Solar incentives - STC's + QLD battery rebate
QLD Battery Booster Scheme NOW OPEN 12/02/2024
Summary - Rebates available
The rebate is available to eligible Queensland homeowners with a combined household income of less than $180,000 and who meet all eligibility criteria.
There is a higher rebate amount to help low-income households even further.
Only 1 rebate is available per residential premises. Applications will be processed in the order they are lodged, and the program will close once allocated funding has been exhausted.
Standard rebate
A rebate up to $3,000 is available for applicants with an income of less than $180,000 for the most recently ended financial year.
If the applicant has a spouse, the combined income of the applicant and the applicant’s spouse must not have exceeded $180,000 for the most recently ended financial year.
Low-income rebate
A rebate up to $4,000 is available for households where the highest income earner earned $66,667 or less for the most recently ended financial year.
Eligibility
Applicants must apply for and receive a conditional approval letter before having a battery system installed under this rebate program.
To be eligible for the rebate, you must:
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be the owner of the Queensland residential property where you wish to install the system—whether it’s a house, community lot (e.g. townhouse or retirement village home) or granny flat. The property can be mortgaged, but you need to be the registered owner
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have a solar photovoltaic (PV) system with a minimum 5kW system capacity. If you don’t already have solar PV installed, you can add a new system as part of your approved battery purchase
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use an approved battery from the Approved Battery System list, which includes batteries with a capacity of 6kWh or larger
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use an approved installer registered on the Approved Installer list to install the system. They must be on the list when you apply for conditional approval and when they complete the installation
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obtain a quote and purchase the system on or after 12 February 2024
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meet the income requirement—that is, have a combined household income below $180,000
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agree to a safety inspection of the installation, to be performed by a government-appointed inspector.
This is a summary of the requirements.
Approved battery systems
To be eligible for a rebate, the battery system installed at your home must have conditional approval and be listed on our Approved Battery Systems list.
How to apply
The homeowner must apply for this rebate, not the business selling or installing the battery.
The application process has 2 stages:
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Conditional approval—You must obtain your quote and apply for conditional approval from us before you commit to buying your proposed battery system.
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Rebate approval—Once your conditionally approved system has been installed and paid for, you can submit your invoice to receive your rebate payment. Note that you will have to demonstrate you are still eligible.
A Queensland Government appointed inspector will conduct safety inspections on installations approved for a Battery Booster Rebate.
This page is a summary only. Read the application guide (PDF, 772 KB) for full eligibility requirements.
Conditional approval and installation
To be eligible for the rebate, you must receive a conditional approval letter before your system is installed.
This conditional approval confirms you have met the eligibility criteria, before you commit to purchase and payment of an approved battery system.
Here are some of the other solar incentives available in Australia:
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Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES): This federal government scheme provides financial incentives in the form of Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs) for eligible solar panel installations (up to 100kW) or solar water heaters. The number of STCs depends on the system's size, location, and the amount of electricity it's expected to produce over its lifetime.
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Feed-in Tariffs (FiTs): Offered by state and territory governments, FiTs provide credits or payments for surplus electricity generated by residential solar systems that is fed back into the grid. The rates and terms of FiTs vary across regions.
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State Government Rebates and Incentives: Several states offer additional incentives or rebates for installing solar systems. For instance:
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Victoria: The Victorian Solar Homes Program offers rebates on solar panel installations and interest-free loans.
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New South Wales (NSW): The Solar for Low Income Households Program provides rebates for eligible low-income households.
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Solar Loans and Financing: Some local governments or financial institutions offer low-interest loans or financing options to assist homeowners in purchasing solar systems.
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Solar for Rental Properties: Programs are available in some states to encourage landlords to install solar panels on rental properties. In some cases, this includes financial incentives or rebates.
Please note that solar incentives and programs may change, vary by region, and have specific eligibility criteria. It's advisable to check with your local government authorities or consult with accredited solar installers to get the most current and accurate information regarding available incentives in your area.
STC's: Prices and what effects the price?
First of all, let me explain the so-called "rebate". This is the most common term we hear concerning what exactly are STC's. STC's are applied upfront as a discount off the cost of your system. The larger your system the larger the 'rebate'. At the time of writing (2023) a typical 6.6kW system in most parts of the country will get you 73 STC's. We have been pricing them at $38 each. Math, 73 (STC's) x $38 = $2,774.
Note: in the video below from 2018 a similarly sized system got you 118 STC's. At $38 each this would have been $4,484 (discount). Considerably greater than 2023. Each year the number of STC's you get for your solar system reduces from 31st December. So, those sitting on the fence you will pay extra.
STC's have a market value on the open market where they are bought and sold. So, like any other market there are supply and demand issues which in turn affect the price of an STC both up or down. At the time of this writing, we have had consistently high and stable pricing. This has led to much lower cost and advertised solar system deals.
Having been in solar for so long (since 2009) we have seen the earlier days where huge volatility occurred on a daily basis. Some weeks the value for the STC (in those days they were called REC's (Renewable Energy Certificates) would fluctuate by a massive $10- $20 per certificate! As a company our price list needed to change on almost a daily basis if not weekly.
One can reasonably assume that due to the number of solar systems sales and installations, there has been many new STC's created and entering the market. What will this mean? - Possible lower demand due to higher supply, therefore, lower prices for an STC. Ultimately, lower prices mean higher costs of solar for possibly the first part of 2024...
View video explaining this in more detail from 2018 (still relevant):
your STC zone determines your rebate calculation