Now’s a great time to go solar, with generous rebates available from the Victorian government for solar panels and battery storage as well as Federal Government support in the form of Small-scale Technology Certificates which can reduce your upfront cost by around 30%.
Slashing upfront costs
The bottom line is that when you combine these rebates and the government interest-free loan, the up-front out of pocket cost is significantly lower.
1. Solar panels rebate – Victorian government
The Victorian State Government’s Solar Panels Rebate is worth up to $1,400 for solar panel (PV) systems for eligible households until June 30th, 2022.
There’s also an interest-free loan of up to the same amount as the solar panels rebate, for eligible homeowners.
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. Our solar provider will be able to advise you and support you with the rebate application process (which has been radically simplified in recent months).
At the time of writing (July 2021), the availability of these solar panels rebates from Solar Victoria is good – in that there are enough rebates to meet demand. Also, the process for applying for this rebate is now a lot simpler and more straightforward than it was a year ago. For example, there is no longer the requirement for facial recognition testing.
Links:
- Solar panels rebate
- Interest-free loans – repayable over 4 years
- Solar panels for rental properties
2. Battery storage rebate – Victorian Government
Homeowners for owner-occupied households across the whole of Victoria can now apply for the solar battery rebate from the Victorian government, worth up to $4,174. The battery rebate will decrease to $3,500 once the current allocation of rebates runs out, there are currently 1,000 available (as of July 2021).
The full list of eligibility criteria are on the Solar Homes website, and include:
- If you already have solar panels and want to install a battery – you must have at least 5kW of solar panels installed
- If you do not have solar panels or a battery at the moment, you can apply – but only for the battery rebate (you can’t get both the solar panels rebate AND the battery rebate).
- The property address where you want the battery installed must not already have received a rebate from the Solar Homes program (i.e. solar panels rebate etc)
The only organisation that will confirm your eligibility and provide the rebate is Solar Victoria.
Link:
3. Solar panel rebate for business – Victorian Government
The new Solar for Business rebate from the Victorian Government is currently worth up to $3,500 for systems sized up to 30kW. The rebate is for businesses who own their premises and also for those who rent.
The Solar for Business rebate will decrease to $1,750 once the current allocation of rebates runs out, there are currently 1,936 available (as of July 2021).
Some important eligibility criteria.
- The business must operate from the premises that are non-residential.
- The business is to employ at least once person, not including the business owner, and less than 20 people.
- If you operate your business from your home, you won’t be eligible for the Solar for Business rebate but you may be eligible for the Solar Homes rebate worth up to $1,400.
The only organisation that will confirm your eligibility and provide the rebate is Solar Victoria.
Link:
- Solar for Business rebate
4. 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 $555 per kilowatt of solar installed (at Feb 2020).
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.
Link:
Which rebates do you need to apply for?
- You do need to apply for the Victorian Solar Panels and Battery Rebates.
- You don’t need to apply for the Federal form of ‘rebate’ – i.e. 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 or business, providing that the system is not larger than 100kW.
