The federal STC discount (everyone gets this)
The biggest solar incentive in Australia is not called a rebate at all. It is the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES), which creates Small-scale Technology Certificates, or STCs. Every eligible system earns a batch of these certificates based on its size and your location, and your installer takes their cash value straight off your quote.
On a 6.6kW system that is worth roughly $2,500 to $3,500 in 2026. You do not apply, you do not wait for a cheque, and you do not see it as a line you have to claim. It is simply baked into the discounted price you are quoted. This applies in every state and territory.
The STC fine print no one explains
The STC discount is real and generous, but the way it is sold hides a few things.
- ✗It shrinks every year. The number of certificates a system earns drops each January as the scheme counts down to its 2030 close. The "act now before the rebate drops" line is annoying, but it is technically true.
- ✗The dollar value floats with the market. STCs trade on an open market and rarely hit the $40 cap. If an installer quotes the discount at the maximum, push back.
- ✗You must use CEC-accredited installers and approved gear. Buy a cheap system off the internet and self-install, and you forfeit the certificates entirely.
- ✗You assign your STC rights to the installer. That is normal and fine, but it is why the discount appears as "point of sale". Make sure the contract states the system price after STCs clearly.
State rebates and the honest truth about them
This is where most online guides are years out of date. The wave of generous state solar panel rebates has largely passed. In 2026, the picture looks like this:
| State | State Panel Rebate | Typical Feed-in Tariff | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | No state rebate | ~5–12c/kWh | Market set, benchmarks falling each year |
| VIC | Solar Homes (winding back) | ~3.3c/kWh minimum | Some retailers offer higher time-varying rates |
| QLD | Regional FiT only | ~4–12c/kWh | SE QLD market set, regional rate fixed |
| SA | No state rebate | ~2–8c/kWh | High grid prices make self-use very valuable |
| WA | DEBS scheme | ~2.25c off-peak / ~10c peak | Pays more for power exported 3pm–9pm |
| TAS | No state rebate | ~8–9c/kWh | Regulated standard feed-in rate |
| ACT | No state rebate | ~6–8c/kWh | Market set |
| NT | No state rebate | ~8–10c/kWh | Buyback rates revised down in recent years |
Feed-in tariffs are set by retailers (except where regulated) and change often. State programs open and close without much notice. Always check your retailer and your state energy body for current rates. Correct as at June 2026.
The headline for most Australians: there is no big secret state rebate on solar panels in 2026 in most of the country. Victoria's Solar Homes program has offered a panel rebate and interest-free loan, but it has been wound back as the federal battery scheme took over the spotlight, so check Solar Victoria for current status before relying on it. Everywhere else, your "rebate" is the federal STC discount plus whatever your retailer pays you for exports.
The federal battery rebate (the one that changed the game)
The Cheaper Home Batteries Program is the genuinely new incentive. It takes roughly 30% off the installed cost of an eligible home battery, applied at the point of sale just like STCs, and it is funded through to 2030. On a typical 10kWh battery that is $3,500 to $4,800 off.
Some states layer their own battery support on top (for example loan or incentive schemes that come and go), so it is worth checking. For the full state-by-state battery picture see our battery rebates by state guide and our battery cost guide.
Feed-in tariffs: the incentive that keeps shrinking
A feed-in tariff (FiT) is what your retailer pays you for solar you export to the grid. A decade ago some states paid 44c or more per kWh. Those days are gone. In 2026 most feed-in tariffs sit between 3 and 10 cents per kWh and keep drifting down, while you still pay 28 to 45 cents to buy power back.
That gap is the single most important fact in solar economics today. Because exports are worth so little, the money is in using your own solar rather than selling it. Run the dishwasher, pool pump, washing machine and air conditioning during daylight, and your payback improves dramatically. This is also the core argument for a battery: it lets you store cheap daytime solar and use it at night instead of buying power at peak rates.
How to stack incentives properly
- ✓Take the STC discount on the panels. Automatic with any accredited install.
- ✓Add the federal battery rebate if and when a battery stacks up for your usage.
- ✓Shop your feed-in tariff and plan. Retailers vary widely. A slightly better FiT or a solar-friendly plan can be worth more than chasing the last $200 off the install.
- ✓Shift your usage to daylight. The cheapest "incentive" of all is self-consumption, and it costs nothing.
Want a fast estimate of your federal rebate? Try our free rebate calculator before you talk to anyone.
Rebate traps to avoid
- ✗"Government rebate ending Friday" pressure. The STC step-down happens once a year in January, not this Friday. Pressure tactics are a sales red flag, full stop.
- ✗Inflated price, then a "rebate" applied. Some operators quote a high number and present the STC discount as a special favour. Compare net installed prices between installers to see through it.
- ✗Rebates dangled to justify oversized systems. A bigger system earns more STCs, but if you cannot use the output it does not pay back faster. Size for your usage, not for the rebate.
Renters, apartments and how the scheme winds down
The rebate conversation usually assumes a freestanding home you own. Plenty of Australians do not fit that mould, so here is where they stand:
- ✓Renters: you cannot claim the STC discount yourself because you do not own the roof. Your best lever is asking your landlord, since solar can let them market a lower-bill property, and some states have run split-incentive trials to help. Portable plug-in solar exists but the returns are modest.
- ✓Apartments and strata: common-property solar needs body corporate approval, which is the real hurdle rather than the rebate. Embedded networks and shared-solar models are emerging but vary widely, so read the arrangement carefully.
- ✓Townhouses with your own roof and meter: you are usually treated like any other homeowner and get the full STC discount.
It also pays to understand the trajectory of the federal scheme. The STC discount does not vanish overnight in 2030, it steps down gradually each January until then. The practical takeaway is not to panic-buy on a fake deadline, but to recognise that the incentive is at its most generous now and slowly tapers. The same logic applies to the battery rebate, which is also legislated to reduce over time. Decisions made on genuine need and a fair quote will always beat decisions made on countdown-clock pressure, but waiting several years does mean a slightly smaller discount on the same system.
Frequently asked questions
What solar rebates are available in Australia in 2026?
The main one is the federal STC discount, worth around $2,500 to $3,500 on a 6.6kW system, applied automatically at the point of sale. If you add a battery, the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program takes roughly 30% off. Most state-based solar panel rebates have wound down.
Is there a government rebate for solar panels?
Yes. The federal Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme provides STCs that your installer converts into an upfront discount on every accredited system. It is the rebate behind almost every solar quote in the country.
How much is the solar feed-in tariff in 2026?
Most retailers pay between 3 and 10 cents per kWh for exported solar, and the rate keeps falling. Because you pay far more to buy power back, using your own solar during the day is worth much more than exporting it.
Do state solar rebates still exist?
Most state solar panel rebates have ended or wound back. Victoria's Solar Homes program has offered a panel rebate and interest-free loan but has been scaled down, so check Solar Victoria for current status. The battery rebate is now federal and applies nationwide.
Does the STC rebate expire?
The STC scheme phases down a step every January and ends entirely in 2030. The discount on a given system size gets a little smaller each year, which is why earlier installs capture slightly more value.