The short answer
The federal "solar rebate" is the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme. A rooftop system under 100 kW creates small-scale technology certificates (STCs), and your installer gives you an upfront discount in exchange for the right to claim them. The scheme ends in 2030, and a new system gets fewer certificates every year until then. On top of that:
- Victoria: a Solar Homes rebate of up to $1,400, plus an optional matching interest-free loan.
- Queensland: up to $3,500 for landlords who put solar on a rental (Supercharged Solar for Renters).
- NSW: zero-interest loans of up to $15,000; discounts of up to $4,000 have been announced but are not open yet.
- ACT: 50% of the cost, up to $2,500, for homeowners with an eligible concession card.
How the federal solar rebate works
One certificate equals 1 megawatt hour of renewable electricity. A new system's certificates are counted over a deeming period that shrinks by one year each year until the scheme ends in 2030, so the same system earns fewer certificates every year.
Our solar calculator works out the certificates for your city and system size, with the installed cost and the payback on your own tariffs.
Systems from 100 kW to 1 MW installed from 1 October 2026 are now covered by the scheme too, with applications opening in mid to late November 2026.
The federal government's $1 billion Household Energy Upgrades Fund also offers discounted finance for solar and batteries through participating lenders. It is a cheaper loan, not a rebate.
State solar panel rebates and loans
| State | Rebate or loan | Who it is for | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Victoria | Up to $1,400 (50 per cent of the cost after the STC discount), plus an optional interest-free loan of up to $1,400 over 4 years. | Owner-occupiers with a combined taxable income under $150,000, a property worth under $3 million and no solar installed in the last 10 years. | OpenOpen |
| Queensland | $2,500 (3 kW to under 4 kW), $3,000 (4 kW to under 5 kW) or $3,500 (5 kW or more). | Landlords who do not live in the property: a house, duplex, townhouse or granny flat rented for $1,000 or less a week, with no existing solar. | OpenOpen |
| NSW | Zero-interest Home Energy Saver loan of up to $15,000, repaid over up to 10 years. | Homeowners and landlords with a combined household income of up to $210,000. | OpenOpen |
| NSW | Home Energy Saver discount of up to $4,000. | Homeowners and renters with a household income of up to $80,000 or an eligible concession card. | ComingComing |
| NSW | Solar for Apartment Residents grant of up to $150,000, covering up to 50% of the cost of shared solar. | Owners corporations, until 5 pm on 4 December 2026 or until the money runs out. | OpenOpen |
| ACT | 50% of the supply and installation cost, up to $2,500; zero-interest loans of up to $10,000. | Homeowners eligible for the Home Energy Support Program (an eligible concession card). | OpenOpen |
| Tasmania | Energy Saver Loan Scheme: interest-free loans of up to $10,000. | Closed on 1 September 2025. | ClosedClosed |
| NT | Solar for Multi Dwellings grant: up to 50% of the installation cost of shared solar. | Multi-dwelling buildings. | OpenOpen |
| WA and SA | We found no state solar panel rebate for households on the official pages we checked. The federal STC discount applies. | Every household installing an eligible system. | - |
The Victorian Solar Homes rebate
OpenThe rebate covers up to 50 per cent of the purchase cost, to a maximum of $1,400, worked out after the federal STC discount is taken off. The optional interest-free loan is up to $1,400 and is repaid monthly over 4 years, which is $29.17 a month for a $1,400 loan.
You must be the owner-occupier, the owners' combined taxable income must be under $150,000 a year, the property must be worth under $3 million, and it must not have had solar installed in the last 10 years.
Queensland: Supercharged Solar for Renters
OpenLandlords get $2,500 for a system of at least 3 kilowatts but under 4 kW, $3,000 for at least 4 kW but under 5 kW, and $3,500 for 5 kW or more. The program opened on 12 December 2025, and the rebate can be claimed on top of the federal certificates and the Cheaper Home Batteries Program.
What solar costs
Installed prices from our solar cost guide:
- 6.6 kW system (standard): $4,000 to $8,500
- 6.6 kW system (premium panels): $6,500 to $10,500
- 10 kW system (standard): $6,000 to $12,000
Ask each installer whether the price is before or after the STC discount, so you compare like with like. Adding a battery? See the battery rebate guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a government rebate for solar panels in 2026?
Yes. Every rooftop system under 100 kW can get the federal STC discount, and Victoria (up to $1,400), Queensland landlords (up to $3,500) and ACT concession card holders (up to $2,500) can get a state rebate as well.
How much is the federal solar rebate?
It is the value of the certificates your system creates, which depends on the system and is counted over a deeming period that shrinks each year until 2030. Our solar calculator works out the certificates for your city and system size.
Is the solar rebate ending?
The federal scheme ends in 2030, and the number of certificates a new system gets falls each year until then.
What is the solar rebate in Victoria?
Up to $1,400 through Solar Homes - 50 per cent of the purchase cost after the STC discount - plus an optional matching interest-free loan repaid over 4 years. You must be the owner-occupier with a combined taxable income under $150,000.
Is there a solar rebate in Queensland?
For landlords: Supercharged Solar for Renters pays $2,500 to $3,500 for solar on a rental, depending on the system size. Every Queensland system can also get the federal STC discount.
Is there a solar rebate in NSW?
NSW offers zero-interest Home Energy Saver loans of up to $15,000 for rooftop solar, and has announced discounts of up to $4,000 that are not open yet. Apartment owners corporations can get a grant for shared solar.
Compare quotes from local solar installers, and ask each one how many STCs the system creates and whether the price is after the discount.
Get solar quotes →Sources
Rebate rules, amounts and dates change, and every program has its own eligibility rules - confirm with the program below before you sign a quote. Checked against these pages in October 2026:
- Home Energy Support: Rebates for Homeowners - Climate Choices (climatechoices.act.gov.au) · www.climatechoices.act.gov.au/policy-programs/home-energy-support-rebates-for-ho
- Household Energy Upgrades Fund - DCCEEW (dcceew.gov.au) · www.dcceew.gov.au/energy/programs/household-energy-upgrades-fund
- Calculate small-scale technology certificate entitlements | Clean Energy Regulator (cer.gov.au) · cer.gov.au/schemes/renewable-energy-target/small-scale-renewable-energy-scheme/s
- Small-scale technology certificates | Clean Energy Regulator (cer.gov.au) · cer.gov.au/schemes/renewable-energy-target/small-scale-renewable-energy-scheme/s
- Rooftop solar | Clean Energy Regulator (cer.gov.au) · cer.gov.au/schemes/renewable-energy-target/small-scale-renewable-energy-scheme/s
- Home Energy Saver | NSW Climate and Energy Action (energy.nsw.gov.au) · www.energy.nsw.gov.au/households/grants-rebates/home-energy-saver
- energy.nsw.gov.au (energy.nsw.gov.au) · www.energy.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-08/Home-Energy-Saver-Loans-guidel
- Solar for apartment residents | NSW Climate and Energy Action (energy.nsw.gov.au) · www.energy.nsw.gov.au/households/grants-rebates/solar-for-apartment-residents
- Rebates and assistance (energy.gov.au) · www.energy.gov.au/rebates?field_audience_target_id=616&field_rebate_location_tar
- Business grants and funding | NT.GOV.AU (web.archive.org) · web.archive.org/web/20260709093907/https://nt.gov.au/industry/business-grants-fu
- Supercharged Solar for Renters (qld.gov.au) · www.qld.gov.au/housing/home-energy-savings/supercharged-solar-for-renters
- Supercharged Solar for Renters eligibility requirements (qld.gov.au) · www.qld.gov.au/housing/home-energy-savings/supercharged-solar-for-renters/eligib
- About the Supercharged Solar for Renters rebate (qld.gov.au) · www.qld.gov.au/housing/home-energy-savings/supercharged-solar-for-renters/about
- The Energy Saver Loan Scheme is Now Closed | ReCFIT (web.archive.org) · web.archive.org/web/20260909165112/https://www.recfit.tas.gov.au/get_involved/ne
- Tasmania's Energy Saver Loan Scheme | ReCFIT (web.archive.org) · web.archive.org/web/20260215083840/https://www.recfit.tas.gov.au/grants_programs
- Solar panel (PV) rebate (solar.vic.gov.au) · www.solar.vic.gov.au/solar-panel-rebate