Solar rebates
Solar and battery rebates in Victoria for Melbourne homes (2026)
The main solar rebate in Victoria is the federal STC discount: a 6.6 kW solar system in most of Melbourne earns 39 STCs today, about $1,500 off the price at $38 per STC, the top of the $33–$38 the Clean Energy Regulator says agents usually pay. Eligible households can add Solar Victoria’s Solar Homes panel rebate of up to $1,400, with a matching interest-free loan.
A 12.8 kWh battery earns 87 STCs under the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program, about $3,300 off at most. Both federal rebates fall on 1 January 2027.
Updated
Rebate calculator
Estimate your federal and Solar Victoria rebates by system size and postcode. The estimate uses the rates for a system installed today and shows how much less the same system gets after the next drop.
Zone 4 (1.185), which covers most of Melbourne.
Example: 6.6 kW of solar and a 12.8 kWh battery in most of Melbourne
- Solar panel STCs 39 certificates at $38
- $1,480
- Battery STCs 87 certificates at $38
- $3,310
- Solar Victoria panel rebate Tick the box if you may qualify
- $0
- Estimated federal rebatesDepending on the STC price your installer credits
- $4,160–$4,790
Installed from 1 January 2027, the same system gets $870 less.
Batteries smaller than 5 kWh can’t claim the battery rebate.
Get a quote with every rebate appliedHow it works: solar STCs = system kW × your postcode’s zone rating × 5 years (installs in 2026), rounded down. Battery STCs = usable kWh × the battery factor (6.8 per kWh for installs in May–December 2026), at 100% for the first 14 kWh, 60% from 14 to 28 kWh and 15% from 28 to 50 kWh. Each certificate is valued at $33 to $38, the range the Clean Energy Regulator says agents usually pay; single figures use $38, the top of that range. Estimate only: the final figure is on your quote and depends on the certificate price, the install date and the products.
Dollar figures use $38 per STC, the top of the range the CER says agents usually pay, for every period. The number of STCs is set by the program; their dollar value in later years depends on the STC price then.
Solar rebates in Victoria in 2026: which program is which?
Victorian homes can combine two federal rebates for solar panels and batteries with one state rebate, Solar Victoria’s panel rebate (often called the Vic solar rebate). Two other programs are often called rebates but aren’t: the Midday Power Saver is a cheaper electricity plan, and a feed-in tariff is what your retailer pays for exported solar. Victorian Energy Upgrades has no home solar discount yet, but takes over Solar Victoria’s support in 2027. Each program name links our full guide to it.
| Program | Who runs it | What it’s worth | Who qualifies | When it drops or ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| STCs for solar panels | Clean Energy Regulator (federal) | About 5.9 STCs per kW in zone 4: 6.6 kW = 39 STCs, about $1,500 | Homeowners and businesses installing a new eligible system | Falls every 1 January; 2030 is the last year |
| Cheaper Home Batteries Program | DCCEEW and the Clean Energy Regulator (federal) | 6.8 STCs per kWh on the first 14 kWh: 12.8 kWh = 87 STCs, about $3,300 | A new approved battery of 5 to 100 kWh, installed by an accredited installer; one claim per property | Steps down every six months, to 2.1 per kWh in July–December 2030 |
| Solar Homes panel rebate and loan | Solar Victoria (state) | Up to $1,400, plus an optional interest-free loan of up to $1,400 | Owner-occupiers (landlords through a rental stream); household income under $150,000; home worth under $3 million | Current rules until 30 June 2027, then the VEU program |
| Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) | Victorian Government; run by the Essential Services Commission | Varies by product and provider; no discount on home solar or batteries yet | Households and businesses, through an accredited provider | Takes over household solar support from 1 July 2027 |
| Midday Power Saver | Victorian Government; prices set by the Essential Services Commission from 1 July 2027 | Not a rebate: free electricity from 11 am to 2 pm, up to 24 kWh a day | Households with a smart meter that opt in with their retailer | In force since 1 October 2026; today’s hours and prices run until 30 June 2027 |
| Feed-in tariff | Your electricity retailer | Not a rebate: a credit for each kWh of solar you export | Any home with grid-connected solar | No Victorian minimum since 1 July 2025; retailers set their own rates |
Am I eligible for a solar rebate in Victoria?
The federal rebates have no income or property test: they depend on what you install and who installs it. Solar Victoria’s rebate adds tests about you and your home, and it must be approved before the installer starts. Check each column against your situation.
| Check | STCs (federal, panels) | Battery rebate (federal) | Solar Homes (Victoria) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who can claim | Homeowners and businesses | Households and businesses | You own and live in the home (or own a home under construction); landlords apply through a separate rental stream |
| Income test | None | None | The combined taxable income of all owners is under $150,000 a year |
| Property value | None | None | The property is worth under $3 million |
| Earlier claims at the address | Second-hand systems can’t claim; STCs are assigned to the property address, not the owner | One battery claim per property; capacity added later can claim only if the first battery never did | The address has not had a Solar Homes solar panel or battery rebate before, and no solar panel system has been installed at the address in the last 10 years |
| What you buy | Panels and inverter on the Clean Energy Council approved products list | A new battery (made within 12 months of installation) on the Clean Energy Council approved battery list, 5 to 100 kWh nominal, able to join a virtual power plant | An eligible product from a Solar Victoria authorised retailer |
| Who installs it | An accredited installer | A Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA) installer with a battery endorsement | The authorised retailer’s installer, who scans your Solar Victoria QR code |
| Timing | Created within 12 months of installation, usually assigned to a registered agent in return for an upfront discount | The STC factor on your installation date applies | Approved before installation; installed within 120 days of your QR code |
An eligible household gets the federal and the Victorian rebates together. Solar Victoria works its rebate out on the price left after the STC discount, and pays at most 50% of it.
STCs for solar panels
The federal rebate for solar panels is paid in small-scale technology certificates (STCs). The number your system gets is its size in kW × your postcode’s zone rating × the years left in the scheme: 5 years for systems installed in 2026, falling by one every 1 January until 2030.
- Zone 4, rating 1.185: most of metropolitan Melbourne. About 5.9 STCs per kW in 2026.
- Zone 3, rating 1.382: much of central and northern Victoria (Ballarat, Bendigo, Shepparton, Mildura, Sunbury) and some northern and western suburbs such as Broadmeadows, Craigieburn, Epping and Melton. About 6.9 STCs per kW in 2026.
A 6.6 kW system in zone 4 gets 39 STCs if it is installed in 2026 and 31 if it is installed in 2027. The calculator above checks your postcode’s zone.
The battery rebate
The federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program is set to take around 30% off the upfront cost of a home battery, though bigger batteries get less per kWh. It is paid in STCs per kWh of usable capacity. Since 1 May 2026 the full factor applies only to the first 14 kWh, 60% of it from 14 to 28 kWh and 15% from 28 to 50 kWh. Your postcode makes no difference.
| Battery (usable) | Installed May–December 2026 | From 1 January 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| 12.8 kWh | 87 STCs, about $3,300 | 72 STCs, about $2,700 |
| 16 kWh | 103 STCs, about $3,900 | 86 STCs, about $3,300 |
The battery must be new, on the approved list, able to join a virtual power plant and fitted by an installer with a battery endorsement (the checklist above has every rule). Joining a virtual power plant is your choice.
The Solar Victoria rebate
Solar Victoria’s Solar Homes Program pays up to $1,400 towards solar panels on an eligible home in Melbourne or anywhere else in Victoria, with an optional interest-free loan of up to $1,400 repaid over 4 years. Since 1 May 2026 you choose the loan when you apply. Solar Victoria must approve you before installation: a system installed first gets no rebate.
The current rebate and loan run until 30 June 2027; from 1 July 2027 household solar support moves into the Victorian Energy Upgrades program. Victoria has no battery rebate at the moment, so the federal program above is the battery rebate. Our Solar Homes guide covers the application, rentals and apartments, and what changes in 2027. For Victoria’s other help with power bills and home energy upgrades, see Victorian energy rebates.
Solar Victoria only pays the rebate through retailers on its authorised retailer list. Ask us about your eligibility when we quote.
How the rebate comes off your quote
- Federal STCs: most people assign the certificates for their solar panels and battery to a registered agent, usually through the installer, in return for an upfront discount, so the quoted price already has them off. The Clean Energy Regulator says agents usually pay $33 to $38 per STC, so compare the number of STCs and the dollars per STC between quotes.
- Solar Victoria: the retailer uploads your quote, you upload proof of eligibility, and Solar Victoria emails a QR code that the installer scans on the day. Installation must happen within 120 days.
- On the invoice: the Solar Victoria rebate (and loan, if you chose it) is paid to the retailer and deducted from your invoice. You pay the balance once the system is installed.
Our solar and battery packages are quoted with every federal rebate your home qualifies for already taken off.
When do the rebates drop or end?
Both federal rebates shrink on a fixed timetable until 2030, so the same system earns less the later it is installed, and Solar Victoria’s panel rebate changes hands in 2027. Every dated change in 2026 and 2027:
| Date | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2026Past | Solar panel STCs fall to 5 years of deeming: a 6.6 kW system in most of Melbourne earns 39 STCs. The battery factor is 8.4 STCs per kWh: a 12.8 kWh battery earns 107 STCs. | Clean Energy Regulator; DCCEEW |
| 1 May 2026Past | The battery factor falls to 6.8 STCs per kWh: a 12.8 kWh battery earns 87 STCs. Bigger batteries earn less per kWh: the full factor on the first 14 kWh, 60% from 14 to 28 kWh and 15% from 28 to 50 kWh. Solar Victoria’s interest-free loan must be chosen when you apply for the panel rebate. | DCCEEW; Clean Energy Regulator, 18 March 2026; Solar Victoria |
| 1 October 2026Past | The Midday Power Saver starts: free electricity from 11 am to 2 pm, up to 24 kWh a day, for households with a smart meter that opt in. | Essential Services Commission; Midday Power Saver Pricing Order 2026 |
| 1 January 2027Next change | Solar panel STCs fall to 4 years of deeming: a 6.6 kW system in most of Melbourne earns 31 STCs. The battery factor falls to 5.7 STCs per kWh: a 12.8 kWh battery earns 72 STCs. | Clean Energy Regulator; DCCEEW |
| 1 July 2027Coming | The battery factor falls to 5.2 STCs per kWh: a 12.8 kWh battery earns 66 STCs. The Essential Services Commission starts setting the Midday Power Saver’s free hours and maximum prices for each zone, every year and at least 30 days before they apply, and can change the 24 kWh free-use cap. Until then the free hours are 11 am to 2 pm. Household solar support moves from Solar Victoria into the Victorian Energy Upgrades program. The current Solar Homes panel rebate and loan stay in place until 30 June 2027; the new VEU solar activity is still being designed. | DCCEEW; Midday Power Saver Pricing Order 2026; Solar Victoria, 21 October 2026 |
After 2027 the battery factor keeps falling every January and July, to 2.1 per kWh in July–December 2030, and 2030 is the last year solar panels earn STCs. The rebate follows the installation date, not the day you sign a contract, so check the install date on your quote when a step-down is close.
Solar rebates: your questions
Who is eligible for the solar rebate in Victoria?
Anyone who installs a new eligible solar system with an accredited installer gets the federal STC discount, and the battery rebate works the same way: neither has an income or property test. Solar Victoria’s panel rebate is means-tested. You must own and live in the home, the owners’ combined taxable income must be under $150,000, the property must be worth under $3 million, and the address can’t have had solar installed in the last 10 years. Landlords apply through a separate rental stream. Solar Homes eligibility in full
Is there a battery rebate in Victoria?
Not from the Victorian Government at the moment: Solar Victoria has closed its battery loan to new applicants. Victorian homes get the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program instead, up to about $3,300 off a 12.8 kWh battery installed today, and it steps down every six months until 2030. The battery rebate in detail
When does the solar rebate end in Victoria?
The federal STC rebate for solar panels falls every 1 January, and 2030 is its last year. Solar Victoria’s panel rebate and interest-free loan continue under the current rules until 30 June 2027. From 1 July 2027, Victorian support for household solar moves into the Victorian Energy Upgrades program, which hasn’t yet said what it will pay. The full timeline
How much is the Australian government solar rebate?
The government solar rebate is paid as STCs: system size in kW × your postcode’s zone rating × the years left in the scheme (5 for systems installed in 2026). Most of Melbourne is zone 4, so a 6.6 kW system gets 39 STCs, up to about $1,500 at $38/STC. Parts of Victoria are zone 3, including Ballarat, Bendigo, Craigieburn and Melton, which earn about 17% more. STC calculator
How does the solar rebate work?
You usually don’t claim the federal rebate yourself. Most people assign the certificates (STCs) for their system to a registered agent, usually through the installer, and get their value as an upfront discount on the price. The Solar Victoria rebate is paid straight to the retailer and deducted from your invoice.
Can I get the solar panel and battery rebates together?
Yes. Solar panels earn STCs and a battery earns the Cheaper Home Batteries Program discount on top, so a 6.6 kW system with a 12.8 kWh battery in most of Melbourne earns 126 STCs installed today, up to about $4,800 at $38/STC. An eligible household can add Solar Victoria’s panel rebate, worked out on the price left after the STCs: up to 50% of it, to a maximum of $1,400. The Solar Homes rebate and loan
What the rebates add up to for a Melbourne home
For the same system on a zone 4 Melbourne home, the install date is what changes the rebate. A 6.6 kW system with a 12.8 kWh battery installed today earns 126 STCs, up to about $4,800; installed from 1 January 2027 it earns 103, about $900 less. A home in a zone 3 pocket such as Craigieburn or Melton gets about 17% more on the panels, while the battery’s STCs are the same in every suburb. Solar Victoria’s up to $1,400 holds under the current rules until 30 June 2027, but it is paid only if you are approved before installation, so an eligible household should apply before booking the install.
Enter your postcode in the calculator above, or ask for a quote with every federal rebate your home qualifies for taken off.
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