The federal discount every business system gets
There is no separate national business solar grant. Commercial rooftop systems claim the same federal scheme households do, the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme. Systems up to 100 kW use the long-standing upfront STC discount. Your retailer creates the certificates, sells them, and shows the value as a discount in the quote, so you never touch a form. The count depends on system size and climate zone, and for this band the deeming period shrinks every 1 January: a 2026 install deems 5 years.
From 1 October 2026, eligible arrays from 100 kW to 1 MW can also create STCs under the mid-scale expansion, with a fixed 5-year deeming period rather than the annual step-down. Above 1 MW you are still in the large-scale target (LGCs on metered output, power-station accreditation, usually an energy broker). Mid-scale participants can choose upfront STCs or the Renewable Electricity Guarantee of Origin, but not both for the same deeming period.
SRES mid-scale solar (100 kW to 1 MW). Regulations in force from 1 October 2026 extend the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme to eligible mid-scale solar from 100 kW to 1 MW. Those systems can receive the same style of upfront STC discount as smaller arrays, but with a fixed 5-year deeming period instead of the annual step-down that applies under 100 kW. Installers can also choose the Renewable Electricity Guarantee of Origin instead of STCs, but not both for the same deeming period. STC applications for mid-scale systems are expected to open in mid to late November 2026 once regulator systems are ready. STC applications are expected to open mid to late November 2026. If your roof justifies more than 100 kW, check both the install date and when certificates can be lodged. Clean Energy Regulator, mid-scale solar · Clean Energy Regulator, news (1 October 2026) .
What a business system costs by size
Installed retail price before the federal discount, the certificates that system earns in a mid STC zone, and what is left to pay. Certificate values use the current $39.65 spot price; installers typically pass through slightly less after certificate admin costs.
| System size | STCs | Federal STC discount | Typical installed price | Price after STCs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 kW | 69 | $2,736 | $10,500-$13,900 | $7,764-$11,164 |
| 20 kW | 138 | $5,472 | $21,000-$27,800 | $15,528-$22,328 |
| 30 kW estimate | 207 | $8,208 | $31,500-$41,700 | $23,292-$33,492 |
| 50 kW estimate | 345 | $13,679 | $52,500-$69,500 | $38,821-$55,821 |
| 100 kW estimate | 691 | $27,398 | $105,000-$139,000 | $77,602-$111,602 |
The 10 kW and 20 kW prices come from our system price data. The 30, 50 and 100 kW rows are marked estimate because they are scaled from the 20 kW entry in our system price data at $1,050-$1,390 per kW. Real commercial pricing usually falls per kW as the array grows, so read the top of those bands as an upper bound, not a quote. Switchboard upgrades, three-phase supply, roof type and a network export limit all move the number. More detail on solar prices and system sizes.
The $20,000 instant asset write-off
This is the tax question every business asks, and the honest answer is that it rarely covers a whole solar system. From 1 July 2026 the write-off is permanent at $20,000. A business with aggregated annual turnover under $10 million can immediately deduct the business portion of an eligible depreciating asset costing less than $20,000 that is first used, or installed ready for use, in the income year. The limit applies to each asset.
Look back at the table: only the 10 kW row lands under the threshold on price alone, and only at the low end. Anything dearer goes into the general small business pool and depreciates at 15% in the first income year and 30% each income year after that. The low-value pool threshold also rose from $1,000 to $20,000 on 1 July 2026, and a business that previously opted out of the simplified depreciation rules can re-enter until 30 June 2027 without the usual five-year lock-out. We are not tax agents: take the numbers to your accountant. ATO, Small business newsroom (published 4 September 2026) .
Every business program, and whether it is open
Checked against the government page for each program on 19 October 2026. Where a program could not be confirmed that day, it says so rather than being quietly listed as open.
| Program | Where | What it is worth | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (STCs) our guide | Federal | Point-of-sale discount on systems up to 100 kW | Open |
| SRES mid-scale solar (100 kW to 1 MW) | Federal | Upfront STCs for systems from 100 kW to 1 MW (fixed 5-year deeming) | In force |
| Cheaper Home Batteries Program our guide | Federal | Around 30% off the upfront cost of a 5 kWh to 100 kWh battery | Open |
| $20,000 instant asset write-off | Federal | Immediate deduction for each eligible asset costing under $20,000 | Open |
| Batteries for businesses incentive | NSW | About 30-40% off a battery installed with new solar; about 20-30% for a battery alone | Open |
| Energy Savings Scheme | NSW | Discounts on energy-efficient equipment, via Energy Savings Certificates | Open |
| VEU commercial and industrial solar panel (PV) discount | VIC | Up to $25,000 off a 100 kW system; up to $34,300 off a 200 kW system | Open |
| Solar for Business Program | VIC | Was 50% of supply and installation cost, up to a maximum rebate amount | Unconfirmed |
| Powering Business Grant our guide | SA | Closed to new applications | Closed |
| ecoBiz | QLD | Free benchmarking and on-site coaching, no capital funding | Open |
| Sustainable Business Program | ACT | Up to $13,000: up to $10,000 for energy and water efficiency upgrades, up to $3,000 for an EV charger | Open |
| PowerSmart for Small Business | TAS | Up to $1,000 to reimburse an energy audit | Open |
| Energy Saver Loan Scheme | TAS | Was interest-free, up to $10,000 | Closed |
VEU commercial and industrial solar panel (PV) discount: status and rules checked 19 October 2026; the dollar figures are from the announcement of 3 October 2025 and have not been restated since. WA: No grant funding rooftop solar or batteries for small business appears on the state's register of grant opportunities open to businesses. WA Government, grant opportunities open to businesses, checked 19 October 2026. QLD: The state's business energy programs are coaching and information services; none of them pays for a solar installation. Business Queensland, energy saving programs, checked 19 October 2026. We found no Northern Territory business solar or battery program on that date either.
What the open state programs actually do
Batteries for businesses incentive
About 30-40% off a battery installed with new solar; about 20-30% for a battery alone
An upfront discount in the installer's quote, delivered through the NSW Peak Demand Reduction Scheme and available from 1 September 2026 with no current closing date. The discount is larger when new solar capacity goes in within 90 days either side of the battery, and that new solar must equal at least 25% of the battery's capacity. NSW says the percentages are indicative only.
Who qualifies: A NSW business installing a battery between 20 kWh and 30 MWh, not a residential building or a data centre, that has not already used the discount, works with a participating installer and holds any required planning approval. Batteries from 20 kWh to 200 kWh must be on the Clean Energy Council approved list and installed by an SAA accredited installer, and attract a minimum customer payment. NSW Climate and Energy Action, Batteries for businesses incentive, verified 19 October 2026 .
Energy Savings Scheme
Discounts on energy-efficient equipment, via Energy Savings Certificates
NSW's largest energy-efficiency program, running under the Electricity Supply Act 1995 until 2050. It pays for energy savings, not generation: certificates are created for eligible activities such as installing energy-efficient appliances, HVAC, refrigeration and heat pump water heaters. It is not a solar panel rebate, and businesses reach it through accredited certificate providers rather than by applying to the government.
Who qualifies: NSW households and businesses, through an accredited certificate provider or the installers working for them. The current Scheme Rule took effect 7 September 2026. NSW Climate and Energy Action, Energy Savings Scheme, verified 19 October 2026 .
VEU commercial and industrial solar panel (PV) discount
Up to $25,000 off a 100 kW system; up to $34,300 off a 200 kW system
Victoria delivers business solar through the Victorian Energy Upgrades program rather than a stand-alone grant. Upfront discounts apply to solar PV systems between 30 kW and 200 kW; systems larger than 200 kW can be done under the VEU project-based activity. The dollar figures come from the Victorian Government's own announcement of the activity.
Who qualifies: All Victorian businesses and non-residential sites, including community buildings, schools and hospitals. The system must be installed through a VEU accredited provider. Solar Victoria, commercial and industrial solar, verified 19 October 2026 · Premier of Victoria, media release 3 October 2025 . The status and the rules were checked on 19 October 2026; the dollar figures date from the announcement of 3 October 2025 and have not been restated since.
ecoBiz
Free benchmarking and on-site coaching, no capital funding
Queensland's business energy support is advisory, not a rebate. The Business Queensland energy saving programs page lists ecoBiz free coaching, the Queensland Ag Energy Hub and the Ergon and Energex business resources. None of them funds a solar installation, so a Queensland business solar project runs on the federal STC discount alone.
Who qualifies: Queensland businesses, through Business Chamber Queensland. Business Queensland, energy saving programs, verified 19 October 2026 .
Sustainable Business Program
Up to $13,000: up to $10,000 for energy and water efficiency upgrades, up to $3,000 for an EV charger
Free on-site assessment plus rebates. The program's technical experts advise on transitioning off gas, upgrading equipment, and installing solar panels and battery storage; the rebates themselves cover energy and water efficiency upgrades. All rebates require a co-contribution from the business, and rebates are only available for upgrades that have not yet commenced.
Who qualifies: Businesses and organisations operating in the ACT from a commercial premises. Businesses run from residential premises are not eligible. Free to register and participate. ACT Government, Climate Choices, Sustainable Business Program, verified 19 October 2026 .
PowerSmart for Small Business
Up to $1,000 to reimburse an energy audit
An audit grant rather than an install rebate, and useful before you size a system. Tasmania reimburses up to $1,000 for an independent energy efficiency audit, you pick your own auditor with no accredited provider list, and you can have the audit scope pre-approved. Up to $450,000 a year is available for four years depending on uptake. Applications are open through SmartyGrants.
Who qualifies: Tasmanian-based small businesses with an ABN, between 1 and 19 full-time-equivalent employees, operating primarily in Tasmania, that have paid for and received an eligible audit after 11 April 2024. ReCFIT (Tasmanian Government), PowerSmart for Small Business, verified 19 October 2026 .
Batteries: the federal discount is open to businesses
The most common misreading of the Cheaper Home Batteries Program is the word "home". The federal battery discount is not households-only. The department's own page says Australian households, businesses and community organisations can get a discount of around 30% on the upfront cost of installing a range of small-scale battery systems from 5 kWh to 100 kWh. It is delivered through the SRES, so your installer applies it, and it steps down over time until 2030. That size band covers everything from a cafe's single cabinet to a warehouse bank. DCCEEW, Cheaper Home Batteries Program, verified 19 October 2026. In NSW a business battery of 20 kWh or more can also attract the state's Batteries for businesses discount on top, and that discount is bigger when new solar goes in within 90 days either side of the battery.
The federal rate is on a legislated staircase, so timing is money. It is 6.8 certificates per usable kWh today and drops to 5.7 on 1 January 2027 for an otherwise identical install. What counts is the date on the certificate of electrical compliance, not the date you sign, so allow for installer lead times. The full schedule is on our battery rebate page.
How the numbers behave in a business, not a house
What decides a business system's payback is not the rebate, which is the same scheme households use, it is self-consumption. A business that runs its load in daylight (refrigeration, machinery, ovens, air conditioning, computers) uses its own generation at the retail rate it would otherwise pay, rather than exporting it for a feed-in rate. The closer your load sits to the middle of the day, the better the arithmetic looks, and the less a battery is doing in year one.
That is also why sizing off your interval data beats sizing off your roof. Bring your last bill, ideally with interval data, and the installer can size the array to your daytime load instead of filling the roof. Where evening load dominates, a shift, a bakery, a pub, the battery question comes back, and the federal discount above applies.
Common questions
Is there a solar rebate for businesses in Australia?
Yes, and it is the same federal scheme households use. The Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme gives businesses a point-of-sale discount on rooftop systems up to 100 kW, worth about $8,208 on a 30 kW system and $13,679 on a 50 kW system in a mid STC zone in 2026. There is no separate national "business solar grant". State help sits on top and varies a lot: NSW runs an upfront battery discount for businesses, Victoria discounts 30 kW to 200 kW systems through Victorian Energy Upgrades, the ACT pays efficiency rebates, Tasmania reimburses energy audits, and South Australia's Powering Business Grant is closed. Verified 19 October 2026.
Can a business claim the instant asset write-off on solar?
Only if the asset costs less than $20,000, which rules out most commercial systems. From 1 July 2026 the $20,000 instant asset write-off is permanent: a business with aggregated annual turnover under $10 million can immediately deduct the business portion of an eligible depreciating asset costing less than $20,000 that is first used, or installed ready for use, in the income year. A solar system priced above that goes into the general small business pool instead and depreciates at 15% in the first income year and 30% each year after. Source: ATO, 19 October 2026. Ask your accountant how it applies to your return.
How much does a 30 kW commercial solar system cost?
About $31,500 to $41,700 installed before the rebate, and roughly $23,292 to $33,492 after the federal STC discount of $8,208 (207 certificates in a mid STC zone, 2026 install). Treat the range as a planning estimate: it is scaled from the 20 kW entry in our system price data, and real commercial pricing usually falls per kW as the array grows, so the low end is the more likely landing point at this size. Roof type, switchboard work, three-phase supply and network export limits move it further.
Is the Cheaper Home Batteries Program available to businesses?
Yes. The department's own program page says Australian households, businesses and community organisations can get a discount of around 30% on the upfront cost of installing a small-scale battery system between 5 kWh and 100 kWh, connected to new or existing solar. There is nothing to apply for: your installer or retailer applies the discount. The rate is 6.8 small-scale technology certificates per usable kWh today and steps down to 5.7 on 1 January 2027, so the certification date, not the day you sign, sets what you get. In NSW a business battery from 20 kWh can also attract the state's Batteries for businesses discount on top. Verified 19 October 2026.
How we work with businesses
One vetted installer, checked against the ABN record, not a call-centre bidding war. You tell us the site, the bill and roughly when you want it done; we match you with a single accredited installer who works at your system size, and they quote with the STC discount already applied and any state program named. It is free and there is no obligation. How the matching works, or start with your details.