Solar rebates in Victoria, explained locally
Victorians can stack the federal STC discount with Solar Victoria's own rebates for panels, hot water and heat pumps. Here's what's open in 2026, what changed on 1 July, and what a Melbourne home really pays after the rebates.
A Melbourne home, from list price to what you pay
Two layers stack in Victoria: the federal schemes that apply everywhere, and Solar Victoria's rebates on top. We're a Rowville-based installer, so we handle the Victorian paperwork as part of the job. Here is how the rebates layer up for one home.
The two other rebates on top
- Up to $1,400Solar Victoria panel rebateFor eligible owner-occupiers, on top of the federal discount. Still open in 2026 and shown in the receipt above.
- Up to $1,400Hot water and heat pump rebateUp to $1,000, or up to $1,400 for a locally made product, after VEU and STC discounts. Separate from the panel rebate.
- FederalLess federal STC discountAbout 45 STCs at a mid-market price− $1,700
- VictoriaLess Solar Victoria panel rebateFor an eligible owner-occupier− $1,400
On a household saving of around $1,100 to $1,400 a year, a system at this price often pays for itself in about 3 to 5 years, then keeps saving. Add a battery and the federal battery rebate applies on top.
Illustration only, not a quoted price. Assumes a mainland-capital (Zone 3) install in 2026, eligibility for the Solar Victoria panel rebate, and a mid-market STC value. Real figures depend on your roof, your system, the certificate price on the day and your eligibility. We confirm everything in a written quote.
The Solar Homes rebates in detail
Run by Solar Victoria. The figures below reflect the program as it stands in 2026. Amounts and monthly release limits can change, so we confirm what's current when we quote.
Solar Homes covers solar panels, solar hot water and hot water heat pumps for eligible Victorian homes. The panel rebate is the headline: up to $1,400 off, on top of the federal STC discount. There's an optional matching interest-free loan of up to $1,400 over four years, which from 1 May 2026 must be chosen when you apply.
- Solar panels: up to $1,400 (a discount of up to 50% of cost, capped at $1,400).
- Solar hot water: up to $1,000, or up to $1,400 for a locally made product.
- Hot water heat pump: up to $1,000, or up to $1,400 locally made; the system it replaces must be at least three years old.
- Interest-free loan: an optional loan up to $1,400 on panels, repaid monthly over four years (about $29/month on a full $1,400).
The eligibility checklist, with the 2026 change up front
The rules tightened on 1 July 2026. Run down the list before you assume you're in or out. If you tick all four for the panel rebate, we take it from there.
The household income cap was cut from $210,000 to $150,000. Applications lodged after that date use the lower cap.
You own and live in the home
The panel rebate is for owner-occupiers. A separate rental stream lets landlords claim up to $1,400 per rental property, capped at two per financial year, where the renter's household income is under $150,000.
Household income under $150,000
Combined household taxable income must be under $150,000 a year. This dropped from $210,000 on 1 July 2026, so applications lodged after that date use the lower cap.
Property valued under $3 million
The property must be worth under $3 million. One rebate per property, and for panels there must be no solar installed in the last 10 years.
You use an authorised retailer
You must use a Solar Victoria authorised retailer and an accredited installer. We handle the retailer requirements and the application with you.
There's no Victorian battery rebate now, but there is a federal one
Solar Victoria's $8,800 interest-free battery loan closed to new applications in May 2025 when funding ran out. There's no state battery rebate or loan in 2026.
For storage, Victorians now use the federal Cheaper Home Batteries rebate. It's delivered as an upfront discount of roughly $252–$272 per kWh of usable capacity for installs from 1 May 2026. The battery has to be paired with solar, on the CEC approved product list, and able to join a Virtual Power Plant. We fit only eligible batteries so the discount applies cleanly.
- Federal battery rebate: about $252–$272 per kWh of usable capacity (indicative, from 1 May 2026).
- Must be paired with new or existing solar; grid-only batteries don't qualify.
- Must be VPP-capable, though you don't have to enrol in a Virtual Power Plant.
VEU discounts on hot water and heating
The VEU program is separate from Solar Homes and discounts efficient products through Victorian Energy Efficiency Certificates. For a solar household the useful one is the hot water heat pump.
A VEU discount of roughly $560–$630 comes off an eligible hot water heat pump. It can stack with the federal STC discount and the Solar Victoria hot water rebate, but the rebates are applied in a set order, so the combined total is smaller than adding the headline numbers. Certificate prices float, so treat the figure as indicative.
- Around $560–$630 off an eligible hot water heat pump, as an upfront discount.
- Since July 2024, only heat pumps using low-global-warming refrigerant are eligible.
- Residential rooftop solar is not covered by VEU; that comes from the STC scheme and Solar Homes.
The feed-in reality in Victoria in 2026
Victoria abolished its mandatory minimum feed-in tariff on 1 July 2025. There is no state-set minimum now; the only floor is that a rate can't go below zero.
Retailers set their own rates, so offers range from $0.00 up to about 13c/kWh. Time-varying plans pay more in the evening peak (some around 12c) and little or nothing at midday, because so much rooftop solar now floods the grid in the middle of the day. The practical takeaway: exports are worth less than they used to be, so the value is in using your own solar during the day and storing the surplus rather than selling it cheap.
- No mandated minimum since 1 July 2025; rates run from $0.00 to about 13c/kWh.
- Evening-peak plans pay more after dark, which suits homes with a battery.
- Compare offers on Victorian Energy Compare before you switch; the rate is set by your plan, not by a rebate.
Get a Victorian quote that shows every rebate
We're based in Rowville and install across Melbourne and regional Victoria. Tell us your postcode and bill and we'll come back with the rebates you qualify for and what you'd actually pay.