Solar Victoria : Solar Homes Programme

On top of the Federal Government’s generous Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) incentive (commonly referred to as STCs) many of Victoria’s residents can access the below rebates and loans as well:

1. Solar Panel (PV) Rebate
2. Solar for Rental Properties
3. Solar Hot Water Rebate
4. Solar Battery Loan

Solar Victoria’s Solar Homes programme will run over 10 years and will support the installation of more than:

• 650,000 solar PV systems for owner-occupiers
• 50,000 solar PV systems for landowners and tenants
• 10,000 battery storage systems; and
• 60,000 solar hot water systems.

Solar Victoria releases a set number of rebates each month. You MUST have your Victorian subsidy payment approved via the online portal before your solar power system is installed to get the rebate.

The Solar Victoria online portal is a one-stop-shop for rebate applications. Your online application will need to be completed by you and your solar installer. Your solar provider must be registered with Solar Victoria to take part in the Solar Homes programme. The good news is that all the installers that we connect you with will be registered.

If you are not comfortable with making an online submission, a portion of Solar Victoria rebates are reserved for manual applications.

The Victorian Solar Panel Rebate is calculated after the Federal STC discount has been applied to the total cost of the system. Your solar installer will provide you with a quote showing the full amount the system will cost, less both the Federal and State rebates, and finally the out-of-pocket price you will need to pay them. Your solar installer will claim the balance they are owed via Solar Victoria’s online portal after they have completed your installation.

Solar Victoria also offers Interest-Free Loans to cover the remaining upfront costs for a solar PV system installation. These loans can be used in conjunction with the Solar Panel Rebate and Solar for Rental Properties subsidy.

You can only apply ONCE as an owner-occupier (either solar PV or hot water only) and once as a landowner (Solar for Rental Properties only). Even more reason to shop around, comparing quotes and installers, to make sure you purchase a good quality solar system the first time.

Solar Panel Rebate Victoria

Receive $1,400 towards the cost of your solar system from the Victoria Government.

Here is the criteria you need to meet to be eligible for the Solar Victoria Solar PV subsidy:

• You are the owner-occupier of the property
• The owners of the property have a combined household taxable income of less than $210,000 per year (based on last year’s Australian Tax Office Notice of Assessment)
• The owners have not already received the rebate before as an owner-occupier under the Solar Homes Program
• It is an existing property, valued at under $3 million
• The property address has not previously taken part in the Solar Homes Program
• the property address has not had a solar panel (PV) system installed in the last 10 years*

* If you were an early adopter and installed a solar system prior to 1 November 2009 you are eligible to claim the subsidy to replace or expand your existing system. However, if you are still receiving the Premium Feed-in Tariff (and you are the envy of many!) check whether you will be better off with a new system or not. You may be financially better off waiting until that Feed-in Tariff expires.

Solar Victoria Hot Water Rebate

Solar rebates in Victoria are also available for solar hot water systems. Up to $1,000 is up for grabs for solar hot water systems, making it a great option for households that cannot install a solar PV system for whatever reason.

This solar rebate in Victoria applies to hot water installations that replace an existing hot water system that was at least three years old (from the date of purchase). Unfortunately, it is not able to be used for new build home (new Class 1 buildings).

NOTE! Households can only access one type of solar rebate under the Victoria solar homes package – i.e. if you are granted the Solar PV rebate you cannot claim the solar hot water rebate and vice versa).

Solar Victoria Renters Solar Scheme

The solar rebate in Victoria gives landowners a rebate of up to $1,400 towards a solar system for their rental property. The Solar Victoria rebate amount is paid directly from the Victorian Government to the solar installer once the system is installed, so you don’t need pay and claim it back. Just make sure you submit your application BEFORE the system is installed as you can’t claim retrospectively.

For the remaining balance of the cost of the system, the solar rebate program in Victoria also offers landowners an interest-free loan. This means you can claim the rebates to reduce the overall cost of the system, then take out an interest free loan on the remaining out-of-pocket amount, making it a zero upfront cost solution. The loan is available to eligible landowners and tenants, but you’ve got to sign the Solar Homes Landlord Rebate and Loan Agreement between Landlord and Tenant(s) to keep things clean. Your tenant(s) then contributes to the cost of the system. You’ll probably also need a new rental lease agreement between the tenants and the landowner for the Solar Victoria rebate to be included.

Eligibility for solar rebates in Victoria

• Rental property tenant/s have a combined household taxable income of less than $180,000 per year
• Rental property is valued at under $3 million
• Rental property does not already have solar panels (PV) installed (expect if installed prior to 1 Nov 2009*)
• Rental property address has had no previous participation in the Solar Homes Programme

Solar Battery Rebates for Victoria

Read our dedicated Battery Rebates page for Victoria to get all the latest info on available battery rebates & incentives in your area and find out how much you could save.

 Solar Rebate for Victorian Businesses

The Solar for Business program ended on 30 June 2023. Unfortunately, rebates and interest-free loans are no longer available under this program. 

Solar Panel Cost in Victoria

Depending on the system size and the brand of panels and inverter you choose, and your house (e.g. single storey homes can be cheaper to install than multi storey), the solar panel cost in Victoria is between $5,000 and $9,500, before rebates are applied. If you are eligible for both the Federal Government and the Victorian State Government Solar Rebate, you could get yourself a solar system very cheaply, plus slashing your power bills from the day it’s installed.

Solar Victoria Rebate Amounts

The Solar Victoria rebate values as of September 2024 for each program are:

*Assumptions: 6.6kW system being installed in 2024, in zone 4, with an STC price of $39. Click here to learn more about the Federal Government’s STC scheme.

Interest-Free Loans for Solar

As well as the rebate, Solar Victoria offers interest-free loans of up to $1,400 for solar PV systems under the Solar Victoria Solar Homes Programme. This allows Victorians to access the benefits of renewable energy with no up-front cost.

Renters can also access a Solar Victoria interest-free loan for a solar PV system under the Solar for Renters scheme. Households will be required to pay back the amount of the loan over four years. The idea is that the long term financial outcome is better than without solar at all.

If you’d like to speak to solar installers about the incentives and rebates you’re entitled to with Solar Victoria, fill out our online form and we’ll connect you with solar installers accredited with Solar Victoria!

Living in Melbourne and need more info, then click the link below. It will take you to our page dedicated to the ins and outs of buying solar in your city.