Solar rebates by state, 2026
One row per state. Solar STCs are for a 6.6 kW system in the capital, at the 15 October 2026 price of $39.65 per STC; your own postcode can sit in a different zone. Pick your state for the full breakdown and the regional towns.
| State | Solar STCs (6.6 kW) | State solar program | Federal battery (13.5 kWh) | State battery program | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSWSydney | $1,784Zone 3 | None. Home Energy Saver: 0% loan up to $15,000 (open); discount up to $4,000 (coming soon) | $3,608 | VPP incentive, only if you join a VPP; amount varies by provider | 26 Oct 2026 |
| VICMelbourne | $1,546Zone 4 | Solar Homes: up to $1,400, income under $150,000, plus matching 0% loan | $3,608 | None | 10 Oct 2026 |
| QLDBrisbane | $1,784Zone 3 | Landlords only: Supercharged Solar for Renters, up to $3,500 | $3,608 | None | 10 Oct 2026 |
| SAAdelaide | $1,784Zone 3 | None for most households; concession households only | $3,608 | REPS, up to $2,050, concession and hardship households only | 13 July 2026 |
| WAPerth | $1,784Zone 3 | None for panels alone; 0% loan up to $10,000 if installed with a battery | $3,608 | $1,300 on 10 kWh (Synergy), more on Horizon Power; VPP required | 10 Oct 2026 |
| TASHobart | $1,546Zone 4 | None | $3,608 | None | 13 July 2026 |
| ACTCanberra | $1,784Zone 3 | Concession card holders only (Home Energy Support) | $3,608 | 3% loan up to $20,000 (not a rebate) | 10 Oct 2026 |
| NTDarwin | $1,983Zone 2 | None | $3,608 | None | 10 Oct 2026 |
Battery figures are federal, for a battery installed by 31 December 2026. NSW and WA add battery money most households can get (NSW only if you join a VPP); SA pays concession households only; the ACT lends at 3%; VIC, QLD, TAS and NT add nothing for batteries. The details and sources are on each state page.
The federal layer (every state)
Two federal schemes apply no matter where you live, and both are taken off the installer's price.
Federal STC rebate (solar panels)
Point-of-sale discount on every eligible solar system up to 100 kW, installed by an SAA-accredited installer with Clean Energy Council approved panels and inverter. The amount depends on your STC zone: about $1,546 in Melbourne and Hobart up to $1,983 in Darwin on a 6.6 kW system. The deeming period drops every 1 January until the scheme ends on 31 December 2030.
Cheaper Home Batteries Program
The federal battery discount: 6.8 STCs per usable kWh on the first 14 kWh (tapering above), for batteries installed by 31 December 2026. Works for batteries added to existing solar too. Steps down to 5.7 STCs per kWh on 1 January 2027, about $595 off the 13.5 kWh figure.
The same certificate scheme also discounts water heating, on a different formula and with its own state rebates on top: see solar hot water and heat pump rebates for the installed price bands, the STC method for water heaters, and which states still pay something.
How the stack works
Rebates aren't either/or, they're additive. A NSW household installing a 6.6 kW system with a 13.5 kWh battery in 2026 gets:
- $1,784 federal STCs on the panels (6.6 kW, STC Zone 3)
- $3,608 federal Cheaper Home Batteries discount (6.8 STCs per usable kWh on 13.5 kWh)
That's $5,392 off at the invoice, at the 15 October 2026 price of $39.65 per STC, with no paperwork on your end. Only if the household also joins a virtual power plant does NSW add a one-off incentive, and NSW publishes no fixed amount for it. Check NSW feed-in tariffs for the export side, since a low tariff is what makes a battery worth stacking on top of solar.
Closed schemes people still search for
Old articles and ads keep these alive. They are gone. If a quote leans on any of them, walk away.
Common questions
What solar rebates are currently available?
Federally, two point-of-sale discounts apply in every state. Solar STCs take about $1,546 to $1,983 off a 6.6 kW system for a 2026 install, depending on your postcode's zone, and the Cheaper Home Batteries Program takes about $3,608 off a 13.5 kWh battery. On top: Victoria's Solar Homes pays up to $1,400 off panels for households earning under $150,000; Queensland pays landlords up to $3,500; NSW lends up to $15,000 interest-free; WA pays a battery rebate. All figures at the 15 October 2026 price of $39.65 per STC.
Are solar rebates being cut in 2026?
On a fixed schedule, yes. The federal solar STC deeming period drops by a year every 1 January (5 years for 2026 installs, 4 for 2027), so the same system earns fewer certificates each year until the scheme ends on 31 December 2030. On a 6.6 kW system in Sydney that is about $1,784 now and about $1,427 for a 2027 install. The battery discount steps down too: from 6.8 to 5.7 STCs per usable kWh on 1 January 2027, about $595 less on a 13.5 kWh battery.
Is there an energy rebate for 2026?
Not the federal one most people remember. The Energy Bill Relief Fund credits ended on 31 December 2025 (energy.gov.au, Energy Bill Relief Fund). What is still running are the solar and battery discounts: federal STCs on panels, about $1,546 to $1,983 on a 6.6 kW system, and about $3,608 off a 13.5 kWh battery, plus the state programs in the table on this page. State energy concessions for pensioners and low-income households are separate and run by each state.
Does the WA government give rebates for solar panels?
Not for panels on their own. WA's state money is the WA Residential Battery Scheme ($1,300 on a 10 kWh battery for Synergy customers, more on the Horizon Power network, VPP required), and its interest-free loan of up to $10,000 can cover solar panels only when they go in with a battery. The panel rebate in WA is the federal one: about $1,784 on a 6.6 kW system in Perth.
What is the $7,000 solar rebate in NSW?
It doesn't exist. No NSW Government program pays a $7,000 solar rebate in 2026; the figure is a leftover from closed NSW loan and rebate-swap programs. What is real in NSW: about $1,784 in federal STCs on a 6.6 kW system, about $3,608 off a 13.5 kWh battery, a zero-interest Home Energy Saver loan of up to $15,000, and a NSW incentive if you connect a battery to a virtual power plant (the amount varies by provider).
How much is the Australian Government solar rebate?
There is no single national figure, which is why quoted numbers vary so much. The federal solar STC rebate depends on system size, install year and your postcode's STC zone: on a 6.6 kW system it runs about $1,546 in Melbourne and Hobart up to $1,983 in Darwin, at the 15 October 2026 price of $39.65 per STC. The Cheaper Home Batteries Program takes about $3,608 off a 13.5 kWh battery, roughly $270 per usable kWh for the first 14 kWh. Both are point-of-sale discounts your installer applies, so treat any flat headline figure like "$3,700" or "$7,000" as marketing shorthand rather than a real program.
Which states add their own battery money?
NSW and WA add battery money that most households can get: NSW a one-off incentive if you join a virtual power plant (the amount varies by provider), WA $1,300 on a 10 kWh battery for Synergy customers. SA pays concession and hardship households only, through REPS. The ACT lends at 3% rather than discounting. VIC, QLD, TAS and NT add nothing for batteries, so it is the federal $3,608 on a 13.5 kWh battery there.
Do I have to apply for the rebate myself?
Not for the federal discounts. Your SAA-accredited installer creates and claims the STCs and takes the value off your invoice. Some state programs are different: Victoria's Solar Homes rebate and the NSW and ACT loans are applications you make yourself, and NSW's VPP incentive is arranged by the VPP provider.
Are the rebates real, or am I getting hustled?
They are real. The federal STC and battery schemes run under the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000 and are administered by the Clean Energy Regulator. State programs are funded by the relevant state government. Every rebate comes off the invoice at the point of sale; you never receive cash directly, you just pay less for the system.
The step-down schedule is published by the Clean Energy Regulator, see exactly how the STC deeming cut works. If you're still deciding whether to install at all, read is solar worth it first.