City of Melbourne commercial solar rebates of up to $4,000 are still available – but interested parties will need to get in quick.
City of Melbourne has set a goal of zero net emissions by 2020; with electricity sourced from renewable energy to play a major role. The City is seeking to secure 25 per cent of the municipality’s electricity from renewable sources by 2018.
With Melbourne having higher rates of commercial and industrial buildings compared to other municipalities; the City is encouraging owners and tenants of these buildings to get on board with the mission to make Melbourne one of the world’s most sustainable cities.
At the time of writing, there were eight rebates of $2,000 for 10-19.99kW systems, five $3,000 rebates for 20 – 29.99kW arrays and three $4,000 rebates for 30kW + installations still available. Applicants are also provided support through the process of going solar.
While the closing date for the solar rebate is Monday, 31 August 2015, the incentive can be pre-approved when a deposit for a system is paid. The rebate is issued around 30 days after receipt of completed forms and a fully paid system invoice.
Further details of the rebate, including terms and conditions, can be found on the City Of Melbourne web site and the City’s other sustainability efforts can be viewed here.
The City’s rebate isn’t the only solar incentive available to business – other assistance is also available to companies to install solar panels; and Australia-wide.
STC’s (Small-scale Technology Certificates) can knock down the price of a commercial solar system by many thousands of dollars. Additionally, as announced in May, small business can claim an immediate tax deduction for equipment purchases up to $20,000; instead of over 2 – 3 years. Other incentives are also available in some states.
Companies can also make the switch to harvesting the power of the sun through operating leases or solar power purchase agreements (solar PPA). These options enable a business to go solar for $0 up-front and reap the benefits of cheap, clean on-site electricity generation while avoiding the burden of system ownership.
