STC rebate
STC rebate calculator for Melbourne homes
The STC rebate is the federal discount on solar panels and batteries, paid in small-scale technology certificates (STCs). A 6.6kW system in most of Melbourne earns 39 STCs if it is installed in 2026, about $1,300 to $1,500 off the price. It is separate from Solar Victoria’s panel rebate: see all the solar rebates in Victoria.
The count depends on your system size, your postcode’s zone and the year it is installed, and it falls every 1 January until the scheme ends in 2030. Enter your size and postcode in the STC calculator to check your own figure, and add a battery to see its STCs too.
Updated
Zone 4 (1.185), which covers most of Melbourne.
Example: 6.6 kW of solar in most of Melbourne
- Solar panel STCs 39 certificates at $38
- $1,480
- Battery STCs 0 certificates at $38
- $0
- Total STCs
- 39
- Estimated STC discountDepending on the STC price your installer credits
- $1,290–$1,480
Installed from 1 January 2027, the same system gets $300 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.
How this STC rebate calculator works
Set your solar system size and add your postcode: this STC calculator finds your zone and works out the solar STCs for a system installed today. Move the battery slider above zero and it works as an STC battery calculator too, adding the battery’s STCs from the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program. It values each STC at $33 to $38, the range the Clean Energy Regulator says agents usually pay, and shows how much the same system gets after the next drop.
It uses the same rules as our solar rebates page, which also adds the Solar Victoria panel rebate. To double-check a figure, the Clean Energy Regulator’s registry has its own Small generation unit STC calculator.
What is an STC?
What is STC solar? It is the federal government’s rebate for rooftop solar, paid as small-scale technology certificates (STCs) under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme. Each STC stands for 1 megawatt hour (MWh) of renewable electricity your system is expected to generate, store or displace.
Electricity retailers and large energy users must buy and surrender STCs every quarter under the Renewable Energy Target, which is what gives them their value. When your system is installed, the certificates are created for it and sold, and that money comes off your price.
To earn STCs, a home solar system must:
- be under 100 kW and make less than 250 MWh a year (larger systems up to 1 MW installed from 1 October 2026 can also earn STCs, under separate mid-scale rules);
- use panels and an inverter on the Clean Energy Council’s approved list;
- be installed by a Solar Accreditation Australia accredited installer, to the Australian standards;
- be new: second-hand systems don’t qualify.
Who claims the STCs?
Usually your installer. Most people assign the right to create their STCs to the installer or its registered agent, in exchange for an upfront discount, and the assignment is part of your quote and contract. The installer then creates the certificates within 12 months of installation and sells them, so you pay the lower price on the day and don’t deal with the STC market yourself.
You can keep the right and create and sell the STCs yourself instead, but then you pay the full price upfront and wait for the sale. Either way, the STCs belong to the property where the system is installed.
How many STCs does a solar system get in Melbourne?
Solar STCs = system size in kW × your postcode’s zone rating × the years left in the scheme (5 for systems installed in 2026), rounded down. Most of metropolitan Melbourne is zone 4 (rating 1.185). Some northern and western suburbs, such as Broadmeadows, Craigieburn, Epping and Melton, and much of regional Victoria are zone 3 (rating 1.382), which earns about 17% more.
| System size | Zone 4 (most of Melbourne) | Zone 3 |
|---|---|---|
| 5kW | 29 STCs, about $1,100 | 34 STCs, about $1,300 |
| 6.6kW | 39 STCs, about $1,500 | 45 STCs, about $1,700 |
| 8kW | 47 STCs, about $1,800 | 55 STCs, about $2,100 |
| 10kW | 59 STCs, about $2,200 | 69 STCs, about $2,600 |
| 13kW | 77 STCs, about $2,900 | 89 STCs, about $3,400 |
| 15kW | 88 STCs, about $3,300 | 103 STCs, about $3,900 |
| 20kW | 118 STCs, about $4,500 | 138 STCs, about $5,200 |
How many STCs does a home battery get?
Home batteries earn STCs too, under the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program. Battery STCs don’t depend on your postcode or a deeming period: they are the battery’s usable capacity × a factor for the install date, 6.8 for May–December 2026, at the full rate on the first 14 kWh and less above that. A 12.8 kWh battery installed now earns 87 STCs, up to about $3,300.
STC zones for Victorian postcodes: zone 3 or zone 4?
The Clean Energy Regulator gives every postcode a zone rating: the megawatt hours each kilowatt of panels is deemed to make there in a year. The higher the rating, the more STCs the same system earns. Every Victorian postcode is in zone 3 or zone 4, and the postcode of the installation address decides which.
| Zone | Rating (MWh per kW a year) | Victorian postcodes | 6.6kW installed in 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 4 | 1.185 | 3000–3035, 3039–3044, 3046, 3050–3058, 3060, 3065–3074, 3077–3098, 3100–3292, 3303–3308, 3320–3333, 3338–3339, 3759–3760, 3765–3999 | 39 STCs, about $1,500 |
| Zone 3 | 1.382 | 3036–3038, 3045, 3047–3049, 3059, 3061–3064, 3075–3076, 3099, 3293–3302, 3309–3319, 3334–3337, 3340–3758, 3761–3764 | 45 STCs, about $1,700 |
Zone 4 covers most of metropolitan Melbourne. Zone 3 takes in pockets of the north and west and the big regional band from 3340–3758, which includes Ballarat and Bendigo. The same 6.6kW system earns 6 more STCs in zone 3 this year, about $200 more off the price.
Batteries have no zone: their STCs depend only on usable capacity and the install date, so a battery earns the same anywhere in Victoria. The calculator above looks up your postcode for you.
What is an STC worth? The STC price
STCs trade in two places. In the open market the price is set by supply and demand and can change daily. In the government’s STC clearing house the price is capped at $40 excluding GST, but certificates wait there until a buyer comes along: the average wait was about 13 days at the end of June 2026. The Clean Energy Regulator’s market report for the June quarter 2026 says STC prices stayed close to $40.
Your discount is the price your installer gives you per STC. The Clean Energy Regulator doesn’t set it, and says the usual price agents use is $33 to $38. Dollar figures use $38 per STC, the top of the $33–$38 the Clean Energy Regulator says agents usually pay, so treat them as a ceiling. Check the per-STC figure on every quote you compare.
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.
The inflated STC price trick: how to check your quote
The STC discount on a quote is two numbers multiplied together: how many STCs the system earns, and the dollars per STC. The count is fixed by the Clean Energy Regulator’s formula, so quotes for the same size, address and install year should show the same number. The price per STC is the installer’s choice, and that is where the trick sits: a quote can value each STC above what the installer will get for it, so the “rebate” line looks bigger while the price before the discount is set higher to match. You pay the same or more; only the label changed.
- Find the STC line. It should show the number of STCs and the dollars taken off. If a quote shows only a dollar “government rebate”, ask for the count.
- Check the count. Enter the system size and your postcode in the calculator above. The count goes by the installation date, so if the install slips into the next year, it falls.
- Work out the price per STC. Divide the dollars by the count. The usual agent price is $33 to $38, and the clearing house price is capped at $40 excluding GST, so a figure above that range needs an explanation.
- Compare prices after STCs. Line quotes up on what you pay for the same panels, inverter and size, not on the size of the discount.
- Get the price per STC in writing. The Clean Energy Regulator doesn’t set it and doesn’t step into disputes over it: it is a contract matter between you and the agent, so read the STC assignment in your contract before you sign.
Our per-STC credit isn’t published here yet. Your quote takes off every federal rebate your home qualifies for: ask us for the STC count and the price per STC behind it, and check both with the steps above.
Do panel replacements and system extensions get STCs?
Only new equipment earns STCs, and panels that have already claimed never claim again. Adding panels to an existing system can earn STCs on the new panels; swapping panels while keeping the old inverter earns none. The Clean Energy Regulator’s examples:
| What you do | What changes | STCs? | Claimed as |
|---|---|---|---|
| More panels on the existing inverter | New panels on the inverter you have | Yes, on the new panels | “extension system” |
| A new inverter for old and new panels | New panels and a new inverter that runs old and new | Yes, on the new panels only | “extension system” |
| A second system beside the old one | A second inverter with new panels; the old system stays | Yes, on the new system | “additional system” |
| Replace the whole system | New panels and inverter in place of the old system | Yes, when everything is new | “replacement system” |
| Replace some panels, keep the inverter | Some or all panels swapped; the old inverter stays | No: the system has already claimed | No claim |
- Wait for the first claim. Extending a system before its first STC claim is approved risks losing the STCs for the whole system.
- A new inverter means a full re-check. When a new inverter runs the old and new panels, the installer must re-certify the entire system as safe and compliant, and upgrade any part that no longer meets the rules.
- Adding battery capacity. Extra battery capacity earns STCs only if the existing battery never claimed them, and the addition is at least 5 kWh.
Solar Victoria’s panel rebate is a separate question: among other things, it needs no solar panel system installed at the address in the last 10 years, so a home that already has solar can only qualify once that system is older than that.
Why the STC rebate drops every 1 January
Solar STCs are paid upfront for the electricity a system is deemed to make until the scheme ends in 2030. Each 1 January there is one year fewer left, so the same system earns fewer STCs, and 2030 is the last year solar panels earn them.
| Installed in | Years counted | Zone 4 (most of Melbourne) | Zone 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 5 | 39 STCs, about $1,500 | 45 STCs, about $1,700 |
| 2027 | 4 | 31 STCs, about $1,200 | 36 STCs, about $1,400 |
| 2028 | 3 | 23 STCs, about $900 | 27 STCs, about $1,000 |
| 2029 | 2 | 15 STCs, about $600 | 18 STCs, about $700 |
| 2030 | 1 | 7 STCs, about $300 | 9 STCs, about $300 |
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.
The scheme ends in 2030: what happens after?
The Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme runs to the end of 2030. The Clean Energy Regulator says the deeming period falls by a year every year until 2030, when the scheme ends, and systems installed on or before 31 December 2030 still get the usual 12 months to create their STCs. A 6.6kW system installed in 2030 counts 1 year: 7 STCs in zone 4, about $300.
Home batteries end with it. The Cheaper Home Batteries Program factor keeps stepping down until July–December 2030, when it is 2.1, and a battery that claimed STCs should stay at the property for the warranty period or until the end of 2030, whichever is later.
Under the rules as they stand, a system installed after 31 December 2030 earns no STCs. Victoria’s own support changes sooner: Solar Victoria’s current panel rebate and loan run to 30 June 2027, and household solar support moves into the Victorian Energy Upgrades program from 1 July 2027.
Every rebate date in one timeline
Myths about the rebate “ending”
You may hear that the rebate is about to end. Here is what the rules say.
| You may hear | What the rules say |
|---|---|
| “The solar rebate ends on 31 December.” | It drops; it doesn’t end. On 1 January the deeming period falls by a year, so a 6.6kW system in zone 4 goes from 39 STCs to 31. Systems installed up to 31 December 2030 still earn STCs. |
| “Sign before Christmas to lock in this year’s rebate.” | The count goes by the installation date, not the date you sign. A system you sign for in December but have installed in January gets the new year’s count, for solar panels and batteries alike. |
| “The rebate finishes when Solar Victoria’s does.” | Solar Victoria’s current panel rebate and loan run to 30 June 2027, then household solar support moves into the Victorian Energy Upgrades program. STCs are a separate federal scheme that runs to the end of 2030. |
| “Only lower-income households can get it.” | The STC rules are about the system and the installer, not your income or your home’s value. The $150,000 income cap belongs to Solar Victoria’s panel rebate. |
| “You apply to the government and wait for the money.” | Most people assign their STCs to the installer’s registered agent and get the discount on the quote, so there is nothing to apply for. You can create and sell them yourself instead, but then you pay the full price first. |
STCs: your questions
What does STC stand for?
Small-scale technology certificate. The federal Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme issues STCs for eligible solar panels, batteries and some other renewable systems, and each STC equals 1 megawatt hour of renewable electricity generated, stored or displaced. Your installer turns them into a discount on your price.
Why is the STC discount less than $40 per certificate?
$40 is the price in the government’s STC clearing house, excluding GST, and certificates sold there wait for a buyer. Installers and agents pay you a little less to cover that wait, their fees and the risk of a claim failing. The Clean Energy Regulator says the usual price agents use is $33 to $38 per STC, so compare the per-STC figure between quotes.
Which STC zone is my postcode in?
Every Victorian postcode is in zone 3 or zone 4. Most of metropolitan Melbourne is zone 4 (rating 1.185). Some northern and western suburbs and much of regional Victoria, including postcodes 3340–3758, are zone 3 (rating 1.382), which earns more STCs for the same system. Enter your postcode in the calculator at the top of this page and it looks your zone up in the Clean Energy Regulator’s postcode table. STC zones by postcode
Can I create and sell my own STCs?
Yes. You register in the Clean Energy Regulator’s REC Registry, create the STCs within 12 months of installation, then sell them on the open market or through the clearing house at up to $40 each, with no guarantee how long a sale takes. Most people assign them to the installer instead and take the discount on the day. You can’t do both for the same system.
Is there a deadline to claim STCs?
Yes. STCs must be created within 12 months of the installation date. If you assigned them to your installer, they create them for you. If you installed an eligible system in the last 12 months and never assigned or claimed the STCs, check your paperwork: you may still be able to claim.
Do I get STCs if I replace a few broken panels?
No. Swapping some or all of the panels while keeping the existing inverter is not eligible for STCs: the system claimed when it was first installed. Replacing the whole system with new panels and a new inverter can claim again as a “replacement system”, and new panels added to an existing system can claim on the new panels only. Upgrading an older system
Can second-hand or relocated solar panels get STCs?
No. Second-hand systems are not eligible, and panels moved to a new property can’t claim STCs again: STCs belong to the property address where the system was first installed, not to its owner. If you buy a home that already has solar, its STCs were normally claimed when it was installed, but new panels you add can earn their own.
Can I get STCs for solar installed after 2030?
Not under the current rules. The Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme ends in 2030: systems installed on or before 31 December 2030 earn STCs (only 1 year’s worth for solar installed in 2030) and still get the usual 12 months to create them. A system installed after that earns none unless the federal government changes the scheme. Every rebate date
What the STC count means for a Melbourne roof
Most Melbourne postcodes are zone 4, Mount Waverley’s 3149 among them, so a 6.6kW system installed in 2026 earns 39 STCs, about $1,300 to $1,500 off. Zone 3 pockets such as Broadmeadows, Craigieburn, Epping and Melton earn 6 more STCs for the same system. What the count ignores is your roof: PVGIS puts a north-facing 6.6kW system in Mount Waverley at about 9,370 kWh a year and a west-facing one at about 8,060 kWh, 14% less. Both earn the same STCs, because the formula uses only size, postcode zone and install year. An east- or west-facing Melbourne roof gets the full discount; it is the power, not the rebate, that drops.
Get a quote with your STCs taken off
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