Helping to reduce the cost of going solar

NSW Solar Battery and Solar Panel Rebate Hub

Welcome to the solar and battery rebate hub for NSW residents. Check which solar panel and solar battery rebates and incentives you’re entitled to here.

What solar rebates can NSW residents get?

The NSW Government aims to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 as part of the Net Zero Plan Stage 1: 2020-2030, the foundation of the state’s action on climate change. Installing solar panel and solar battery systems in private homes will help to achieve that target – so NSW is offering several financial incentives.

This makes today a great time to buy your solar power system. With the various rebates, schemes and interest-free loans available, you have a pivotal opportunity to save money on installation.

Here are the main solar and batter rebates on offer in NSW…

The Australian Government’s Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme is commonly known as the STC Program. It’s an incentive program for households that install renewable energy systems like solar panel systems and is the scheme most commonly thought on when it comes to NSW solar rebates. Fun fact: It’s not actually a ‘rebate’, but rather a ‘financial incentive scheme’.

If you’re a home-owner in the Hills District of Sydney, the Smart Home Battery Scheme will save you up to $4,000 when you buy and install a solar power system and solar battery. 

If you’re among the one third of NSW residents currently receiving an energy rebate, you may be eligible to swap that rebate for a free 3kW solar system. 

The swap deal means you’ll stop receiving the rebate for 10 years, but your newly installed solar could unlock long term energy savings of up to $600 annually.

To be eligible, you must:

  • Currently receive the Low Income Household Rebate
  • Agree not to receive the rebate for 10 years
  • Hold a valid Pensioner Concession Card or Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card
  • Own and live in your home
  • Not already have a solar PV system
  • Live within selected locations in NSW

If you install a solar system without a solar battery, you can feed any excess energy you generate back into the main grid. Your electricity supplier will then pay you a ‘feed-in tariff’- a payment for the electricity, which you usually get as a credit on your power bill. The NSW Government Feed-in Tariff Rates page gives more information about how this works. 

1. The STC program: making solar cheaper

The Australian Government’s Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme is a nationwide financial incentive program. It’s designed to encourage households across Australia to install renewable energy systems like solar PV.

How does it work?

You may have heard of small-scale technology certificates, more commonly known as STCs. Think of those certificates as a rebate that you can use to offset the price of your solar system. 

The number of STCs you’re allocated depends on how much energy your solar panel system will generate over its lifetime. This, in turn, depends on both the size of the system and your location.

What’s the offer?

Averaged across the country, the rebate is currently worth around $600 per kW of solar panels you install. To find out what you could be eligible for, contact us today.

However, that number is reducing every year until it hits $0 in 2031. In other words: the sooner you buy, the more money you’ll save.

How do I find out more? 

Contact our team using the form below.

solar power rebate nsw

2. Smart Home Battery Scheme: why installing a home solar battery makes sense

You already know a solar power system is an environmentally friendly way to reduce your power bills. 

But you can dial the benefits up a notch by adding a solar battery to your solar power system. Storing the excess electricity you generate means energy that would otherwise go to waste is available on days when it’s cloudy, rainy, or when you’re using more power than usual.

Whether you’re looking for a simple way to reduce your long-term energy costs, want to rely less on the grid and be rewarded for grid support, further reduce your carbon footprint or simply become self-sufficient and impervious to blackouts, a home battery is the ideal solution and pairs perfectly with solar.

That means you rely less on the grid for your electricity, AND you also improve energy security for your entire community. Talk about a win-win!

Smart Home Battery Scheme

If you live in the Hills District (Hills Shire) of Sydney or work within Norwest Business Park, Sydney, you may be eligible for the Smart Home Battery Scheme. 

The Smart Home Battery Scheme is a financial incentive program that we’re offering jointly with high-end property developer Mulpha and Australian peer-to-peer lender RateSetter.

What’s the offer?

If you’re eligible, this scheme will save you up to $4,000 when you buy and install a home solar system and solar battery storage solution. 

How do I find out more? 

To learn more about the Smart Home Battery Scheme, contact our team.

nsw government solar rebate scheme

Other incentives: the Regional Community Energy Fund

Finally, as part of its ‘net-zero by 2050’ push, the NSW Government is developing programs to help small businesses and households manage and reduce their energy costs.

These initiatives include opportunities such as:

  • Grants for community energy projects that benefit the local community.
  • Funding for community energy hubs that give households and small businesses greater access to expert energy advice or initiatives to help reduce bills.
  • Funding for regional and remote communities to install emergency backup battery systems for key community evacuation locations. These systems will both increase disaster resilience and reduce ongoing running costs.

Want to know more about NSW regional community energy initiatives? Check the Regional Community Energy page or contact our team using the form below.

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These costs are based on the SA Power network in Adelaide but prices may vary depending on your circumstances. This comparison assumes a general energy usage of 4000kWh/year for a residential customer on Energy Locals Time of Use Tariff – (TOU – Peak, Off-Peak & Solar Sponge).

The reference price is set by the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) for a financial year in relation to electricity supply to residential customers in the distribution region and is based on an assumed annual usage amount. Any difference between the reference price and the unconditional price of a plan is expressed as a percentage more or less than the reference price. The terms of any conditional discounts are shown, along with any further difference between the reference price and the discount applied if a condition is met, expressed as a percentage more or less than the reference price.