Victorian households who installed solar panels on or after August 19 can now apply for a Solar Homes rebate via the Solar Victoria website.
According to Victorian Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio, eligible applicants can now receive half the cost of their installation back, capped at $2,225.
As a result of the Solar Homes rebate program announcement three weeks ago, solar installation companies have seen a surge in demand for solar quotes. You can find out how you can take advantage of the scheme by visiting our Victorian Solar Homes page.
Applications for home batteries also open
The Andrews Government will also provide half-price solar batteries for 10,000 households if re-elected in November.
The $40 million energy storage plan is part of the Solar Homes initiative. As of September 11 it had also received a huge response with more than 9,000 applications.
Rebates for solar panels in Victoria will be available until June 30, 2019. After that, if re-elected, the Andrews Government will pay the full upfront cost of solar installations. Households will then be able to pay off half the cost via interest free loans.
Additional solar power to boost electricity grid
If 10,000 homeowners install standard 4 kW solar power systems the grid would receive 40 MW of new solar generation.
This will generate more electricity than the new 34 MW Cohuna Solar Farm, the government estimates.
The Cohuna farm is one of six renewable energy projects planned for regional Victoria. The wind and solar farms should generate nearly 1,000 MW in total.
Solar Homes rebate boosts state renewables
The Solar Homes program will help 720,000 homeowners access solar power over the next 10 years. This includes solar panels, solar hot water systems and solar batteries like the Tesla Powerwall and sonnen batteries.
Only applicants with household incomes of less than $180,000 are eligible to apply. They must own and occupy the property, and the property must be valued at less than $3 million.
The combined solar and battery projects will help the Andrews Government meet its renewable energy target. The goal is 25 per cent renewable generation by 2020. This will then rise to 40 per cent by 2025.
