{"id":30084,"date":"2019-05-09T08:56:28","date_gmt":"2019-05-08T22:26:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=30084"},"modified":"2024-12-10T08:13:09","modified_gmt":"2024-12-09T22:43:09","slug":"victorian-solar-battery-rebate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/victorian-solar-battery-rebate\/","title":{"rendered":"Want A Battery? Then Don’t Claim The $2,250 Victorian Solar Rebate"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Victorian

Hey Victorians, do you want the $2,250 panel rebate or the $4839 battery rebate?<\/p><\/div>\n

Update 17 May 2019: Solar Victoria have provided us with two clarifications<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The VIC battery rebate is capped at 1,000 per year for 10 years. So there is a chance you won’t get it even if eligible. Bear that in mind if you decide not to claim the VIC panel rebate.<\/em><\/li>\n
  2. You can pay a deposit before you apply for your rebate – but it is recommended that your installer confirms, in writing, that it will be refunded if you don’t get the rebate.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \n

    At the moment the Victorian solar industry is at a standstill. Phones that were ringing off the hook two weeks ago have fallen silent.<\/p>\n

    Victoria’s solar rebate<\/a>1<\/a><\/sup> has closed to new applications until July 1. Victorians who want solar panels cannot buy now and claim the rebate in July. They need to apply for the rebate on or after July 1, then get approved, then pay the deposit, then get the solar power system installed. If they don’t do everything in that order, the Victorian bureaucrats will not pay out their rebate.<\/p>\n

    About the only thing that can be done before July 1 is get quotes for solar.<\/p>\n

    Yes, I know this is going to sound very self-serving, but getting quotes now is a good idea. At least if you have a valid quote come July 1, you can be all ready to get your rebate application in first thing Monday July 1st.<\/p>\n

    \n


    \nA few details to note about applying for your VIC rebate on July 1.<\/em><\/p>\n

    The administration of the scheme is changing from Sustainability Victoria2<\/a><\/sup> to the\u00a0Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning\u00a0 (DELWP).<\/em><\/p>\n

    Here’s the new VIC rebate application process (as I understand it):<\/em><\/p>\n

    This can happen immediately:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

    1.<\/strong> Consumer goes to solar retailer for a quote<\/em><\/p>\n

    2.<\/strong> Retailer prepares quote. Gives quote to consumer and also uploads to DELWP solar rebate portal.<\/em><\/p>\n

    This can happen from July 1:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

    3.<\/strong> The consumer jumps onto the DELWP solar rebate portal, runs through the application process and uploads a copy of their\u00a0quote. Their chosen\u00a0retailer should guide them through the application process.<\/em><\/p>\n

    4.<\/strong> The portal will process the consumer’s application in real time providing the uploaded\u00a0documents all check out.<\/em><\/p>\n

    5.<\/strong> If the consumer is accepted as eligible, the consumer and their retailer will be advised of eligibility and retailer is <\/em>free to install.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

    6.<\/strong> After installation, the consumer will pay the retailer the system price with VIC rebate deducted.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

    7.<\/strong> Post-installation, the retailer uploads Certificate of Compliance, final invoice and other documentation to DEWLP portal.<\/em><\/p>\n

    8. <\/strong>DEWLP bureaucrats ensure all the documents are valid and match up. Payment to retailer is authorised. <\/em>Payments will be issued 1st and 15th of every month.<\/em><\/p>\n

    (phew – this scheme sounds expensive to administer!)<\/p>\n

    \n

     <\/p>\n

    Why You Might NOT Want To Claim The VIC Solar Panel Rebate<\/h2>\n

    If you haven’t already had the rebate approved, you’d have to be crazy to install solar power before July 1, and pay an extra $2,250 wouldn’t you?<\/p>\n

    Not necessarily.<\/p>\n

    Hello Victoria’s Battery Rebate!<\/h2>\n

    On July 1 another rebate opens for applications: the Victorian battery rebate.<\/p>\n

    It is worth 50% of the cost of a battery or $4,839 : whichever is lowest.<\/p>\n

    Here’s the kicker: you can have either the solar panel rebate or the solar battery rebate. You can’t have both.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    So if you have your heart set on buying solar and a battery<\/em> there is no need to wait until July 1 for the solar panel rebate. You can install the solar power system now, add the battery later and (if you are eligible) get the $4,839 battery rebate after July 1.<\/p>\n

    In fact, if you claim the VIC solar panel rebate, you’ll be $2,589 worse off because you’ll lose the more generous battery rebate.<\/p>\n

    The question then, for anyone who is undecided about batteries is: ‘should you claim the Victorian battery rebate or the VIC solar panel rebate?’<\/p>\n

    Let me be very clear here. If your main motivation is saving money then, even though it is less generous, the Victoria’s solar panel rebate will save you more than the battery rebate<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    Example Solar Panel Payback<\/h2>\n

    For example, take a 6.6kW solar panel system<\/a> that might sell right now for $6,000. After the VIC solar panel rebate that drops to $3,750 (assuming the rebate stays at $2,250 – it may be reduced). The payback will depend on electricity usage patterns, but will typically be from 2-4 years.<\/p>\n

    Example Battery Payback<\/h2>\n

    If you buy a good value 9-10 kWh battery-only system (for example an Alpha ESS, Redback or LG Chem) you’d pay around $11,000 right now for the retrofitted battery system. After Victoria’s battery rebate, that drops to $6,161. If you consistently used 8kWh per night, pay 25c for electricity and earn a 12c feed-in tariff, your daily benefit would be 8 x $0.13 = $1.04 a day, or $380 per year.<\/p>\n

    Your simple payback based on current tariffs would be over 16 years.<\/p>\n

    This would improve if feed-in tariffs<\/a> dropped and electricity prices increased. But clearly a battery subsidised by Victoria’s battery rebate is a much worse return than a solar power system using the VIC solar panel rebate – despite the larger handout.<\/p>\n

    But People Buy Batteries For Lots Of Reasons!<\/h2>\n

    Perhaps the poor economics don’t scare you off. That’s cool. You may want a battery for other reasons. Usually these are environmental, techno-geekery and backup.<\/p>\n

    Unfortunately home batteries are an environmental negative<\/a> at the moment.<\/p>\n

    But perhaps you are a geek: “I want the cool technology!”. That’s as good a reason as any. That’s why I’ve got one.<\/p>\n

    And finally, for backup<\/a>. The price you put on backup is up to you. It is pretty cool though when your suburb is blacked out and your house is the only one with the lights on.<\/p>\n

    I discovered this for myself when cycling home the other day into my blacked out street:<\/p>\n