For homes, businesses and apartment buildings
Solar rebates and government incentives in Australia
Federal STCs and the Cheaper Home Batteries Program are available nationally. State, territory and council programs vary and change frequently, and commercial and apartment buildings have their own schemes again. Pick the option below that fits your situation.
Last updated
Federal, state and council rebates
Most Australian solar installations qualify for federal STCs, which reduce the upfront cost. Some states and territories offer additional battery rebates or low-interest loans, and a few councils add their own incentives on top. Eligibility and amounts vary and change frequently.
| State / Audience | Program | Value | Who qualifies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal | Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs) | Upfront discount, varies | All eligible solar installations nationally. Value based on system size, location, and years remaining to 2030. (cleanenergyregulator.gov.au) |
| Federal | Cheaper Home Batteries Program | ~30% off eligible batteries | Federal battery rebate. Steps down every six months from May 2026, runs to 2030. (cleanenergyregulator.gov.au) |
| SA | Federal schemes only | STCs and Cheaper Home Batteries Program | South Australia's Home Battery Scheme closed to new applicants in September 2022. SA households access federal STCs and the Cheaper Home Batteries Program. A virtual power plant incentive may be available under the Retailer Energy Productivity Scheme (REPS), with eligibility narrowed to priority households. Confirm current eligibility. (energy.gov.au) |
| VIC | Solar Homes Program | Federal schemes only | Victorian homeowners can access federal STCs and the Cheaper Home Batteries Program. The Solar Victoria state battery rebate and interest-free loan program have closed. (solar.vic.gov.au) |
| NSW | Home Energy Saver Program | Loans up to $15,000, plus PDRS certificates | NSW households. Home Energy Saver launched in June 2026, replacing Empowering Homes. Interest-free loans up to $15,000 repayable over 10 years, for property owners with a combined taxable income up to $210,000. Discounts of up to $4,000 open later in 2026 for households earning up to $80,000 or holding an eligible concession card, and renters can access those discounts with their landlord's permission. If you qualify for both, apply for the discount first and use the loan for the remainder. Battery incentives are separate and come through the Peak Demand Reduction Scheme as tradeable certificates rather than a fixed rebate, so the value moves with the certificate price. The virtual power plant incentive now covers batteries up to 50 kWh, with the incentive capped at 28 kWh, and no longer requires solar. There is currently no upfront state discount for a new household battery, so the federal program is the one that applies. Separate activities for apartment buildings, small business and commercial batteries start 1 September 2026. (energy.nsw.gov.au) |
| QLD | Battery Booster (closed) | Federal schemes only | Queensland's Battery Booster program has closed. QLD households can access federal STCs and the Cheaper Home Batteries Program only. (cleanenergyregulator.gov.au) |
| ACT | Sustainable Household Scheme | Zero-interest loans up to $15,000 | ACT households for eligible energy upgrades including solar and batteries. (energy.gov.au) |
| WA | Residential Battery Scheme | $1,300 Synergy or $3,800 Horizon Power, plus loans to $10,000 | WA households installing an eligible battery. Rebate based on 10 kWh usable capacity. No-interest loans up to $10,000 for households under $210,000 combined income. The battery must be connected to an approved virtual power plant to receive the rebate. The battery and inverter must be on the Synergy or Horizon Power supported solution lists and installed by an SAA-accredited installer. (energy.gov.au) |
| TAS | Federal schemes only | STCs and Cheaper Home Batteries Program | Tasmanian households can access federal STCs and the Cheaper Home Batteries Program. No active state battery rebate or loan program at time of writing. (energy.gov.au) |
| NT | Federal schemes only | STCs and Cheaper Home Batteries Program | NT households can access federal STCs and the Cheaper Home Batteries Program. No active state battery rebate or loan program at time of writing. (energy.gov.au) |
Commercial incentives
| Region | Program | Value | Who qualifies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal | Cheaper Home Batteries Program | ~30% off eligible batteries | Federal battery rebate. Steps down every six months from May 2026, runs to 2030. (cleanenergyregulator.gov.au) |
| National | Expanded Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (announced) | Announced, not yet in force | New systems above 100 kW and up to 1 MW. Announced 5 August 2026, expected to apply to installations from 1 October 2026, subject to regulations. (dcceew.gov.au) |
| National | Instant asset write-off | Deduction, thresholds apply | Eligible small businesses under $10 million turnover can immediately deduct assets costing less than the threshold, currently $20,000 per asset. Most commercial solar systems cost more than that and are depreciated through the small business pool instead, at 15% in the first year and 30% after. Thresholds change and the current year's position is not yet settled. Speak to your accountant. (ato.gov.au) |
| National | Large-scale Generation Certificates (LGCs) | Tradeable certificates | Larger commercial systems generating above the STC threshold. (cleanenergyregulator.gov.au) |
Last updated . Rebate values and eligibility change frequently.
Commercial update
Commercial solar between 100 kW and 1 MW
Announced 5 August 2026. Not yet in force. Expected to commence 1 October 2026, subject to regulations.
Until now the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme has only covered systems up to 100 kW. That cap has shaped a lot of commercial solar in Australia. Plenty of businesses with room for a much bigger system have installed just under 100 kW instead, because that is where the support stopped.
The Australian Government has announced the scheme will expand to cover new systems above 100 kW and up to 1 MW. The Government estimates this will reduce upfront installation costs by around 20 per cent.
What it means for your project
If your roof could carry more than 100 kW, the timing of your installation matters as much as the size of it.
We will quote your project under the rules in force today. We will also show you what it would cost if the expanded scheme starts as announced, so you can see the difference.
What is still to be confirmed
The regulations have not been finalised. Until the Clean Energy Regulator publishes its guidance, we will not price this into a proposal as a certainty. We show it as a conditional allowance instead.
Expected eligibility requirements include:
- Maximum system capacity of 1 MW
- Maximum combined capacity of 1 MW when expanding an existing system
- Accredited products and installers
- Compliance with electrical safety and planning requirements
- An approved network connection agreement
- A written installer statement
Sources: Renewable energy target scheme, DCCEEW and Putting more roofs to work, Minister for Climate Change and Energy
For apartment buildings
Solar grants for NSW apartment buildings
Open now. Applications close 5pm 4 December 2026, or earlier if the funds are fully allocated.
Fewer than 2% of apartment buildings in NSW have solar installed. The roof is common property, so it takes a decision of the owners corporation rather than a decision by one owner. That is the real barrier, and it is why these grants exist.
Two grants, not one increase
There has been some confusion that the funding recently went from 50% to 80%. It did not. There are two separate grants running side by side.
Solar for Apartment Residents covers up to 50% of eligible costs, capped at $150,000 excluding GST. Open to eligible strata buildings anywhere in NSW.
Solar for Apartment Residents Boost covers up to 80%, capped at $200,000 excluding GST. Only for buildings in suburbs ranked in deciles 1 to 4 of the Australian Bureau of Statistics Index of Relative Socio-Economic Advantage and Disadvantage.
Which one you apply for is decided by your suburb, not by when you apply. The eligible suburb list is published on the NSW Government site.
Boost also allows enabling works up to 20% of project cost rather than 10%, and pays 40% of the grant at the first milestone instead of 20%, which helps an owners corporation manage cash flow. The Boost pool is $5 million against a $200,000 cap, and it is first-in, first-served.
Who can apply
- A residential owners corporation
- A strata managing agent, if authorised by the owners corporation
- A nominated resident, acting on behalf of the owners corporation
Individual lot owners cannot apply on their own.
Your building needs between 3 and 55 residential lots, a completed development at the time of application, shared roof area classified as common property, an active strata insurance policy, and no solar PV installed in the last 10 years.
What it will not fund
Batteries and EV chargers are both listed as ineligible items. So are ongoing maintenance, removal of an old system, and interest on any finance. If you want storage as well, it has to be funded separately.
Systems installed under a third-party power purchase agreement are not eligible either.
The 10 year payback rule
The system has to show a simple payback period of 10 years or less, worked out at strata level on the total cost after STCs and based on a flat tariff.
Key dates
Applications close 4 December 2026. Every project has to be installed, operating and finally reported by 30 April 2027.
The application runs in two stages. You lodge an expression of interest first. If the department confirms your building is eligible, you then submit a full application with two quotes. A funding deed follows approval, and installation can start once both parties have signed it.
Your owners corporation has to approve it
Before a funding deed can be issued, the owners corporation has to hold a meeting and pass a sustainability infrastructure resolution. It covers the funding, the alteration to common property, and any by-law changes.
Owners will want to understand the costs and the benefits before they vote. Most committees find it helps to talk residents through the proposal ahead of the meeting.
Why the system design matters
A shared solar system for strata is not a standard rooftop install.
No more than 40% of the estimated annual output can go to common areas. The rest has to be distributed to individual lots in proportion to what each lot contributed to the cost. The system also has to be designed to export no more than 30% of what it generates each year, so it is sized to be used in the building rather than sold to the grid.
Only three designs meet that requirement: individually connected systems, allocation through an existing embedded network, or a solar gateway and splitter system.
Two accreditations are conditions of the grant. The installer must hold SAA accreditation in the design and install category, and the seller must be approved under the New Energy Tech Consumer Code.
You will need two quotes
The application requires quotes from two different SAA and NETCC accredited installers, with your preferred option identified. Each quote has to show the final system design, the total cost excluding GST after STCs, and the installation location.
Sources: Solar for apartment residents, NSW Climate and Energy Action
Council rebates
Some councils add a third layer
Federal and state programs are the two layers most people know about. A smaller number of local councils run their own incentive schemes on top. These are usually generous relative to their size, they are limited by an annual budget, and they change more often than federal or state programs. If your council runs one, it is worth knowing about before you install.
City of Adelaide
Sustainability Incentives Scheme · postcodes 5000 and 5006| What | Rebate | Cap |
|---|---|---|
| Solar PV, over 1.5kW | 20% of out-of-pocket cost | $5,000 |
| Battery storage | 50% of out-of-pocket cost | $1,000 |
| Switchboard upgrade | 50% of out-of-pocket cost | $5,000 |
| EV charging station, up to 50kW | 50% of out-of-pocket cost | $1,000 per charger |
Council rebates are calculated on your out-of-pocket cost, after federal and state incentives have already been deducted. So the order matters: federal first, then state, then council.
Check your eligibility
What rebates am I eligible for?
Answer a couple of questions to see which programs apply to your situation.
Live in an apartment? The roof is common property, so it works differently.
Estimate for SA
Federal STCs + ~30% federal battery rebate + no current state battery rebate (the SA Home Battery Scheme closed in September 2022). A VPP incentive may be available under the Retailer Energy Productivity Scheme for eligible households. Check current eligibility at energy.gov.au. Check current eligibility at energy.gov.au. Federal, state and council programs change often and work differently depending on where you live and what you already have. We confirm what you're eligible for and apply it to your proposal.
Common questions
Common rebate questions
Not until 2030, but the discount steps down every six months from May 2026.
The Cheaper Home Batteries Program provides around a 30% discount on eligible battery installations, including additions to existing solar systems. The program runs until 2030, but the discount steps down every six months from May 2026. The longer you wait, the less you get. SolKind confirms your eligibility and applies the discount to your quote - you don't need to navigate the program yourself. (Source: energy.gov.au)
Rebates change often.
Government rebates and battery incentives can change regularly. We'll let you know when something important changes.