Apartment Solar Push Continues As Victoria Extends Rebates

Victoria has extended its “Solar for Apartments” program until 30 June 2027, giving more time for apartment residents and strata buildings to tap into rooftop solar and reduce power bills.

Early uptake has been steady, and a new case study shows apartment solar is now moving from policy into real-world installations, with savings reaching residents.

When Does Victoria’s Solar For Apartments Program End?

The Victorian Government has confirmed its Solar for Apartments program — previously due to close on 30 April 2026 — will now run until mid-2027.

The extension reflects steady demand since the program launched in early 2024, with more than $5.7 million already paid out across 141 multi-unit developments, covering over 2,650 apartments. While growing, this remains a small share of Victoria’s apartment housing stock.

Under the scheme, eligible apartment buildings can access rebates of up to $2,800 per apartment, capped at $140,000 per complex. The program is expected to deliver savings of up to $500 a year on household electricity bills.

“We have seen huge interest from apartment residents — that’s why we have extended applications for the program, to give more Victorians the chance to go solar and slash their power bills,” said Solar Victoria CEO Stan Krpan.

From Policy To Practical Reality

A recent installation in Templestowe, in Melbourne’s north-east, shows what apartment solar looks like when it actually gets built.

Delivered by Solahart Eastern Ranges, the project involved 27 apartment owners opting into the rebate program, with a further 12 households joining a separate shared solar system.

Installation underway at the Templestowe apartment complex, where rooftop solar is being rolled out under Victoria’s Solar for Apartments program.

The rebates reduced upfront installation costs by $75,600 across the participating units. In apartment projects like this, the biggest barrier is often not technology, but coordinating agreement between multiple owners.

Residents are now forecast to save between $320 and $640 per year on electricity bills, based on small, per-apartment systems ranging from around 1kW to just under 2kW.

That reflects the realities of shared rooftops, where available space has to be divided across multiple dwellings.

The system uses Enphase microinverter technology, allowing panel-level optimisation and individual monitoring, with apartment allocations varying between two, three and four panels per dwelling depending on participation.

Still Not A Simple Rollout

The Templestowe project highlights just how much more complex apartment solar is compared to rooftop solar on detached homes.

Strata approval processes, split incentives between owners and renters, and site-specific constraints all add friction. Even when the economics stack up, getting enough owners to agree on system design can still be the hardest part of the job.

As a result, uptake, while growing, remains relatively small compared to the detached housing market.

Why The Extension Matters

The extension to 2027 signals that the government sees both progress and unfinished business.

On one hand, thousands of apartments are now benefiting from solar in ways that simply weren’t practical a few years ago. On the other, the numbers are still modest for a state with so much multi-unit housing stock.

In other words: the model works, but it hasn’t scaled yet. And scaling apartment solar is never going to be as fast as it has been for standalone homes. Every building is a negotiation between engineering, governance, and human behaviour.

The Long Road To Apartment Solar

Apartment solar in Australia is early-stage compared to rooftop solar on houses. While programs like Solar for Apartments are helping unlock the sector, progress remains slow and uneven.

For now, it’s a case of gradual change rather than rapid transformation. Just don’t expect apartment solar to behave like the residential solar boom that came before it.

Want to explore how apartment solar works and whether your building could qualify? You can find more information on SolarQuotes’ apartment solar guide.