Solar Rebate Calculator (STC + State)
Free solar rebate calculator for Australian homeowners. Estimate the value of your STC point-of-sale discount, state rebates (VIC Solar Homes, NSW Empowering Homes, SA Home Battery), and the new Cheaper Home Batteries Program.
Solar Panel Tax Credit Calculator
Gross cost
$9,500
Total incentive
$2,200
Percentage rebate value: $0
STC + state rebate value: $2,200
STC + state rebate value: $2,200
Net cost after rebate
$7,300
Effective discount
23.2%
Moderate — confirm state top-up
How to use this calculator
The calculator stacks the STC discount, any state-level rebate, and your gross system cost to produce a net cost figure for Australian homeowners:
- Gross system cost — quoted price from your CEC-accredited retailer before STC assignment. Most retailers advertise “after-rebate” pricing, so to use this calculator either ask for the gross figure or back-calculate. April 2026 typical pre-STC quote for a 6.6 kW system runs A$8,500–A$11,000 fully installed; SunWiz Q1 2026 tracker median is A$1,400/kW pre-STC.
- Rebate (% of cost) — leave at 0% in most cases. Australia has no percentage tax credit for residential. If you are an investor claiming Division 40 depreciation, enter 10% (year-1 diminishing-value rate).
- STC discount + state rebate (A$) — flat-rate rebate slot. Stack STC + Cheaper Home Batteries (if installing battery) + state rebate. Use the table below to estimate.
How the math works for Australian homeowners
The dominant rebate is the STC point-of-sale discount, applied at signing. Combined with the new Cheaper Home Batteries Program and any state top-up, the effective net cost is:
gross_cost = pre-STC contract price
flat_rebate = STC_discount + battery_program + state_rebate
net_cost = gross_cost - flat_rebateWorked example for a typical Melbourne home (April 2026):
- 6.6 kW PV + 13.5 kWh Tesla Powerwall 3, gross: A$22,500
- STC discount (6.6 kW × ~60 certificates @ A$36): A$2,160
- Cheaper Home Batteries (~13.5 kWh × A$370): A$5,000
- VIC Solar Homes PV rebate: A$1,400 + interest-free loan A$1,400 (loan, not rebate)
- Total flat rebate: A$8,560
- Net cost: A$13,940, 38.0% effective discount
STC rebate by capital city (April 2026)
STC value depends on system size, your installation zone (1–4), and the spot STC price. Approximate STC discount by city for a 6.6 kW system at A$36/STC spot:
| City | Zone | STC count (6.6 kW) | STC discount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darwin, Cairns, Townsville | 1 | ~76 | A$2,740 |
| Brisbane, Perth (north) | 2 | ~65 | A$2,340 |
| Sydney, Adelaide, Perth | 3 | ~60 | A$2,160 |
| Melbourne, Hobart, Canberra | 4 | ~52 | A$1,870 |
For a 10 kW system (the maximum residential STC size, multiply by ~1.52). Beyond 100 kW the system creates Large-scale Generation Certificates (LGCs) instead, with different rules.
The STC spot price has fluctuated A$32–A$40 over 2024–2026, set by Clean Energy Regulator quarterly auction and the demand from electricity retailers’ compulsory surrender obligations. Use A$36 as a 2026 working figure.
Cheaper Home Batteries Program — operational since July 2025
The federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program, announced in the 2025–26 Budget and live from 1 July 2025, brings residential battery storage into the SRES under the same certificate-and-assignment mechanism as solar STCs:
- Eligibility: residential homes (or small business under 100 kW), CEC-approved battery installer, battery 5 kWh to 50 kWh usable capacity.
- Rebate value: ~A$370/kWh of usable capacity in 2026, stepping down annually from 2027 (~A$300/kWh in 2027, ~A$220 in 2028, ~A$140 in 2029, ~A$70 in 2030). Closes 31 December 2030 with the SRES.
- Application: assigned at point of sale via CEC-approved retailer. Same paperwork flow as solar STCs.
- Stacking: stacks with state rebates (where state programs do not exclude federal-funded measures); in some states (VIC, ACT, QLD) stacks fully; in former state battery program states (SA) replaces the closed state scheme.
Approximate Cheaper Home Batteries discount by battery model:
| Battery | Usable capacity | Discount @ A$370/kWh |
|---|---|---|
| Tesla Powerwall 3 | 13.5 kWh | A$5,000 |
| sonnenBatterie evo | 10 kWh | A$3,700 |
| BYD Battery-Box Premium HVS 10.2 | 10.2 kWh | A$3,770 |
| LG Energy Solution RESU Prime 10H | 9.6 kWh | A$3,550 |
| GoodWe Lynx Home F G2 (5–24 kWh) | 5–24 kWh | A$1,850–A$8,880 |
State rebates in 2026 — what is open
State-level programs as at April 2026:
- Victoria — Solar Homes Program (Solar Victoria): A$1,400 PV rebate + A$1,400 interest-free loan (4-year), means-tested at household taxable income ≤A$210,000. Solar battery rebate replaced by federal Cheaper Home Batteries since 2025.
- NSW — Empowering Homes: interest-free 10-year loan up to A$14,000 for solar + battery in eligible postcodes (regional and Western Sydney). Not a grant — a loan.
- NSW — Solar for Low Income Households: free 3 kW system for eligible Pensioner Concession Card holders (limited postcodes).
- ACT — Home Energy Support: rebate up to A$2,500 plus 0% loan up to A$15,000 for owner-occupiers, means-tested.
- QLD — Battery Booster: A$3,000–A$4,000 battery rebate, means-tested at household income ≤A$180,000, limited annual quota.
- SA — Home Battery Scheme: closed November 2024 to new applicants. Replaced by federal Cheaper Home Batteries.
- WA — Distributed Energy Buyback Scheme (DEBS): peak/off-peak export tariff only, not a rebate. Synergy 10c/kWh peak (3pm–9pm), Horizon 2.5–10c.
- TAS, NT: no current state solar/battery rebate.
Investor and small business — Division 40 + Instant Asset Write-Off
If you own a rental property or small business and install solar:
- Investment property (long-term rental): claim 10% diminishing-value depreciation under Division 40 of the ITAA 1997 (ATO ruling TR 2022/1). On a A$10,000 system, year-1 deduction is A$1,000 (taxed at your marginal rate). At the 32.5% MTR that is A$325 saved tax — modest, and recovered on disposal.
- Sole trader / small business with aggregated turnover <A$10 million: Instant Asset Write-Off threshold is A$20,000 in FY 2024–25 and FY 2025–26 per the May 2025 Federal Budget. So a 5 kW commercial system at A$8,000 is fully deductible in year 1.
- Larger business: Section 40-25 effective life of 20 years (5% straight-line) for commercial-scale arrays.
For homeowners, none of the above applies — the STC is your rebate.
Pair this with the investment tax credit calculator, cost calculator, and payback calculator
For a complete picture: this calculator shows the day-one rebate stack; the payback calculator turns it into break-even years (typically 4–6 years in Australia post-STC); the cost calculator validates your pre-STC quote against state benchmarks. The investment tax credit version covers the commercial Division 40 + Instant Asset Write-Off side.
Sources
- Clean Energy Regulator — Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) — definitive STC authority
- Clean Energy Regulator — Cheaper Home Batteries Program — battery rebate rules
- Clean Energy Council — Approved Retailer & Approved Solar Installer codes — installer accreditation
- Solar Victoria — Solar Homes Program — VIC rebate details
- NSW Government — Empowering Homes — NSW interest-free loan scheme
- QLD Government — Battery Booster — QLD rebate
- SunWiz Australia — quarterly market reports and pricing
- AER (Australian Energy Regulator) — DMO 2025–26 — default tariff benchmarks
- ATO — Depreciation of solar power assets (TR 2022/1) — investor tax treatment
Frequently asked questions
What is the STC rebate and how does it work in 2026?
The Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) creates Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs) for residential solar PV systems up to 100 kW. One STC represents 1 MWh of forecast generation over the system's deeming period (currently 6 years, dropping to 5 years from 1 January 2027 and stepping down annually until the scheme closes 31 December 2030). For a 6.6 kW system in Sydney (Zone 3) installed today, the deeming yields about 60 STCs at A$36 spot price = A$2,160 in point-of-sale discount. The discount is applied automatically by your CEC-accredited installer — you assign your STCs to them in exchange for the price reduction.
Is the STC rebate ending?
Yes, gradually. Under current legislation the SRES closes for new installations on 31 December 2030. The deeming period steps down annually from 2027: 5 years for systems installed in 2027, 4 years in 2028, 3 years in 2029, 2 years in 2030, then nil. So a 6.6 kW system installing in 2026 attracts ~60 STCs; the same system in 2030 attracts only ~10 STCs. If you are sitting on the fence, 2026 is materially better than 2027–2030 from a rebate perspective. The Clean Energy Regulator publishes the precise zone-by-zone STC deeming table at cer.gov.au.
What is the new Cheaper Home Batteries Program?
Announced by the Albanese Government in the 2025 Federal Budget and operational from 1 July 2025, the Cheaper Home Batteries Program adds residential battery storage to the SRES. It pays roughly A$370/kWh of usable battery capacity at point of sale via the same STC-style assignment mechanism. A 13.5 kWh Tesla Powerwall 3 attracts ~A$5,000 discount; a 10 kWh sonnenBatterie attracts ~A$3,700. The rebate steps down annually starting 2027, ending 2030 in line with the broader SRES closure.
What state-level rebates can I stack with the STC?
Stackable state rebates as at April 2026: Victoria's Solar Homes (Solar PV Rebate of A$1,400 for solar, plus interest-free loan of A$1,400 — household income ≤A$210,000); NSW Empowering Homes (interest-free 10-year loan up to A$14,000 for solar+battery in eligible postcodes); SA Home Battery Scheme (closed November 2024 to new applicants, replaced by Federal program); ACT Home Energy Support (rebate up to A$2,500 plus 0% loan); QLD Battery Booster (A$3,000–A$4,000 means-tested); WA Distributed Energy Buyback Scheme (export tariff only, not rebate). Tasmania and NT have no current state-level solar rebate. The federal STC discount stacks with all of these; eligibility tests vary.
Does Australia have a solar income-tax credit like the US ITC?
No, not for residential homeowners. The STC is an up-front certificate-based discount, not an income-tax credit on your annual return. For investment property owners, solar can be depreciated under Division 40 of the ITAA 1997 at 10% diminishing value over 10 years (ATO ruling TR 2022/1). Sole traders and small businesses installing solar on a business premises may also access the Instant Asset Write-Off (under A$20,000 threshold for FY 2024–25 and FY 2025–26 per the May 2025 Federal Budget). For homeowners, the STC point-of-sale discount is the rebate.