. Not only can you dramatically reduce your electricity bills - in some cases down to zero - but you can actually make money by discharging your battery back to the grid during high-price periods. Your battery becomes an asset that earns income while helping to stabilise the grid.
SmartShift makes it automatic
Of course, manually managing when to charge and discharge a battery would be tedious. You'd need to constantly monitor wholesale prices, weather forecasts, and your own usage patterns.
This is where automation becomes essential. Amber's SmartShift technology takes care of all of this for you. SmartShift monitors wholesale prices in real time and automatically charges your battery when prices are low - typically during the middle of the day when solar generation is high. Then it discharges your battery during expensive periods, helping you avoid peak prices.
It happens in the background without you needing to think about it. You just use power normally, and SmartShift ensures you're making the most of price variations throughout the day. For Amber customers on SmartShift, the principle behind Solar Sharer (using energy when it's cheap and abundant) is something their battery is already doing automatically.
The infrastructure we need
The Solar Sharer scheme is a positive step. It signals that governments recognise the need to align household incentives with grid realities, encouraging energy use when renewable generation is abundant.
And schemes like this work best when households have the technology to respond. Batteries aren't just nice to have - they're increasingly essential infrastructure for making the most of Australia's renewable energy transition. As more solar comes online and the gap between cheap and expensive electricity widens, the value of storage will only increase.
For Amber customers, that future is already here. Whether you're shifting daytime loads to take advantage of wholesale pricing, or using a battery with SmartShift to automate the whole process, you're already benefiting from the same principle the Solar Sharer scheme is built on: using energy when it's abundant and cheap.
Amber customers access wholesale electricity prices in real time, with prices updating every five minutes. Find out how Amber and a home battery can help you make the most of cheap solar.
