Solar Power Rebates: Federal Solar Rebates and State feed-in tariffs

What are the different types of rebates for solar power?

In Australia there are, in essence, two types of financial incentives schemes designed to encourage the uptake of solar power and other types of renewable energy.

Federal Solar Incentives

The Renewable Energy Target (RET) is the main driver of rebates at the Federal level, these take the form of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). This rebate for solar installations is available anywhere in Australia. RECs come in 2 forms: Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs) for renewable energy generators up to 100 kilowatts (kW), and Large-scale Generation Certificates (LGCs) for systems whose capacity is greater than 100kW.

The most recent of review of the RET has recommended that the size of renewable energy generators eligible for STCs be decreased to 10kW, this is likely to take effect in early 2013.

Read more about the federal government's incentives for large-scale and small-scale solar power

State Incentives

In addition to RECs, most states also offer support for solar and other renewables via Feed-in Tariff schemes. Under these schemes system owners are paid for each unit of power that they export to the electricity grid. Eligibility for Solar Feed-in Tariffs depends firstly, on whether a state or regional scheme is in place, but other factors include date of system installation and system size.

Feed-in Tariffs rates offered can be non-existent or pay as much as 68c per kilowatt-hour. Most states either currently have or previously had a Solar Feed-in Tariff in place.

Read about state-by-state Solar Feed-in Tariff incentive schemes

Solar rebates and incentives

Solar power rebates: Federal Solar Rebates and State feed-in tariffs

Federal solar credits rebate scheme: RECs, STCs, and LGCs

State-by-state Solar Feed-in Tariff incentives

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