The ACT has one of the most ambitious emission reduction targets in the world – 100 per cent net zero emissions by 2045.

To support this target, the ACT Government provides generous solar and battery rebates – as well as financial incentives – to cut the cost of installing solar power systems and home energy storage.

Canberrans are also eligible for solar incentives from the Federal Government to reduce the cost of solar power systems and hot water heat pumps.  In addition, solar feed-in tariffs are available to most Canberrans with a solar power system.

ACT – One of the Best Solar Rebate Programs in Australia

All up, the ACT is a great place to live (for lots of reasons); one of these is a government with one of the best solar rebate incentive programs in Australia.

There have, however, been lots of changes in ACT solar rebates in recent years.  Old rebate programs have been phased-out and new ones launched.  It can make it confusing to work out what’s what.

This article provides an overview of the latest ACT solar and battery incentive program – the ACT Sustainable Household Scheme – as well as the current state-of-play with Federal solar rebates and the ACT solar feed-in tariff.

If you are thinking about solar panels or battery storage – or a more efficient hot water system – get in touch.  Our Canberra solar experts are ready to help you.

Sustainable Household Scheme – ACT

Launched in Spring 2021, the ACT Sustainable Household Scheme provides a zero-interest loan of up to $15,000 to eligible homeowners who want to install solar panels, batteries and other energy efficiency products.

You have 10 years to repay the loan. It’s interest free, with no upfront costs or fees.

The scheme will run until 2026.

You can use the loan to buy a range of energy efficient products including:

• rooftop solar panels
• home battery storage systems
• hot water heat pumps
• electric vehicles (available in a future stage of the scheme)
• electric vehicle charge infrastructure.

The loan provider, appointed by the ACT government, is Brighte.  They will loan from $2,000 to $15,000 under the scheme. You can borrow more than $15,000 however the loan provider may charge interest on funds borrowed above the limit.

It’s worth knowing that you can use the loan to purchase one product from the list – or several products – as long as they are approved.

There are a number of eligibility criteria including:

• You must own the property within ACT.
• The Unimproved Value (UV) of your property in 2020-21 must be at or below $750,000 for houses and at or below $200,000 for units.
• You must meet Brighte’s lending criteria
• You must attend a free one hour live online workshop

The ACT Sustainable Household Scheme is a great initiative to help make solar and battery storage systems more affordable for Canberra households.

With the electricity bill savings from a well-designed solar power system, you’ll be saving money from day 1.  Add battery storage – like the Alpha ESS 10kW battery one of the best value batteries on the market – and you’ll be almost entirely energy self-sufficient with power bills close to zero.

Get in touch with us today if you’re keen to make the switch to solar energy in your home.

Federal Government Solar Incentive

Canberrans installing solar power systems and hot water heat pumps also qualify for the Federal Government solar incentive, the so-called Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs).  This works as a point-of-sale discount reducing the cost of a solar power system by around 30 per cent.

However, the value of STCs drops annually by around 10 per cent on the 1^st of January each year – right though to 2030.

So if you are thinking about getting solar panels, it’s a good reason to act now and get your solar system installed before the value of this rebate drops.

ACT feed-in tariff

For anyone getting rooftop solar installed now, getting a properly designed solar power system that maximises self-consumption is so important in order to get the best payback on your solar.

So what is the value of the ACT solar feed-in tariff?

Unlike other states like Victoria, the ACT solar feed-in rate is not regulated.  It is a voluntary scheme and up to the electricity retailers operating in the ACT.

Fortunately, there is healthy competition amongst ACT electricity retailers so expect to be quoted a solar feed-in tariff.  The average feed-in credit you’ll receive is around 7 cents per kilowatt hour.  If you’re not careful, the rate can be as low as 3 cents per kilowatt hour and some offer a little higher than 7 cents.  As always, with electricity retailers it’s worth shopping around and checking all the details of the offer – not just the feed-in.

Save money from day 1

Canberra has a lot of sunshine so it’s a great place for solar.  The daily average solar potential is as high as 4.83 kilowatt hours (kWh) for every kilowatt (kW) of solar panels installed on your home.

That means, for a 10kW solar power system, you could produce up to 48.3kWh of energy per day in Canberra.  That’s like having a mini power station on your roof!  A 10kW solar system would provide more than enough power for the average Canberra 4-person household as well as power a home battery system and an electric vehicle.

With the ACT Sustainable Household Scheme, the cost of a solar power system and battery could be covered by the interest-free loan.  Our solar experts could design a system that saves you money from day 1 – with the electricity bill savings more than covering the repayments on the loan.

If you want to cut your power bills and make the most of the ACT solar rebates, get in touch with us.  Our Canberra solar specialist has the expertise to help you choose the best solar and battery system for your home.