This blog provides a state-by-state guide to the solar panel and battery rebates that Australian households can access in 2022.

There are three main sources of solar rebates and financial incentives for Australians installing solar panels or a battery on their home:

• Federal Government
• State Government
• Your electricity retailer (with the solar feed-in tariff)

On this blog, we explain what these rebates are, what they’re worth, and how to access them.

This blog covers:

• Overview of solar rebates across Australia
• Solar rebates state by state
• Federal Government solar rebate
• State-specific solar rebates programs
  • Victoria
  • NSW
  • South Australia
  • ACT
  • Northern Territory
• Solar feed-in tariffs

Overview of solar rebates across Australia

At present, federal rebates for installing solar panels in Australia are excellent.

At a state-level, there is a lot a variation in terms of what’s on offer. Some states have generous rebate programs, others have nothing at all.

Solar feed-in tariffs are available in every state. Some state governments set a mandated minimum amount for the feed-in tariff; others don’t and leave it up to the electricity retailers to set feed-in tariffs as they see fit.

Solar rebates and incentives are subject to change as government policies change.

Now, rebates for solar are well worth having no matter where you live in Australia. This is thanks to the largest rebate of them all – the Federal Government solar rebate, officially referred to as Small-scale Technology Certificates, or STCs.

Solar rebates will reduce in coming years; certainly, the Federal Government STCs are slowly being phased out on an annual basis through to 2030.  Acting now to secure rebates at their current levels makes sense.

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Solar rebates state by state

This table provides an overview of the solar rebates and other financial incentives for households, by state.

Household Solar Panel and Battery Rebates and Loans, State by State in Australia 2022

As this table shows, no matter where you live in Australia you will be eligible for the Federal Government solar rebates, called STCs (Small-scale Technology Certificates).  In addition, you will be eligible for a solar feed-in tariff assuming your network distributor allows you to export your surplus solar to the grid.

The states and territories that offer households one or more types of solar or battery rebate, or loan are: Victoria, NSW, South Australia, the ACT, and the Northern Territory.

The states that do not currently provide any state-level rebate or incentive for solar panels are Western Australia, Queensland, and Tasmania.  Even for households in these states, solar is generally a great investment with a payback of between three and five years.

Federal Government solar rebate

The correct term for the federal government solar rebate is Small-scale Technology Certificates or STCs. Unlike state government rebates, STCs are not means-tested.  On average, STCs reduce the upfront purchase cost of a solar panel system by around 30 per cent.

Households can achieve a payback on a solar panel system of between three to five years, purely with the federal government STCs.  If you’re lucky enough to live in a state that offers more in the way of rebates, your payback may be even quicker.

STCs are currently worth around $430 per kilowatt of solar panels installed.  The exact amount you get for each STC certificate depends on:

• Your geographic location
  • The sunniest parts of Australia receive a higher value for each STC
• The date your solar panel system is installed
  • Install before the 1^st of January each year to avoid the annual reduction in STC value based on the deeming period (STCs end completely in 2030)
• The market value of STCs
  • STCs are a tradeable commodity; as such their value can fluctuate at any time.

On a 10kW solar panel system, the STCs will be worth around $4,300.  The advertised price you see for solar panel systems will always be net of STCs.

When you request a quote for a solar system through SolarRun, we will include a line item that shows the number of STCs your system is eligible for, and their value.

STCs operate as a point-of-sale discount.  You don’t receive a cheque in the post for STCs.  Instead, you assign them to your Solar Retailer or Installer and their value is deducted from your quote, and you pay the balance, net of STCs.  Your installer will batch up the STCs, and then trade them in for cash on the STC market.  They take the risk of any variation in the STC price, not you.

For your system to be eligible for STCs, you need to purchase it through a Clean Energy Council Accredited Solar Installer such as SolarRun and the solar panels and solar inverter must be on the Clean Energy Council approved product list.  The system must be grid-connected and no larger than 100kW.

State-specific solar rebates programs

Victoria

Solar panels rebate for homeowners

• Program: Solar Homes Program
• Rebate value: Up to $1,400
• Eligibility criteria include:
  • Combined household income no greater than $180k
  • Property value no greater than $3m
  • Do not have solar panels installed (unless before November 2009).

Solar panels loan for homeowners

• Program: Solar Homes Program
• Loan value: Up to $1,400
• Eligibility criteria include:
  • Same as solar panels rebate
  • Solar system must save the customer more money than the loan repayment amount

Solar panels rebate for rental properties

• Program: Solar Homes Program
• Rebate value: Up to $1,400
• Eligibility criteria include:
  • Renters have a combined household income no greater than $180k
  • Property value no greater than $3m
  • the property is currently tenanted with a rental agreement in place
  • a Solar Homes Rental provider-Renter Agreement is signed by the rental provider and all renters

Solar panels loan for rental properties

• Program: Solar Homes Program
• Loan value: Up to $1,400
• Eligibility criteria include:
  • Landlord provides a satisfactory credit report that is less than 12 months old

Solar battery rebate

• Program: Solar Homes Program
• Rebate value: Up to $3,500
• Eligibility criteria include:
  • Must be owner-occupier
  • Combined household income no greater than $180k
  • Property value no greater than $3m
  • You already have at least 5kW of solar panels on the roof; or you are arranging to have at least 5kW of solar panels installed at the same time as the battery installation
  • You have not already received a rebate under the Solar Homes program (e.g. for solar panels)

NSW

Solar panels and battery loans

• Program: Empowering Homes
• Loan value:
  • Up to $14,000 interest-free loan for a solar panel and battery system
  • Up to $9,000 interest-free loan for retrofitting a battery to an existing solar panel system
• Eligibility criteria include:
  • Must be the owner-occupier
  • Must live in an eligible postcode
  • Household income no more than $180,000 per year
  • Satisfy the loan criteria

South Australia

Battery subsidy and loans

• Program: Home Battery Scheme
• Value:
  • Battery subsidy: Up to $2,000
  • Low-interest loan: Available for battery storage and solar panel systems (if part of the installation) funded by the Clean Energy Finance Corporation
• Eligibility criteria include:
  • Property must be grid connected
  • The applicant must be the owner of the property or have consent from the owner to install a battery system
  • Only approved eligible equipment to be installed by a qualified system provider

ACT

Battery rebates

• Program: Next Generation Energy Storage Grants
• Rebate value:
  • $3,500 (exc. GST) or 50% of the battery price (exc. GST) – whichever is lowest
• Eligibility criteria include:
  • For homes within the ACT including Hall, Tharwa and Oaks Estate, but not Jervis Bay Territory

Solar panels rebates

• Program: Solar for Low Income Households
• Rebate value: Up to $2,500
• Eligibility criteria include:
  • Hold a Pensioner Concession Car
  • Owner-occupier
  • No solar panels currently on your roof

Northern Territory

Battery rebates

• Program: Home and Business Battery Scheme
• Rebate value: Up to $6,000
• Eligibility criteria include:
  • You are a registered owner of a residential property in the NT
  • You are purchasing an eligible battery including solar panels which will be installed at the same time; or you are adding an eligible battery to an existing solar panel system

Solar Feed-in Tariffs

A solar feed-in tariff is the rate you are paid for any electricity generated by your solar panel system that you are allowed to export to the grid.

Your network distributor will approve your solar system for grid connection and let you know how much solar electricity you are allowed to export.  This varies by distributor and by property.

When you request a quote from SolarRun, we submit a pre-approval for grid connection to your network distributor which tells us exactly how much solar electricity you are allowed to export from your property to the electricity grid.

At present, the only state government to set a mandated minimum feed-in tariff is Victoria where the minimum is 6.7 cents per kilowatt hour.

If you shop around, regardless of which state you live in, you’ll find that electricity retailers compete to attract customers with higher feed-in tariffs.

The Australian average feed-in tariff currently is around 7 cents per kilowatt hour.  You can get higher than that, but just be careful to check all other aspects of your electricity tariff structure.  Some electricity retailers entice customers with a high feed-in tariff, but then charge over the odds for other services – such as the daily supply charge and electricity usage from the grid.

To check out what feed-in tariff you could get, use the Australian Government website Energy Made Easy or, if you live in Victoria, visit the Victorian Government’s website Victorian Energy Compare.

Got any rebate questions? 

If you’re have any questions about the rebates and incentives you might be eligible for, get in touch.

At SolarRun, we operate Australia-wide – that’s why we know which rebates households can apply for in every state.

SolarRun is one of Australia’s top four Solar Retailers by volume.  We’re a Clean Energy Council Accredited Solar Retailer and every installation is carried out by Clean Energy Council Accredited Installers.

If you’re looking for a good deal on quality solar and batteries, talk to us today.