New grants to help you cut energy costs

· 3 min read
New grants to help you cut energy costs

The SA Home Battery Scheme, launched in 2018, provided direct rebates of up to $6,000 and helped more than 16,000 South Australian homes install batteries. Only providers accredited by the Clean Energy Council (CEC) are eligible to take part in the scheme. CEC-approved solar retailers like Energy Matters offer guaranteed work meeting all national safety and quality standards.
The scale of the project will eclipse Canberra's Reposit Power Virtual Power Plant, which connects 250 homes and businesses to the grid, as well as similar schemes by AGL and SA Power Networks. Whispers were circulating last year that Labor and the Coalition were considering schemes; but don’t bank on these commercial solar battery solution south australia or what form they may take. If something does eventuate; it very likely won’t be immediately after the new or returning government takes office as these programs can take some time to implement. STCs function as a form of currency, representing the anticipated energy generation of your solar system until 2030.

The Notice to Market sets out the mandatory requirements and recommendations for retailers and installers to participate in the Solar Homes Program. Special exemptions and discounts to transition to cleaner, more affordable energy for Solstice customers. Programs like the SA Virtual Power Plant (SA VPP) can also enhance financial returns by providing additional income for participating in grid stabilization efforts.
The Western Australian government has launched the WA Residential Battery Scheme to provide an upfront rebate and no-interest loans for solar batteries. At the time of writing, there are no further state battery storage incentives available. The former City of Adelaide 50% discount on net battery installations has now closed.
ACT offers zero stamp duty on new zero-emission vehicles and two years of free registration for both new and used EVs. These incentives are designed to make EV ownership more affordable and encourage local residents to switch to cleaner vehicles. No-interest loans of up to $10,000 will will also be available to help lower to middle-income households participate in the scheme. However, it’s worth watching for future announcements, especially as the government continues to push towards electrification.

This includes creating and registering the STCs, which represent the amount of renewable energy your system is expected to generate. Once registered, these certificates can be sold or traded, and the rebate is usually applied as an upfront discount on the overall cost of your solar system. This means you won't have to pay the full price initially and wait for a rebate; the discount is applied immediately.
Provided you can afford it, you may want to take advantage of this by installing one larger than in the example above. Most homes save about 30 % off the upfront price — roughly $350–$400 per kW of installed capacity. Stacking programs can dramatically reduce the cost of your solar and battery setup.

The subsidy is calculated on the battery’s capacity, with Energy Concession Holders eligible for a higher subsidy to support low-income households. You can learn about our SunZero and SunPlus schemes and choose which one’s the best for your household. Unlike other solar companies, SunEnergy has a physical  office filled with on-site staff eager to book an appointment with you and answer any questions. Talk to us today about solar panel and battery installation and find out what rebates you’re eligible for. With all of the government incentives and rebates, it would be foolish not to jump at the current opportunities to adopt solar batteries.
On the renewable energy side of things, SMEs can apply for up to maximum of 50% of the cost (to a maximum of $5,000) for solar power systems or for battery systems. I’m not totally clear on whether a total of $10,000 may be available for installing both as Council mentions up to 10k can be applied for across the various themes, and these items exist within a single theme. Under Tasmania's Energy Saver Loan Scheme, residents can access interest-free loans of up to $10,000 for energy-efficient investments, including home solar battery storage. However, residents can benefit from the federal Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES), which provides Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs) to reduce the upfront costs of installing solar panel systems. In addition to the battery incentives, NSW residents can access other solar incentives, such as the federal Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES), which provides subsidies for households installing eligible solar systems.
Instead of direct cash rebates, energy retailers fund approved upgrades to meet state energy productivity targets. Solar PV systems’ success in  Australia is also due to federal and state government support schemes for solar installation and the installation of home storage batteries, like the Tesla Powerwall 3. Solar PV systems are constructed to be investments that, once paid for, will provide free electricity during the daytime for its owner, resulting in cost savings. And by installing solar PV systems, sunlight is converted into electricity with no greenhouse emissions.

To be eligible, battery systems will need to be virtual power plant (VPP) capable. This is not to be mistaken with Tesla’s virtual power plant, as announced in February of 2018. The Tesla scheme will use homes as ‘rental’ space for government-owned systems.