There are two incentive programs for solar power systems installed on homes in Victoria:
- The Solar Homes Rebate (also known as the Solar Panels Rebate) from the state government
- Small-scale Technology Certificates from the Federal Government
Both the Federal and State Government rebates are like point-of-sale discounts that reduce the up-front cost of going solar.
Which ones do you need to apply for?
- You do need to apply for the Victorian Solar Homes Rebate. The solar provider for the Mallee Sun Solar Bulk Buy, Specialised Solar, can advise you on the rebate application process.
- You don’t need to apply for the Federal form of ‘rebate’ – called Small-Scale Technology Certificates – as the paperwork is all handled by your solar provider. This is available to anyone buying a solar power system for their home.
Solar Homes Rebate – from the state government
News: Rebate Support Session in Swan Hill, Tuesday 10 September. Learn more.
The Victorian State Government’s Solar Homes Rebate is worth up to $2,225 for solar panel (PV) systems for eligible households.
The solar rebate program offers – in addition to a rebate of up to $2,225 – an interest-free loan. This loan is currently available to homeowners only.
There’s some great news for households wanting the rebate. From September 2019, the cap on the number of rebates available each month has been lifted. In September alone the number of rebates available has tripled compared to August. Learn more here.
The first step in the process for applying for a rebate, is to select your preferred solar provider and get a quote. The supplier will upload the quote on the Solar Victoria website. You will then receive an email asking you to upload documents to confirm your eligibility (which includes property valued at $3m or less, joint annual household income up to $180,000). You must receive eligibility confirmation from Solar Victoria before installing your system if you wish to receive a rebate.
Our solar provider, Specialized Solar, will be able to advise you on the rebate application process.
Note: From 1 January 2020 the value of the solar panels rebate available from the Solar Homes program will reduce from the maximum amount of $2,225 to $1,888. It will drop again on July 1st 2020 down to $1,850.
Solar Homes Rebates
- Interest-free loans (over 4 years, or less if you like) in addition to the $2,225 solar panels rebate
- Solar rebates for rental properties and
- Solar battery rebates – although these are not currently available in the Swan Hill municipality or in nearby areas.
Federal Government ‘Solar Rebate’
The Federal Government ‘rebate’ is known as Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme under which Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs) are issued. The STCs are worth around $630 per kilowatt of solar installed (at March 2019) – so on a 5kW system, the STCs are worth around $3150.
This amount is almost invariably treated as a point-of-sale discount, which means that the price you are quoted for a solar power system – in almost all cases – is net of the value of the STCs. There’s a great article that explains STCs in layperson’s language here.
