Free rooftop solar for low-income households in NSW government trial

One Step Off The Grid

The NSW Government has opened the Solar for Low Income Solar trial to applicants, with the government offering pensioners and veterans the opportunity to have rooftop solar installed for free.

Under the trial, the NSW government will offer a free 3kW rooftop solar installation to up to 3,000 low income households, with households expected to save more than $300 a year on their electricity costs.

To be eligible to participate in the trial, applicants must own their own home, and hold a valid Pensioner Concession Card or Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card.

In return for receiving a free solar installation, households must agree to forego the Low Income Household Rebate, which is currently worth up to $285 a year, for a period of 10 years.

Using this arrangement, the NSW government can recover most of the cost of the solar installation by avoiding the need to pay rebates to households, while the households benefit from the reduced cost of electricity.

Participants in the trial will be able to install an ‘upsized’ system of up to 6kW, but the NSW government will only cover the costs of the first 3kW.

“For low income households the cost of buying and installing a rooftop solar system can be prohibitive, so we’ve set up this trial so more of these homeowners can unlock the savings benefit offered by rooftop solar generation,” NSW energy minister Matt Kean said.

“In addition to potential bill savings, the addition of up to 3,000 more rooftop solar systems will add more than 8 megawatts of renewable capacity to help support a clean, affordable and reliable electricity grid.”

The trial will operate in five regions, the NSW Central Coast, North Coast, South Coast, Sydney-South and the Illawarra-Shoalhaven.

To read the full story on RenewEconomy sister site One Step Off The Grid, click here…