Home solar, battery quotas revealed as Victoria prepares to reopen subsidy

One Step Off The Grid

New details have emerged for the next phase of the Victorian government’s Solar Homes subsidy scheme, which takes full effect – including offers of battery storage rebates and no-interest solar loans – starting July 01.

The Andrews Labor government said the first full year of the decade-long program would use a staggered approach, guided by set quotas of 3,333 rooftop solar systems per month, to deliver another 40,000 for private homes and community-owned housing in 2019/20.

The battery rebate – which offers discounts of up to $4,838 for a battery to households with existing solar systems – will also be carefully managed, with a roll-out to 1000 homes in the first year, within a limited selection of postcodes. Set numbers for monthly battery quotas have not yet been publicly revealed.

According to the Solar Victoria website, the postcodes (see list below) were chosen to target “growth areas” in the state, and suburbs with a high penetration of residential rooftop solar already established. Other locations may be added to the list in future, as they become eligible.

Energy minister Lily D’Ambrosio said this coordinated and meted approach, both with solar PV and batteries, had been designed to provide certainty about the availability of rebates to consumers and the solar industry.

Solar Victoria was no doubt informed in this approach by the less-than positive industry and consumer reaction it received in April, when the hugely popular subsidy – snapped up by more than 30,000 in its first six months – was abruptly closed to new applications for the three months to July.

This sudden pause had the effect of leaving the state’s solar retailers and installers in the lurch, as consumers held off investing until the rebate was re-opened.

To its credit, however, the state government has kept the dialogue open with industry, and taken measures to minimise the “solar coaster” effect that rooftop solar policy decisions are notorious for causing.

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