If you live in an apartment (or own an apartment you rent out) in NSW, the Solar for Apartment Residents (SoAR) grant is one of the most practical ways to get shared rooftop solar onto your building and share the bill savings across residents.
This guide explains what the SoAR grant is, who’s eligible, how the money works, and what you can do to get it moving (without getting lost in strata admin).
Key details at a glance
| Item | What it means for your building |
| Maximum grant | Up to $150,000 per building |
| Grant rate | Up to 50% of eligible products + installation costs |
| Co-contribution | Owners corporation funds the remaining 50% |
| Applications close | 5pm 30 March 2026 (or earlier if funds are exhausted) |
| Funding deed deadline | Must be signed by 1 June 2026 |
| Project must be completed | By 30 October 2026 (including acquittal reporting) |
| Who can apply | Owners corporation or strata managing agent (authorised by the owners corporation) |
| Eligible buildings | 3 to 55 residential lots, completed, NSW, strata registered, insured, and no solar PV installed in the last 10 years |
| Application stages | Stage 1: Expression of Interest → Stage 2: Full application (requires quotes + strata resolution) |
Talk to an experienced Solar Choice consultant about options for your Strata Building
Official program pages:
- NSW Climate & Energy Action Program Overview: Solar for apartment residents
- NSW Government grants listing: SoAR Grant Program
- Application portal: SmartyGrants – SoAR
Related Solar Choice reading:
- NSW rebates hub: NSW solar rebates and incentives
- The STC discount explained (important for this grant): STC scheme
- Strata solar project support: Commercial solar for strata apartments
What is the NSW SoAR grant?
The Solar for Apartment Residents (SoAR) program is a NSW Government grant (with Australian Government financial support) that helps eligible apartment buildings install a shared solar photovoltaic (PV) system.
Unlike a typical house system, a strata solar system has two challenges:
- Ownership and decision-making (many owners, shared roof)
- Sharing the benefit (how do multiple apartments get the solar savings?)
SoAR is designed to reduce the cost barrier and encourage buildings to install a shared system where benefits are distributed proportionately across residents.
Eligibility: does your building qualify?
Who can apply?
Only:
- A residential owners corporation responsible for the management of a strata scheme (under the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015), or
- A strata managing agent (authorised by the owners corporation)
Individual residents can’t submit the application themselves — but tenants and landlords can absolutely initiate the process.
What buildings are eligible?
To qualify, the building must:
- Be an apartment building or multi‑unit residential dwelling
- Have at least 3 and no more than 55 residential lots
- Be a completed development at the time of application
- Have not had a solar PV system installed in the last 10 years
- Be located in NSW
- Be registered under the Strata Schemes Development Act 2015
- Have an active strata insurance policy
How the money works (the bits that trip people up)
1) The grant is 50% — but it’s calculated after STCs
This is a big one.
The total system cost in your application must be the amount after the STC discount has been applied.
If you’re not across STCs, it’s worth reading Solar Choice’s explainer: Small‑scale Technology Certificates (STCs).
2) Costs should be quoted excluding GST
The total system cost quoted in the application should exclude GST.
3) Financing is allowed, but the grant won’t pay interest
If the owners corporation finances its 50% share, interest costs are not covered by the grant.
4) Payment is staged (you still need cashflow)
Grant funding is paid in three instalments:
| Stage | When it’s paid | Portion of grant |
| 1 | Funding deed is signed | 20% |
| 2 | Solar panels are 50% installed | 40% |
| 3 | Installation completed + final reporting | 40% |
5) The grant won’t pay for everything
The grant will not pay for:
- Replacement of an existing solar system
- Ongoing maintenance
What costs can the SoAR grant cover?
The SoAR grant is intended to cover the purchase and installation of a shared solar PV system.
In practice, most projects include:
- Solar panels + mounting
- Inverters
- Electrical works and compliance items
- Metering / solar-sharing technology that enables apartment-level benefit sharing
- Installation labour
Just remember: if a quoted scope includes non-solar building upgrades (e.g. large electrical refurbishments or unrelated roof works), those items may not be eligible. Always sanity-check quotes.
If you want broader solar cost context (not grant-specific):
Explore Your Apartment Solar Options – No Obligations
The application process
The SoAR grant has two stages.
Stage 1: Expression of Interest (EOI)
You submit an EOI to check eligibility.
Practical tip: this stage is about answering, “Does this building meet the rules?” not proving every technical detail.
Stage 2: Full application
If the EOI is eligible, you submit a full application.
At this stage, you’ll need:
- Quotes from 2 different accredited installers
- A sustainability infrastructure resolution passed at a strata meeting
Your application is assessed on:
Pass/fail requirements
- Payback period for the shared solar PV system is within 10 years
- A sustainability infrastructure resolution has been passed, agreeing that costs and benefits will be shared proportionately
Scored criteria (minimum 5/10 in each)
- Project effectiveness (including benefit sharing)
- Value for money and reasonable cost
- Sound delivery method
- Capacity/capability of the applicant
Strata committee checklist (a clean path to action)
Use this as your “minimum viable plan”.
- Talk to an experienced Solar Choice consultant about options for your Strata Building
- Confirm eligibility (3–55 lots, no solar in 10 years, insured, NSW, strata registered)
- Lodge Stage 1 EOI (SmartyGrants)
- Engage 2+ accredited installers for quotes
- Get a basic feasibility + payback estimate (must be under 10 years)
- Draft and pass the sustainability infrastructure resolution
- Submit Stage 2 full application
- If approved: sign funding deed, schedule install, keep documentation organised for staged payments
We strongly recommend you reach out to a Solar Choice consultant obligation free.
If you want background solar basics:
- Solar panels: how they work
- Solar system sizes
- Roof area reality check: Roof area solar panel calculator
Common mistakes (and how to avoid them)
- Forgetting the STC detail: the 50% grant is calculated on the system price after STCs.
- Leaving it too late: strata votes + quotes can take months and funding may allocate early.
- Over-scoping enabling works: keep the project focused on solar and solar-sharing needs.
- No clear benefit-sharing story: the application needs to show how savings flow to residents.
FAQs
Do tenants get the benefit, or only owners?
The program is designed to benefit residents (including renters). In most setups, the solar benefit attaches to the apartment’s meter/account — so tenants benefit while they live there.
Does the grant cover batteries?
This program is for solar PV. Battery funding is separate. If you’re exploring batteries in NSW, start here: NSW home battery rebates.
What if we can’t complete by 30 October 2026?
The program guidance says to contact the department early to discuss options. (Don’t leave it until the deadline.)
If you want independent, plain‑English guidance on strata solar projects (without installer sales pressure), Solar Choice’s strata solar page is a helpful starting point:
Talk to an experienced Solar Choice consultant about options for your Strata Building
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