Solar & Battery Rebates, Subsidies & Incentives – 2023

Last Updated: 2nd Oct 2023

The cost of going solar in Australia has plummeted over the past decade, helped by solar rebates, subsidies and incentives from the federal and some state/territory governments.

More recently, battery subsidy schemes and government-run low-cost or interest-free battery loans have popped up. Support varies from state to state, and below you’ll find what’s available in 2023 where you live. I’ve also included summary details on what’s on offer for supporting electric vehicles.

 Queensland

Here’s what’s on offer in the very appropriately named sunshine state.

  • National solar subsidy – you can save thousands off a system; for example, around $2,600 off a 6.6kW system installed in Brisbane in 2023. Just bear in mind prices you see advertised for systems in Queensland will already have this included. Further details on this subsidy, more commonly referred to as the “solar rebate”, here.
  • Feed-in tariff – this is what you receive for surplus energy you export to the mains grid after your system is installed, which can help to accelerate payback. Learn more about Queensland’s feed-in tariff.
  • Electric Vehicles (EVs): $3,000 or $6,000 rebate on new electric vehicles under $58,000 or $68,000 purchase price. The level of rebate and purchase value cap depends on total gross household income. Also available is discounted vehicle registration and registration duty costs. Further information.

New South Wales

In New South Wales, there’s a bit going on with incentives:

  • National solar subsidy – available across New South Wales for all system sizes, the national STC scheme can reduce the upfront cost of a 6.6kW system installed in Sydney by around $2,600! Note that system prices advertised in New South Wales would already factor in this amount. Learn more about the “solar rebate”.
  • Solar For Low Income Households – in exchange for agreeing to forfeit the Low Income Household Rebate for ten years, qualifying households can get a free 3 kilowatt solar system. More information here.
  • Feed-in tariff – the payment you’ll get for each kilowatt-hour of surplus electricity generated by your system not used by your home that is exported to the mains grid. Discover more about NSW’s feed-in tariff. 
  • Electric Vehicles (EVs) – $3,000 rebate and stamp duty exemption on new vehicle purchases. Further information.

ACT

Residents of Canberra also have a number of options.

  • National solar subsidy – in the nation’s capital, this subsidy is worth (for example) around $2,600 off the up-front price of a 6.6kW solar power system! This would be factored into pricing you see advertised in the ACT.
  • Home Energy Support offers eligible households (Australian Government Pensioner Concession Card or a Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card holders) a rebate of up to 50% (capped at $2,500) on a rooftop solar system, plus an interest-free loan to cover the remainder. Further information here.
  • Sustainable Household Scheme: provides zero-interest loans to help with the costs of energy-efficient upgrades, including solar panels and batteries. Loans from $2,000 to $15,000 are available, to be repaid over up to 10 years. Find out more here.
  • Feed-in tariff – you’ll likely be generating surplus solar energy at times beyond what your home needs – and you can get paid for this! Further information on  ACT’s feed-in tariff here.
  • Electric Vehicles (EVs) – Full stamp duty exemption for new purchases, two years free registration on new or used vehicles, interest free loans up to $15,000. Further information.

Victoria

Victorians are a fortunate bunch – a veritable smorgasbord of support is on offer to go solar.

  • National solar subsidy – this incentive significantly reduces the cost of buying solar panels. For example, in the case of a 6.6kW system installation in Melbourne, it can provide (approximately) a $2,200 discount in 2023. This subsidy is already factored into pricing you may see advertised for systems in Victoria. Find further details here.
  • Victorian solar panel rebate – a subsidy of up to $1,400 is available towards purchasing a solar power system – and yes, you can also take advantage of the national solar rebate.  An interest-free loan option is also available. Learn more about the Victorian solar panel rebate.
  • Solar battery loans – 4,500 interest-free loans of up to $8,800 are available in 2023-24. More information here. 
  • Feed-in tariff – this is the payment you’ll be eligible for when your system exports surplus energy it generates to the mains grid. Further information on Victoria’s feed-in tariff here.
  • Electric Vehicles (EVs) – There was a $3,000 subsidy on vehicles with a purchase price (dutiable value) under a threshold of $68,740, but that was axed at the end of June 2023. More than 10,000 zero emission vehicle (ZEV) subsidies were delivered under the initiative. Still available is a $100 registration discount. Further information.

Tasmania

In Tasmania, there are just the basics at this point in time – but they make a big difference to outlay and accelerate payback.

  • National solar subsidy – solar power costs a little more in Tasmania, but this subsidy provides a discount of around $2,200 on a 6.6kW installation (just an example). When looking at advertised prices on systems, bear in mind this subsidy is already taken into account.
  • Feed-in tariff – at times, your system will be generating more electricity than your home needs. This surplus energy, exported to the mains grid, is eligible for a payment. Find out more about Tasmania’s feed-in tariff.
  • Electric Vehicles (EVs) – Stamp duty waived. More information.

South Australia

South Australia is a solar energy powerhouse, with the uptake of small-scale solar energy systems supported by the following programs.

  • National solar subsidy – while this subsidy reduces each year, it’s still very generous. For example, a 6.6kW system attracts a subsidy of approximately $2,600 in 2023. This incentive would have been taken into account on any pricing you see advertised in SA. Learn more about the incentive here.
  • Feed-in tariff – one of the great things about having solar panels is even when your house doesn’t consume all the electricity a system generates, you can get paid for that as well. Further details on South Australia’s feed-in tariff here
  • Electric Vehicles (EVs) – A $3,000 subsidy for new electric vehicles with a price cap of $68,750 inclusive of GST and 3-year registration fee exemption. Further information.

Western Australia

Here’s what’s currently available in Western Australia:

  • National solar subsidy – applicable to any system size, but as an example is worth around $2,600 on a 6.6kW system in 2023. When you see prices advertised for solar systems, this up-front discount is already factored in.
  • Feed-in tariff – the payment you’ll receive for surplus energy your system generates that is exported to the grid. Find out more about Western Australia’s feed-in tariff here. 
  • Electric Vehicles (EVs) – $3,500 rebate for electric vehicles up to a maximum dutiable value of $70,000.

Northern Territory

Territorians can take advantage of the following schemes:

  • National solar subsidy – this varies according to installation size (panel capacity) and location. In Darwin, it’s the highest in Australia – around $3,000 off a 6.6kW system in 2023!
  • Home and business battery scheme – offers a grant of $450 per kilowatt-hour, up to a maximum grant of $6,000 on eligible battery systems.  For example, with 13.5kWh capacity, a Tesla Powerwall would be eligible for the full $6,000. More information here.
  • Feed-in tariff – even when your home isn’t consuming some or all of the energy the solar panels are generating, you’ll get paid for exporting that surplus electricity to the mains grid. Learn more about the Northern Territory feed-in tariff.
  • Electric Vehicles (EVs) – free registration, stamp duty exemption up to $1,500 for vehicles valued up to $50,000 (3% stamp duty on the amount over) and EV charger grants. Further information.

As you can see, there’s a lot on offer for Australians wanting to slash their electricity bills and household emissions by harvesting solar energy from their rooftops, plus some support is appearing for electric vehicles.

Make a start on acquiring a power bill busting PV system for your home by getting a quote from trusted solar installers in the SolarQuotes network.

Each month you put off installing solar panels is another month of electricity bills much higher than they would otherwise be!

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