Solar Rebate Victoria: Full List of Incentives You Can Claim in 2025
If you’re living in Victoria and considering a switch to solar energy, you’re in luck. The solar rebate Victoria offers is among the most generous in Australia, making it more affordable than ever to harness the sun’s power.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the key rebates and incentives available, including the popular $1,400 PV rebate for homes and rental properties, interest-free loans, and federal support schemes. Read on and learn what’s on offer, who qualifies, and how to apply step by step.
What Are the Available Solar Rebates in Victoria?
If you’re looking to go solar, there’s still a range of great solar power rebates Victoria offers to help cut down the upfront costs. While some programs have recently closed in 2025, there are still several key incentives available through the Victorian Government’s Solar Homes program—plus a few federal perks (which we’ll cover later on).
Here’s a quick overview of what’s currently on offer:
If you own and live in your home, you could get up to $1,400 off the cost of installing rooftop solar panels. This rebate typically covers up to 50% of the system price and is applied directly through your installer. Applications open in monthly release rounds, so it’s worth keeping an eye on availability.
Landlords can apply for up to $1,400 per rental property (up to two properties each financial year) to install solar systems. In some cases, tenants can agree to contribute to repayments through a co-contribution model.
Interest-Free Loan for the Solar Panel (PV) Rebate
When applying for the Victoria solar rebate, you can also choose an interest-free loan of up to $1,400 to match it. The loan is paid off over four years in manageable monthly instalments—no interest, no hidden fees.
Solar Hot Water Rebate
If you’re replacing an old electric or gas hot water system, you may be eligible for up to $1,000 off a solar hot water or heat-pump system. Like the solar PV rebate, this is a point-of-sale discount applied through your installer.
Programs that closed in 2025:
VIC Solar Battery Loan – Closed May 2025
The Victorian Government’s interest-free solar battery loan program, which offered loans of up to $8,800 to help households install battery storage systems, officially closed to new applications on 28 May 2025. The program exceeded its target of 4,500 loans, supporting over 3,800 battery installations in the 2024–25 financial year alone.
Solar for Apartments Grant – Closed February 2025
The Solar for Apartments program, which provided grants of up to $2,800 per apartment (capped at $140,000 per building) to support solar installations in apartment complexes, closed to new applications on 28 February 2025. At this stage, there are no future rounds planned.
Solar Panel (PV) Rebate for Homeowners
If you’re a homeowner in Victoria, you could be eligible for up to $1,400 off the cost of installing a new solar panel (PV) system. It could cover up to half the system’s total price straight off your installer’s invoice.
Rebates are released on a monthly schedule, usually at 12 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month, and they tend to go fast. So, if you’re keen, it’s worth setting a reminder and being ready to apply as soon as new allocations open.
Who’s eligible?
To apply, you’ll need to meet a few key criteria:
You must own and live in the property (or be building it).
Your home must be valued at under $3 million.
The combined taxable income of all owners must be less than $210,000 per year.
Your home must not have received a Solar Homes PV or battery rebate before (or, if it has an existing system, it must be more than 10 years old).
You pick equipment from Solar Victoria’s approved product lists and buy through an authorised solar retailer. Every authorised retailer must be a New Energy Tech Consumer Code (NETCC) Approved Seller, which means they’re required to follow strong consumer protection guidelines and provide clear, honest quotes.
How to apply?
Talk with authorised solar retailers to find a system that suits your energy needs, using approved products
Once you’ve chosen a retailer, ask for a written quote. They’ll take care of uploading it to the Solar Victoria portal.
Wait for an email from Solar Victoria inviting you to apply.
Submit your application, including documents proving your income, identity, and property ownership.
If approved, you’ll get a unique QR code. Your installer must scan this before they begin work.
Finish the install within 120 days (or 270 days for a new build).
Pay only the balance after the rebate is deducted—no chasing refunds.
Important: Do not install your system before receiving the official rebate approval. If you do, you forfeit your eligibility.
Solar Panel Rebate for Rental Properties
If you’re a landlord, you can also take advantage of Victoria’s solar rebates to install panels on your investment properties. You can claim up to $1,400 per rental, with a maximum of two properties per financial year. There’s no set release date; applications are open year-round while funding lasts.
Who’s eligible?
To qualify for the rental rebate:
Your tenant’s combined annual income must be under $210,000.
The property must be valued at under $3 million.
It must not have previously received a solar PV or battery rebate.
You must sign a Rental Provider–Renter Agreement with every one of your tenant before applying.
Like the homeowner rebate, the system must be installed by an authorised solar retailer using products from the approved list.
How to apply?
Discuss the installation with your tenants first, since they’ll need to provide income documentation and give the installer access to the property.
Choose a suitable solar system from an authorised solar retailer and get a quote.
The retailer will upload the quote to the Solar Victoria portal.
Sign the Rental Provider–Renter Agreement with your tenants.
Wait for Solar Victoria’s confirmation email and submit your application, including proof of property ownership, tenant income documents, and the signed agreement.
Once approved, you’ll receive a QR code—your installer must scan this before starting work.
The installation must be completed within 120 days, and the rebate is applied directly to your final invoice.
Interest-Free Loans for Solar PV
Alongside this solar rebate VIC, both homeowners and landlords can apply for an interest-free loan of up to $1,400 to help cover the rest of the system cost. It’s designed to match the rebate, effectively doubling the upfront support for eligible applicants.
The loan is paid off over four years in manageable monthly instalments—about $29.16 per month if you borrow the full amount.
Key things to know:
No collateral is required. You won’t need to offer up your home or any other assets to access the loan.
The loan amount is processed at the same time as the rebate and is paid directly to your solar retailer, so you won’t need to handle the funds yourself.
Repayments start 30 days after Solar Victoria confirms your installation is complete and approved.
The loan is entirely optional. You can decline it if you’d rather pay the balance upfront.
For rental properties, tenants can volunteer to chip in up to 50% of the $29.16 monthly loan repayment (max $14.58) by signing a co-contribution agreement. But rent cannot be increased to recover costs.
Add a Battery to Make the Most of Your Solar System
One of the best ways to get more out of your PV setup is by adding a power station.While rooftop solar panels do a great job of cutting your daytime electricity use, any excess energy you don’t use gets sent back to the grid for only a modest feed-in tariff. Then, once the sun goes down, you’re back to buying power from the grid at peak prices.
A home battery lets you store that unused solar energy and tap into it later—like in the evening when demand (and costs) are higher, or during a blackout when grid power isn’t available.
If you’re looking for a flexible, powerful battery solution, the EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 portable power station is well worth considering. It’s a portable power station with serious capacity, offering 4 kWh of built-in storage and the ability to expand up to 12 kWh, making it suitable for anything from basic backup to full-home energy coverage.
It can power heavy-duty appliances with ease, thanks to its 4,000W inverter output, and 8,000W surge. That means you can run essentials like your fridge, modem, lighting, and even things like air conditioning or induction cooktops.
Charging the DELTA Pro 3 is just as versatile. You can plug it into solar panels to get a solar generator—taking in up to 2,600W of solar input. When the weather turns, recharge it via a standard wall outlet. Using X-Stream fast-charging, it can reach 80% in just 50 minutes. Despite its capabilities, it runs quietly, typically operating at just 30 decibels, which is about as loud as a whisper.
EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 portable power station
Federal Solar Incentives You Can Claim in Victoria
On top of what the Victorian Government offers, you can also tap into some generous federal support to make your solar setup even more affordable. Right now, there are two main incentives available for households and small businesses: one for solar panels, one for batteries (brand new in 2025).
Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs)
If you’re installing rooftop solar, the federal Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) gives you a discount through Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs). These aren’t something you need to handle yourself—your installer usually applies them as an instant discount on your quote.
A typical 6.6 kW system in Melbourne generates around 60 STCs, which can knock about $2,300 to $2,400 off your upfront cost, depending on the current market price.
The number of STCs you get depends on where you live, the size of your system, and how many years are left in the scheme (which ends in December 2030).
Because the deeming period reduces by one year every January, installing in 2025 gives you six years’ worth of STCs—but wait until 2026, and you’ll only get five.
This incentive works seamlessly with the Victorian solar rebate, and your installer will walk you through it when preparing your quote.
New Federal Battery Rebate (from 1 July 2025)
A big win for 2025 is the introduction of the Cheaper Batteries for Homes program—a federal rebate for eligible solar battery systems.
The rebate covers around 30% of the battery’s cost, depending on the size and usable capacity (measured in kilowatt-hours).
For example, an 11.5 kWh battery that might normally cost $13,000 could be up to $4,000 cheaper with this new incentive.
Like STCs, the rebate value will gradually phase down each year until the program ends in 2030.
There’s no tricky application process. You’ll simply sign an assignment form as part of your quote, and your installer will apply the discount up front.
Conclusion
The solar rebate Victoria offers in 2025 is still one of the most generous in Australia, helping households cut the upfront cost of solar panel installations by up to $1,400, with an optional matching interest-free loan. When combined with federal STC incentives, the total savings can be substantial—making solar power more accessible and cost-effective. Whether you’re a homeowner, landlord, or building a new property, taking advantage of these rebates can lead to long-term reductions in electricity bills and greater energy independence.
FAQs
What is the current solar rebate in Victoria?
As of May 2025, the Victorian Government’s Solar Homes Program offers owner-occupiers a rebate of up to $1,400 on a new rooftop PV system and an optional interest-free loan for the same amount repaid over four years, effectively halving the initial outlay. Rebates are released in limited monthly batches through the Solar Victoria portal.
To qualify, the property must be worth under $3 million, household taxable income kept below $210,000, and the address must not have received a solar or battery rebate in the past ten years. Rental providers can claim the same $1,400 per dwelling, and separate incentives offer up to $1,000 for solar hot-water or heat-pump units.
How much does a 5kW solar system cost in Victoria?
In 2025, the average cost of a fully installed 5 kW solar system in Victoria is around $6,000 to $7,000 before any incentives. Once you factor in the federal STC discount (worth about $1,730) and the Victorian Solar Homes rebate (up to $1,400), the out-of-pocket cost drops significantly, typically to around $4,500 to $5,500.
This price range usually covers good-quality systems installed by reputable providers. Costs can go higher if you choose premium panels, complex installation layouts, or add-ons like monitoring systems. On the other hand, cheaper systems do exist but often come with trade-offs like shorter warranties or limited customer support.
Is solar worth it in Victoria?
Yes. A moderate 5kW solar system in Melbourne yields about 6,400 kWh annually, offsetting roughly 110% of an average home’s daytime load. At retail rates of 28–30 ¢/kWh, that’s $1,800–$1,900 off your bill each year. You can take advantage of both the Victorian Government’s $1,400 solar rebate and the federal STC discount.
With post-rebate prices for a 5kW system near $5,000, payback is typically 3–5 years, delivering an internal rate of return around 20-25 %. While the shrinking export feed-in tariff makes batteries or smart-timers more attractive for maximising self-use, the combination of bill savings, protection from rising electricity rates and generous panel warranties means solar remains a sound investment for most Victorian households in 2025.