Origin Loop is Origin Energy's virtual power plant, and the way most battery owners join it is through Origin Battery Lite, which is what the old bring-your-own-battery offer is now called. You stay on any Origin electricity plan, Origin gets to call on your battery during events, and you are paid $1 for every kWh it sends to the grid in those events.
What sets it apart is the battery list. Where some programs take a handful of brands, Origin lists well over a dozen, from Tesla and Sungrow to FoxESS, GoodWe, SolaX and newer names like Anker Solix and FranklinWH. If your battery is on few other lists, check this one first.
Who it suits
- Owners of less common batteries (FoxESS, GoodWe, SolaX, Anker Solix, FranklinWH, GivEnergy and others) who are short on VPP options.
- People who want to choose their own retail plan, since any Origin electricity plan qualifies.
- Households in the ACT, which several other programs do not cover.
Who should skip it
- Small systems: you need at least a 5kWh battery and 5kW of solar.
- NSW households who want the state incentive but not a long commitment. Claiming it locks you in for 3 years.
- Anyone uneasy about handing Origin control of the battery at least 90% of the time.
Origin Loop at a glance
| Provider | Origin Energy |
| Plan | Origin Loop VPP (Battery Lite) |
| Status | Open when checked, sold as "Origin Battery Lite" (the renamed bring-your-own-battery offer). |
| States | NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, ACT |
| Networks / regions | NSW, VIC, QLD, SA and the ACT, wherever you can be an Origin electricity customer. |
| How it pays | Per kWh exported in events: $1 per kWh your battery discharges to the grid in events, up to 200kWh a year, on top of your normal feed-in. |
| Sign-up bonus | $200 credit for first-time Loop customers |
| Control and reserve | Origin aims to leave about 20% in the battery (this may vary), can charge it from the grid, and needs control at least 90% of the time. No VPP use during blackouts. |
| Contract and exit fees | No lock-in, 20 business days notice. Exception: claim the NSW VPP incentive and a 3-year minimum term applies. |
| Switch retailer? | Yes. You must be an Origin electricity customer, but any Origin plan qualifies. |
| State incentive link | NSW: about $36 per kWh of usable capacity, up to about $1,015, paid in cash by MAC Trade Services within 60 days. Claiming it triggers a 3-year minimum term. |
| Last checked | Sep 2026, against the provider's own pages |
How the money actually works
The ongoing payment is simple. During a Loop event, every kWh your battery discharges to the grid earns $1, up to 200kWh a year. Unlike AGL's version, only discharge counts: energy Origin pushes into your battery from the grid does not earn the credit.
Your normal feed-in tariff keeps being paid on everything you export, including during events, at whatever rate your Origin plan pays. The $1 is on top of that, not instead of it.
First-time Loop customers also get a $200 sign-up credit. Origin puts the headline as "up to $400 in value in year 1", which is simply the $200 credit plus the maximum 200kWh at $1. From year two, the most the event credit can pay is $200 a year.
Origin can change the $1 rate with 20 business days notice, so treat it as today's price rather than a guarantee.
Worked example: a 13.5kWh battery in a busy year and a quiet one
Built only from Origin Energy's published terms, with every assumption spelled out.
- Published: $1 per kWh discharged to the grid in events, capped at 200kWh a year, plus $200 once for first-time Loop customers.
- Origin aims to leave about 20% in the battery, so a 13.5kWh battery has roughly 10.8kWh it could discharge in one event (13.5 × 80%). In practice your home uses some of that too.
- Event counts (20 and 8) are our assumptions for illustration. Origin does not publish how many events it calls.
Real figures depend on how many events Origin calls and how full your battery is when they start. These are VPP credits only, separate from your feed-in, from the federal battery discount and from any state incentive.
Which batteries work with Origin Loop
This is Origin Energy's own compatibility list as published when we checked. Lists change, and it is often the exact model, inverter and firmware that matter, not just the brand, so confirm your system with Origin Energy before you count on the numbers.
- 1KOMMA5
- AlphaESS
- Anker Solix
- FoxESS
- FranklinWH
- GivEnergy
- GoodWe
- LG RESU
- Neovolt
- SAJ
- Sigenergy
- SolarEdge
- SolaX
- Sungrow SBH, SBR and SBP4K8
- Tesla AC Powerwall and Powerwall 3
- Plus other models on Origin's full list, which names the compatible inverters for each
Read up on the brands we cover: AlphaESS, FoxESS, GoodWe, Sigenergy, SolarEdge, Solax, Sungrow, Tesla Powerwall.
The catch: fine print worth reading first
- The NSW 3-year catch. The bring-your-own offer has no lock-in, but if you claim the NSW VPP incentive through Origin, a minimum 3-year term applies. Read that clause before you take the money.
- 90% control. You must let Origin control the battery at least 90% of the time. It aims to leave about 20% for you, but says that may vary.
- No VPP during blackouts. Origin does not use the battery during an outage, so backup still works, but the charge left depends on what happened before the power went out.
- Some apps get locked. On Sigenergy, FranklinWH and ESY Sunhome systems, the charge and export settings in your battery app are switched off while enrolled.
- You move to Origin. You need to be an Origin electricity customer. Any plan works, so pick the one that suits your usage rather than the first one offered.
Other things to know
- You need a battery of at least 5kWh, solar of at least 5kW, a smart meter and a Wi-Fi connection.
- Your battery cannot be in any other VPP, and homes with life support equipment are not eligible.
- On Sigenergy, FranklinWH and ESY Sunhome systems, the charge and export settings in the battery's own app are switched off while you are enrolled.
- Origin can change the $1 per kWh rate with 20 business days notice.
How it sits next to your battery rebates
Origin is a participating provider for the NSW VPP incentive. It quotes about $36 per kWh of usable capacity, up to about $1,015, paid as cash by MAC Trade Services within 60 days. That is a state incentive, separate from Origin's $200 sign-up credit and its ongoing event credits, and separate again from the federal discount on the battery itself. The trade-off is the 3-year minimum term that comes with it.
We always treat these as separate numbers: the federal Cheaper Home Batteries discount comes off the battery invoice, any state incentive is its own amount with its own rules, and VPP payments are ongoing credits on your power bill. Check your state: NSW battery rebates, VIC battery rebates, QLD battery rebates, SA battery rebates, ACT battery rebates. Then run your own numbers in the savings calculator before you add any VPP income on top.
Alternatives worth comparing
- AGL Virtual Power Plant (AGL): a higher 250kWh cap, counts grid charging as well as discharge, and no NSW lock-in quirk.
- GloBird ZEROHERO with VPP (GloBird Energy): daily credits for covering your own evening peak, plus $1 per kWh in critical peak events.
- Amber for Batteries with SmartShift (Amber Electric): also takes FoxESS, GoodWe and many others, but pays wholesale rather than a flat rate.
Or see every plan side by side in our VPP plan comparison, and read how to compare VPP providers if you are weighing a few up.
Where these facts come from
We checked Origin Loop VPP (Battery Lite) against Origin Energy's own published pages and documents in Sep 2026. VPP offers get repriced often, so treat this as a starting point and read the current offer before you sign.