Solar Rebates in Victoria

As a Victorian household looking to get the solar panel (PV) rebate, there are a few boxes to tick. They include making sure:

• you’re the owner and occupier of an existing property (or one under construction) where the solar panels will be installed
• your combined household income is less than $210,000 annually
• your property’s value is under $3 million
• your property’s listed address hasn’t gotten the solar panel rebate before
• the property hasn’t had solar panels installed in the last ten years
• if you’ve received the Solar Homes rebate before, you’ve since moved to a new house that hasn’t had the rebate before. 

1. If you’ve met all the requirements, then it’s time to talk to an authorised solar retailer and get a quote.
2. Once your retailer has uploaded your quote to the Solar Victoria portal, you’ll get pre-approval to connect and export to the grid.
3. Then, you need to send through some more paperwork to confirm your eligibility.
4. Once your eligibility is confirmed, you can install your solar system within 120 days (270 days for homes under construction).
5. When it comes time for the bill, just pay your retailer the difference and start repaying your interest-free loan (if you opted for one).  

When it comes to your eligibility, there are a few things to make sure of, including:  

• the rental property currently has tenants with a rental agreement in place
• your renters’ combined taxable annual household income is less than $210,000
• the rental property is valued at under $3 million and hasn’t had solar panels installed in the last 10 years
• you haven’t successfully applied for the solar panel rebate or battery rebate for this property under the Solar Homes Program
• both you and your renter have signed the ‘Solar Homes Program Agreement between Rental Provider and Renter’. 

1. If you’ve reached out to your tenants and gotten all the agreements signed, it’s time to talk to an authorised solar retailer.
2. Once you’ve chosen your panels and gotten a quote, your retailer will upload it for pre-approval to connect and export to the grid.  
3. Once your retailer has pre-approval, you’ll need to upload paperwork to confirm your eligibility. 
4. After your eligibility is confirmed, you can go ahead with the installation within 120 days (or 270 days for homes being built).  
5. Then you’ll just pay your retailer the difference and start paying back your interest-free loan (if you have one).  

To be eligible, you’ll need to make sure your organisation: 

• is a registered community housing listed on the Housing Registrar Public Register or the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission
• can demonstrate that affordable housing is one of the its core activities
• owns and manages properties
• confirms that 100% of energy savings from installing solar panels will be passed on to renters
• uses an authorised solar retailer and authorised products.  

To apply for the solar rebate as a community housing organisation, you first need to submit a letter of support. There are different forms for organisations who are and aren’t listed on the Housing Registrar Public Register. Once you’ve sent this through to the Vic government, they’ll check your organisation’s eligibility. You can then get a quote from an authorised solar retailer, install your system and get your rebate.  

You could be eligible if: 

• you’re the owner-occupier of the existing Victorian property
• your combined taxable annual household income is less than $210,000
• your property’s value is under $3 million
• you haven’t already received a hot water rebate or solar battery rebate using the same address under the Solar Homes Program
• the hot water system you’re replacing is at least three years old (starting from the date of purchase)
• you’re replacing your system with one listed on the approved products list. 

Once you’ve done your research and talked to an authorised retailer about the right solar water heater, your retailer will upload a quote to the Solar Victoria portal for pre-approval. Once you’re approved, you can go ahead and install your solar water heater within 120 days, then pay the difference remaining.  

To be eligible for the SRES, your solar system needs to: 

• involve products listed on the Clean Energy Council (CEC) list of approved components
• have STCs created within 12 months of installation
• meet Australia and New Zealand standards
• be designed and installed by a Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA) designer or installer
• meet SAA design and installation guidelines
• comply with local, state, and federal requirements
• be classified as small-scale.  

Once you’ve picked out solar panels that match your needs and the eligibility requirements, it’s time to talk STCs. You have up to 12 months to claim your certificates, and most people opt to do so via a registered agent. They’ll figure out the details, help make the purchase, and apply the discount up-front, so you can see that nice debit on your bill. Either way, you may want to shift your to-do list around and jump in on this scheme sooner rather than later. It’s set to end in 2030. 

To be eligible for this program you need to meet various requirements. They include installing a system that: 

• is a single battery unit or a system of modular battery cells all connected to one unit
• hasn’t already received a discount under this program
• has a capacity of between 5 and 100 kWh
• be installed by an accredited installer/retailer
• meet Australian standards
• has been independently tested to confirm safety standards.  

As a consumer you won’t need to apply for this discount. Just like the SRES, this will all be done by your accredited installer/retailer. Your discount should come through on your up-front installation bill, unless you decide to register for the discount yourself.