Rebates and Savings

Every current NSW and federal solar and battery incentive, with the dates each one changes and a calculator so you can see what it is worth for your home or building.

Solar and battery incentives

Applied to your quote by an accredited installer such as Platinum Solar Designs. Both federal certificate schemes step down on 1 January 2027, so the install date decides the discount.

Federal solar rebate: small-scale technology certificatesOpen, reduces 1 Jan 2027. Australian Government, Clean Energy Regulator

Solar STC estimate

STCs are created as a point-of-sale discount by your installer, so the figure comes off the quote.

Certificates traded around $37 to $40 through 2026. The Clean Energy Regulator clearing house pays a fixed $40 excluding GST.

Installed by 31 Dec 2026--

Installed from 1 Jan 2027--

STCs = system size (kW) x zone rating (1.382, postcode zone 3) x deeming period, rounded down. Actual certificate value depends on the market price on the day your installer trades them.

5 years: deeming period for installs in 2026, down to 4 years from 1 January 2027

Rooftop solar systems up to 100 kW earn small-scale technology certificates (STCs), which your installer trades and takes off the price. The number of certificates depends on system size, location and the years left until the scheme closes in 2030, so it falls every 1 January.

Who is eligible

  • Homes and businesses installing a new solar PV system up to 100 kW
  • Clean Energy Council approved panels and inverter, installed by an accredited installer
  • Kiama, the Illawarra and Sydney sit in postcode zone 3 (rating 1.382)

Key dates

  • 1 Jan 2027: deeming period drops from 5 to 4 years
  • 1 Jan each year: a further one-year reduction
  • 31 Dec 2030: scheme closes

Until the next step-down: --

Sources: Clean Energy Regulator: calculate STC entitlements Postcode zone ratings

Cheaper Home Batteries ProgramOpen, reduces 1 Jan 2027. Australian Government, Clean Energy Regulator

Battery discount estimate

The discount is applied upfront by an approved installer. Only the first 50 kWh of usable capacity earns certificates.

A Tesla Powerwall 3 is 13.5 kWh usable.

Certificates traded around $37 to $40 through 2026. The Clean Energy Regulator clearing house pays a fixed $40 excluding GST.

Installed by 31 Dec 2026--

Installed 1 Jan to 30 Jun 2027--

Since 1 May 2026 the STC factor applies at 100% for the first 14 kWh, 60% from 14 to 28 kWh and 15% from 28 to 50 kWh. The factor is 6.8 until 31 December 2026 and 5.7 from 1 January 2027.

6.8 STCs: per usable kWh until 31 December 2026, then 5.7 from 1 January 2027 and 5.2 from 1 July 2027

Roughly 30% off a home battery when it launched on 1 July 2025, delivered as STCs and applied upfront by an approved installer. The STC factor now steps down every January and July until 2030, and since 1 May 2026 capacity above 14 kWh earns certificates at a tapered rate.

Who is eligible

  • Battery nominal capacity between 5 and 100 kWh; the first 50 kWh of usable capacity earns certificates
  • Installed with a new or existing solar PV system of no more than 100 kW
  • VPP-capable, on the Clean Energy Council approved list, installed by an accredited installer
  • One battery system per premises

Key dates

  • 1 Jan 2027: STC factor drops from 6.8 to 5.7
  • 1 Jul 2027: STC factor drops to 5.2
  • Every 6 months: steps continue down to 2.1 by July 2030

Until the factor drops to 5.7: --

Sources: Clean Energy Regulator: solar batteries DCCEEW: Cheaper Home Batteries Program

NSW Virtual Power Plant incentiveOpen, no closing date. NSW Government, Peak Demand Reduction Scheme

VPP incentive estimate

Paid or credited by your approved supplier when the battery joins a Virtual Power Plant. Stacks with the federal battery discount.

Batteries up to 50 kWh are eligible from 1 July 2026. The incentive is calculated on the first 28 kWh.

Indicative VPP incentive--

Indicative only. Published examples run from about $550 for a 5 kWh battery to a cap of around $1,500 reached at roughly 13 to 15 kWh. The exact amount depends on certificate prices and the supplier at the time of the claim.

up to about $1,500: for connecting to a VPP, on top of the federal battery discount

NSW retired its battery installation discount when the federal program started on 1 July 2025 and increased the incentive for connecting a battery to a Virtual Power Plant instead. From 1 July 2026 you no longer need solar panels to claim it, and batteries up to 50 kWh qualify.

Who is eligible

  • NSW homes and small businesses with a new or existing VPP-capable battery up to 50 kWh
  • Battery joins an approved Virtual Power Plant, installed by an accredited installer and claimed through an Accredited Certificate Provider
  • One claim per property meter

Key dates

  • 1 Jul 2025: installation discount ended, VPP incentive increased
  • 1 Jul 2026: solar no longer required; eligibility extended to 50 kWh
  • 1 Sep 2026: apartment buildings get their own battery incentive
  • 2050: scheme legislated to run until

Until apartment buildings become eligible: --

Sources: NSW Government: VPP incentive NSW Government: install a battery

NSW Home Energy SaverLoans open, discount coming. NSW Government; loans via Brighte and Plenti, discounts via Creditex

Loan and discount planner

Enter the cost of your solar and battery quote after the federal and NSW incentives above have been applied.

Monthly repayment, 10 years, 0% interest--

The loan is zero interest over up to 10 years, so the repayment is simply the amount borrowed divided by 120 months. Loans are subject to the finance provider's responsible-lending assessment. The discount stream has not opened yet; its guidelines will be published when it does.

$15,000: zero-interest loan, plus a discount of up to $4,000 later in 2026

Launched 17 June 2026 under the NSW Consumer Energy Strategy. A zero-interest loan of up to $15,000 over up to 10 years for solar with a battery, a battery, or a switchboard upgrade, plus a targeted discount of up to $4,000 for lower-income households opening later in 2026. Solar on its own is not funded; it must be installed with an eligible battery.

Who is eligible

  • Loan: NSW owner-occupiers and landlords with a combined taxable household income up to $210,000
  • Discount: owners or tenants named on the lease with a combined income up to $80,000, or an eligible concession card
  • Supplied by a New Energy Tech (NETCC) Approved Seller such as Platinum Solar Designs

Key dates

  • 17 Jun 2026: loans opened
  • Later in 2026: discounts open; date to be announced
  • No closing date: announced for loans

Discount opening date not yet announced

Sources: NSW Government: Home Energy Saver Our Home Energy Saver guide

Apartments: shared solar grants and the apartment battery incentiveSolar grants close 4 Dec 2026. NSW Government

Strata solar and battery estimate

For owners corporations. The solar grant is a 50% co-contribution; the battery incentive is a per-kWh certificate discount.

Solar for Apartment Residents grant--

Apartment battery incentive--

Apartment battery figures are indicative, based on reported values of roughly $340 per counted kWh. Systems from 20 kWh are eligible. Confirm with an Accredited Certificate Provider.

50%: of a shared solar system, capped at $150,000 per building

Owners corporations can claim 50% of the cost of a shared rooftop solar system, up to $150,000, under Solar for Apartment Residents. From 1 September 2026 the Peak Demand Reduction Scheme extends to shared batteries in apartment buildings. As of August 2026 the solar grants had funded 199 projects covering 3,444 households.

Who is eligible

  • Strata buildings with 3 to 55 residential lots and a shared rooftop that is common property
  • Only owners corporations or strata managers can apply for the solar grant
  • Apartment battery incentive: buildings with 4 or more dwellings, systems from 20 kWh, from 1 September 2026

Key dates

  • 1 Sep 2026: apartment battery incentive opens
  • 4 Dec 2026, 5 pm: solar grant applications close, or earlier if funds are exhausted

Until solar grant applications close: --

Sources: NSW Government: Solar for Apartment Residents NSW Government: batteries for apartment buildings

Solar on your bill

The free daytime power window and the tariff settings that decide what your solar exports and self-consumption are worth from 1 July 2026.

Solar Sharer Offer: three hours of free electricityLive since 1 Jul 2026. Australian Government, offered by retailers with more than 1,000 customers

Free-window savings estimate

Estimate what moving flexible loads (hot water, pool pump, EV charging, dishwasher, battery charging) into the 11am to 2pm window is worth.

Capped at 24 kWh per day under the offer.

Indicative saving per year--

Solar Sharer plans recover revenue elsewhere: reports since 1 July 2026 include daily supply charges rising by over 85% on some plans and higher peak rates. Compare the whole plan, not the free window alone.

11am to 2pm: free electricity every day, up to 24 kWh

Since 1 July 2026 every larger NSW retailer must offer a residential plan with free electricity between 11am and 2pm, up to 24 kWh a day. You do not need solar to opt in and renters can join, but you do need a smart meter. Batteries, hot water and EV chargers make the most of it by charging inside the window.

Who is eligible

  • NSW households with a retailer that has more than 1,000 customers
  • Smart meter installed; not supplied through an embedded network
  • Opt in to the retailer's Solar Sharer plan; no solar required

Key dates

  • 1 Jul 2026: offer started in NSW, south-east Queensland and South Australia
  • No end date: expansion to other states under discussion

Available now, no end date

Sources: energy.gov.au: Solar Sharer Offer DCCEEW announcement

Feed-in tariffs and the 2026-27 price resetApplies from 1 Jul 2026. IPART benchmark and the AER Default Market Offer

Solar bill impact estimate

Feed-in tariffs are low, so most of the value of solar is in the power you use yourself. Compare the two.

IPART's 2026-27 all-day benchmark is 3.4 to 6.5 c/kWh.

Total bill impact per year--

Retailers are not required to follow IPART's benchmark. Rates seen in July 2026 ranged from 0c on some standard contracts to a 10c maximum on selected plans. Generation varies with roof orientation, shading and season.

3.4 to 6.5 c/kWh: IPART all-day feed-in benchmark for 2026-27

IPART's benchmark for what NSW retailers should pay for exported solar fell to 3.4 to 6.5 c/kWh for 2026-27, from 4.8 to 7.3 c/kWh. Retailers are not bound by it and several now pay 3c or less on standard plans. Default Market Offer prices fell 3.4% on the Endeavour Energy network that covers the Illawarra and South Coast, to $2,328 a year for a typical household.

Who is eligible

  • Any NSW solar owner: check the feed-in rate on your plan against the benchmark
  • Endeavour Energy DMO from 1 July 2026: $2,328 residential, $4,343 small business
  • Ausgrid $1,899 and Essential Energy $2,604 residential

Key dates

  • 1 Jul 2026: 2026-27 benchmark and Default Market Offer took effect
  • 1 Jul 2027: next annual reset

Until the next annual tariff reset: --

Sources: IPART: solar feed-in tariffs AER: Default Market Offer 2026-27

The calculators are estimates, not quotes, and nothing here is financial or tax advice. Scheme rules, certificate prices and retailer tariffs change through the year. As a Clean Energy Council Approved Retailer and NETCC Approved Seller, we itemise every incentive you qualify for on your quote.

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