Adelaide City’s solar & energy storage incentives

By Jeff Sykes last updated

Since 1 July 2015, the City of Adelaide has offered some of the most generous local incentives for solar power in Australia – and it still provides one of the only council-run home battery rebates through its Sustainability Incentives Scheme for properties in postcodes 5000 and 5006.

All rebates outlined below apply only to eligible solar, battery and energy-efficiency systems installed within the City of Adelaide (postcodes 5000 and 5006) and generally need to be installed within 12 months of Council approval, with annual funding caps set by the City of Adelaide Sustainability Incentives Scheme (check the Council website for current limits).

Application process

The City of Adelaide offers a pre-installation commitment for certain installations (i.e. solar PV systems > 10kW, all energy storage applications, energy efficiency in apartments and complex or multiple category applications). This is to ensure  that both system purchasers and system installers have confidence from the outset that funds for the rebate will be available – even over lead times of up to 3 months between payment of the deposit and system installation/payment of balance.

The first step in the process is for you (the customer) to start to obtain relevant approvals (i.e. Development, Landlord, Strata Corporation), then submit an itemised quote of the intended works to Council, who will advise as to whether the proposed works are eligible or whether you require further evidence. After the Council has given sign-off on the system, they’ll also give a ‘pre-installation commitment’, which serves as a guarantee that funds will be available for your project, whilst also giving you time to finalise details with your installer. Once the system is installed, the relevant electrical and safety certifications are issued and the payment is finalised, the purchaser can apply to Council to receive the rebate.

The City of Adelaide rebate is additional to other incentives

These Adelaide solar rebates stack on top of the federal Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) “federal solar rebate”, which appears on quotes as Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs) and typically reduces upfront solar PV costs by around 40%, and are separate from any South Australian solar feed-in tariff you receive for exporting energy to the grid.

Federal Battery Rebate

From 1 July 2025 the Cheaper Home Batteries Program provides around a 30% discount on eligible small-scale batteries, delivered via the SRES (up to roughly $372 per usable kWh, ~$4,000 for a typical 13.5 kWh system). See our comprehensive article for a step by step guide to the federal battery rebate.

Incentives for solar PV systems – up to $5,000

City of Adelaide’s solar PV rebates are available to homes, businesses, body corporates and community organisations. The maximum allowable rebate is determined by system capacity size.

  • Systems between 1.5 and 10 kilowatts (kW): 20% of the installed system cost (after federal incentives are applied), up to $1,000. The rebate is 50% for concession card holders and landlords, but the cap remains the same at $1,000.
  • Systems between 10kW and 20kW: 20% of the installed cost of the system after federal incentives, up to $2,500.
  • Systems larger than 20kW: 20% of the installed cost of the system after federal incentives, up to $5,000.

Other important notes:

  • In a recent change to the program, systems installed under a solar PPA or leasing agreement are now eligible to receive funds (provided that ownership of the system is eventually passed to the owner of the building where it is installed).
  • Ensure your system is designed and installed by a Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA)–accredited grid-connect solar installer, so your Adelaide solar rebate and federal STCs are fully compliant (via Solar Choice).
  • Please be aware that installing a second system may affect your eligibility to continue receiving one of SA’s state-backed feed-in tariffs, if you are receiving one. Check with your electricity retailer or SA Power Networks to confirm whether this would be the case for you.
  • You can download the solar PV rebate form (PDF) to check the fine print yourself.

Incentives for energy storage – up to $5,000

The City of Adelaide was one of the first government entities in Australia to offer a dedicated home battery rebate, and its Sustainability Incentives Scheme remains one of the few long-running local battery programs still open in 2025 (the ACT has had one since 2016 as well). In order to be eligible for this rebate, energy storage systems must be coupled with a solar PV system.

The City of Adelaide currently offers 50% off the installed cost of an eligible battery energy storage system, capped at $1,000, under its Sustainability Incentives Scheme.

Some examples:

  • For example, a $2,000 battery system could attract a $1,000 rebate (50% of the installed cost),
  • and for any system costing more than $2,000 the maximum City of Adelaide battery rebate remains $1,000.

Other important notes:

  • Please be aware that installing an energy storage system may affect your eligibility to continue receiving one of SA’s state-backed feed-in tariffs, if you are receiving one. Check with your retailer or SA Power Networks to confirm whether this would be the case for you.
  • Please be aware that installing an energy storage system may affect your eligibility to continue receiving one of SA’s state-backed feed-in tariffs, if you are receiving one. Check with your retailer or SA Power Networks to confirm whether this would be the case for you.
  • The City of Adelaide is committed to ensuring that City residents and businesses have confidence in the installation of solar and energy storage systems. To be eligible for the Adelaide battery rebate and federal incentives, your battery must be installed by a Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA)–accredited installer with either a battery endorsement or Stand-Alone Power Systems accreditation:
  • You must demonstrate that you have contacted the City of Adelaide’s Development Assessment team to determine whether you do or do not require Development Approval, and any conditions around installing the system.
  • Energy storage systems must be installed to optimise internal electricity consumption and not be configured as a mains electricity supply back-up system only.
  • You can download the energy storage rebate form (PDF) to check the fine print yourself.

Other incentives

Because the overarching goal of the program is to reduce the collective environmental impact of City of Adelaide residents and businesses, the Sustainability Incentive Scheme also provides incentives for a number of other sustainable technologies in addition to solar PV and energy storage. These are listed below with links to the relevant application forms:

See website for further FAQs, case studies and contact details.

Compare quotes from up to 7 pre-vetted installers in your area now.

Since 2008 our knowledge and sophisticated software has allowed over 400,000 Australian households and businesses to make a well-informed choice on their solar & battery installer.
Jeff Sykes
Latest posts by Jeff Sykes (see all)

Related Posts