Victoria rooftop solar market languishing since rebate pause: SunWiz

One Step Off The Grid

New data has confirmed Victoria’s residential rooftop solar market is already “languishing,” since the state government hit pause on its rebate scheme early last month.

The Solar Homes subsidy, which cuts the cost of installing rooftop PV in half for eligible households, was capped in early April after a deluge of more than 30,000 applications.

The pause, ahead of the $1.3 billion scheme’s official launch in July, was intended by government to pace the rush to solar by Victorian households.

But much to the solar industry’s dismay – and in line with its predictions – installations appear to have flat-lined, while customers wait for the applications to reopen in July.

As you can see in the chart below (click to enlarge), from solar consultancy SunWiz, installations dipped in Victoria in April in line with other states, in response to the annual lull in activity over the Easter and Anzac Day break.

But where the other states bounce back, Victoria does not, giving illustration to the experience of installers, that phones have stopped ringing.

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