Solar FAQ for Melbourne homes

Usually. Installers take the federal STC rebate off the quoted price, so the price on a quote is what you pay after it. The discount is the number of STCs the system earns, set by its size, postcode zone and install year, times their price: the Clean Energy Regulator says agents usually pay $33–$38 each. Solar panel cost

The federal STC rebate on solar panels and the federal battery rebate on a battery, plus Solar Victoria’s panel rebate and interest-free loan for eligible households through an authorised retailer. Solar Victoria’s current arrangements run until 30 June 2027; from 1 July 2027, household solar support moves into the Victorian Energy Upgrades program. All rebates and the calculator

Yes. The solar panel rebate falls every 1 January until 2030, and the battery rebate next steps down on 1 January 2027, then every 6 months to the end of 2030. Both go by the installation date, so the same system earns fewer certificates once the next step has passed. When the rebates drop

No. Finance comes from banks and other lenders. We can point you to options when we quote, and the loan is between you and the lender. Solar Victoria’s interest-free loan is separate again: it is for eligible households, through a retailer on Solar Victoria’s authorised list. Solar financing

The comparison rate, the fees, the total repayments and any conditions the lender sets on the seller or installer. Then set the total you would repay over the term against the cash price, because a low monthly repayment can still cost more overall once fees and a longer term are added. Ways to pay

Yes. Our packages come in single phase and three phase versions, so your power supply decides which list you choose from. Victoria’s distributors pre-approve up to 10 kW of inverter on single phase and 30 kW on three phase as a basic connection, which sets how big a system can go. Single vs three phase power

Whether the inverter has room for more panels (if not, the extension needs a new inverter), how much roof space is left and your network’s export limit. Your distributor approves the bigger system before it goes in, and only the new panels can earn STCs. Victoria’s premium feed-in tariff ended on 1 November 2024, so extending no longer costs you that rate. We inspect the system and quote the extension. Extending a solar system

The panels turn sunlight into direct current (DC) electricity. The inverter converts it into the 230-volt alternating current (AC) your home runs on. Your appliances use that solar power first; any surplus charges a battery if you have one, then goes to the grid. A hybrid inverter also runs the battery. How solar panels work

If a battery is likely in the next few years, it is worth asking for one. A hybrid inverter runs the panels and a battery from one box, so a battery can be added later without a second inverter. A standard string inverter still works with a battery, but that battery then needs its own inverter (AC coupling). AC and DC coupled batteries

No. What matters is that the inverter suits the panels’ voltage and current and the size of the system, and that the panels and the inverter are both on the Clean Energy Council’s approved lists, a condition for STCs. If a battery is on your list, check that the inverter’s maker lists the battery you want, because each inverter brand works with its own set of batteries. Inverter brands compared

No. Panels have no moving parts, and Solar Victoria expects them to last more than 25 years but inverters not much more than 10 or 15, so plan on replacing the inverter at least once. Warranties follow the same pattern: 25 to 30 years on the performance of the panels in our panel guide, 5 to 10 years on the inverters in our inverter guide. How long panels and inverters last

No. Solar works without one. A battery stores spare daytime solar for the evening and, with a backup circuit, keeps chosen circuits on in a blackout. If you do want one, the federal battery rebate aims to take around 30% off the upfront cost of installing it. Solar batteries

Because usable capacity is the amount of energy that can be discharged, which is what your home can draw from the battery. Nominal capacity is the maximum amount of energy a battery can store at full charge, usually the figure on the product label, and it is the larger figure. Divide each quote’s price after the rebate by the usable kWh, then compare the warranties and whether backup and any extra inverter are included. Battery cost

As small-scale technology certificates (STCs) on the battery’s usable capacity, up to 50 kWh, with less paid on each kWh above 14. Most people get it as an upfront discount on the installer’s price, so check that the quote shows it. The rebate runs until the end of 2030 and gets smaller at each step. The battery rebate

It’s optional: the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program needs a VPP-capable battery, not membership. Solar Victoria says a VPP can pay you with a discount that reduces the cost of installing the battery, a credit on your bill for power your battery shares with the VPP or a discount on your energy bill while you are a member. Before you sign, the Clean Energy Regulator says to understand what joining costs you as well as what it pays, and how the VPP’s battery discharges affect your warranty. Virtual power plants

That the system is designed and installed by people accredited by Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA), the installer holding an unrestricted electrical licence, and that the panels and inverter are on the Clean Energy Council’s approved list: these are conditions for STCs. Check whether the seller is a New Energy Tech Consumer Code Approved Seller, and who in Australia honours each warranty. Choosing a solar installer

The system size, the brand, model and number of panels, the inverter model, any battery’s usable capacity, the rebates taken off and every warranty. It should also say what isn’t included, such as a switchboard upgrade, a meter change or safety gear for a steep roof, so you can compare quotes line by line. Comparing solar quotes

Solar Victoria’s panel rebate of up to $1,400 and its interest-free loan can only be applied by a retailer on its authorised list, so ask whether a retailer is on that list before you count on them. Every federal rebate your home qualifies for comes off our quote before you see a price. Solar Victoria’s rebate and loan

The installer mounts and wires the system, tests it and sets up the monitoring app. In Victoria, solar and battery systems are prescribed electrical work: an independent Licensed Electrical Inspector must inspect the installation before it is switched on, and you receive a Certificate of Electrical Safety for the work. Battery installation

No. After the Electricity Industry Act 2000 was amended in May 2025, the Essential Services Commission stopped setting one, and since 1 July 2025 retailers set their own rates. A rate can’t be below 0 cents a kWh, and your retailer must tell you before changing it. Victorian Energy Compare compares current offers. Feed-in tariffs in Victoria

Your electricity distributor, when it approves the connection. Limits differ by network, and several networks are moving from fixed limits to flexible exports that change with conditions on the grid. Since 1 October 2024, new systems up to 200 kW also need Victoria’s emergency backstop, used only in rare grid emergencies. Export limits by network

Ask your electricity distributor. AusNet’s smart meters, for example, record use every 5 or 30 minutes depending on their age, and the Essential Services Commission says you can get that data from your distributor and upload it to Victorian Energy Compare to see offers that fit how your household uses power. Reading a smart meter

Most homes with a smart meter can. Since 1 October 2026, retailers with 1,000 or more household customers must offer the Midday Power Saver to those who opt in: free grid power from 11 am to 2 pm, up to 24 kWh a day. The Victorian Government says prices outside the free hours rise slightly, and solar already covers much of a home’s midday use, so compare it with your plan first. Free electricity in Victoria

Yes, though output swings with the seasons. PVGIS models a north-facing 6.6kW system in Mount Waverley, Melbourne, at 34.9 kWh a day in January and 14.4 in June, and panels still make some power under cloud. Direction matters over a year too: facing east or west makes about 14% less than north. Panel direction and shade

Owner-occupiers who plan to stay, so the savings have years to build up; homes that use power by day, since Solar Victoria says homes with solar alone use around 25% of what they generate (around 50 to 60% with a battery); and an unshaded roof facing north, east or west with room for the system. It suits renters, heavily shaded roofs and homes that use little power, mostly at night, less well. Who solar suits

Ask us when you book a service. Solar Victoria says dirt on angled panels should wash off when it rains. If you clean them yourself, keep your feet on the ground: a long-handled soft broom or a light spray, never a pressure hose. Cleaning isn’t servicing: the electrical check Solar Victoria advises every 2 years finds faults a clean can’t. Cleaning solar panels safely

It’s a safety feature. Solar Victoria says standard solar systems, with or without a battery, are designed to switch off in a power outage to protect homes from power surges and people working on nearby lines. Keeping the lights on takes a battery and inverter set up for backup, usually on a few chosen circuits such as the fridge and lights. Battery backup in a blackout

Yes. Home building insurance covers the building itself and its fixtures, and Moneysmart lists solar panels among the extras the rebuild cost you insure can include, so update your sum insured or you could be underinsured. Warranties cover faults in the products and the installation; insurance covers events such as storms or fire. Ask how the policy treats a battery too. Warranties and insurance

Electrical tests on the panels, cabling and switches, a check of the DC isolators (their casings can let water in as they age), a look over the panels and mounting, and a check that the inverter is working properly with clean vents, with a written report at the end. Solar Victoria and Energy Safe Victoria advise a service at least every 2 years. Solar panel maintenance

Your installer first, if the system is still under its workmanship warranty: Solar Victoria warns a warranty could be void if another company does the work. Otherwise, call a licensed A-Grade electrician, preferably accredited by Solar Accreditation Australia. Send us the inverter brand, model and any error code and we’ll tell you whether we can repair it. If the solar switch keeps tripping, leave it off: inverter, isolator and wiring faults are electrical work. Solar repairs and servicing

What the panels are making now and over each day, any error codes, a battery’s charge and, with a consumption meter fitted, what your home uses and exports. Sungrow uses iSolarCloud, Fronius uses Solar.web and Alpha ESS uses the AlphaESS app. A sharp drop in output on a sunny day is the cue to book a check. Solar monitoring

The installer who takes them down. Solar Victoria says installers with solar panels removed from a home must ensure the waste is taken to a place authorised to receive that type of waste, and that failing to is an indictable offence under Victorian law. Solar panels, inverters and energy storage equipment all count as e-waste, which has been banned from household rubbish and landfill in Victoria since 2019. Ask for the quote to say where the old equipment will go. Panel removal and recycling

For the federal rebate, mostly yes. Business systems up to 100 kW earn STCs like home systems, and systems of 100 kW to 1 MW installed from 1 October 2026 can too, on a fixed 5-year deeming. Business batteries of 5–100 kWh get the federal battery discount. Solar Victoria’s panel rebate is for households, but business sites with 30–200 kW of panels can get a Victorian Energy Upgrades discount through an accredited provider. Commercial solar rebates

Yes. A basic, pre-approved connection covers up to 30 kW of three phase inverter; above that, your distributor assesses the design before anything is installed. AusNet, for one, charges for that assessment and needs central protection above 200 kW. New systems of every size must also support Victoria’s emergency solar backstop. How we deliver commercial solar

In cash, or with business or equipment finance from a bank or finance company. Compare the repayments with the yearly saving in your proposal, not just the rate. How the system is treated for tax depends on your business and its structure, so ask your accountant before you choose how to pay. Financing commercial solar