If you’re a Melbourne homeowner considering solar panels, a battery, a heat pump hot water system, or any kind of renewable energy upgrade — there’s a good chance you’re leaving money on the table if you don’t understand the rebates available to you.
Victoria has one of the most generous rebate programs in Australia. Between the federal Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs), the Solar Victoria rebates, interest-free loans, and the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) program, you could reduce the upfront cost of a solar and energy upgrade by thousands of dollars.
But the landscape changes regularly. Income thresholds are tightening from 1 July 2026, the battery loan program has closed, and feed-in tariff rates have shifted significantly. This guide breaks down every rebate and incentive currently available to Victorian homeowners — what it is, how much it’s worth, who’s eligible, and how to claim it.
Zap Tech Energy is a CEC-accredited, SolarQuotes Gold Rated solar installer based in Epping, servicing all of Greater Melbourne. We handle rebate paperwork as part of every installation. Call **03 9404 0484** or [enquire online](https://zaptechenergy.com.au/contact/) if you want us to calculate exactly what you’re eligible for.
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1. Federal Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs)
What Are STCs?
STCs are the federal government’s primary solar incentive. They’re part of the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES), administered by the Clean Energy Regulator. When you install an eligible solar panel system, your installation generates a number of STCs based on the system size, your location (known as the “zone rating”), and the number of years remaining in the scheme (which runs until 2030).
How Much Are STCs Worth?
Each STC has a market value of approximately $38–$40 (as of 2026). The number of STCs your system generates depends on its size:
| System Size | Approximate STCs Generated | Approximate Value (at ~$39/STC) |
|—|—|—|
| 5 kW | ~65 STCs | ~$2,500 |
| 6.6 kW | ~85 STCs | ~$3,300 |
| 10 kW | ~130 STCs | ~$5,100 |
| 13 kW | ~169 STCs | ~$6,600 |
These values are approximate and fluctuate with the STC market price. The exact number of STCs for your system is calculated based on the CER’s STC calculator and your postcode.
How Do You Claim STCs?
You don’t have to do anything. Your installer — in this case, Zap Tech Energy — assigns the STCs at the point of sale. The value is deducted directly from your invoice. You see the discount upfront rather than having to claim it retrospectively.
Key Details
– **Eligibility:** Any Australian homeowner installing a CEC-approved solar system through a CEC-accredited installer
– **Installer requirement:** Must be CEC accredited (Zap Tech Energy is CEC accredited — ✔)
– **Products:** Must be on the CEC’s approved product list
– **Scheme end date:** The STC scheme is legislated to run until 2030. The number of STCs per system decreases each year as the “deeming period” shortens — which means the incentive shrinks every January. Installing sooner means a larger discount.
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What Is It?
The Solar Homes Program, run by Solar Victoria, offers a rebate of up to $1,400 towards the cost of installing a solar panel (PV) system on your home.
How Much Is It Worth?
The rebate covers up to 50% of the cost of your solar system installation (after STCs and any other discounts have been applied), to a maximum of $1,400.
Who’s Eligible?
To qualify for the Solar Victoria PV rebate, you must:
- Be the owner-occupier of an existing property (or a home under construction)
- Have a combined household taxable income under $210,000 per year
- Own a property valued under $3 million
- Not have previously received a Solar Victoria solar PV or battery rebate at the property address
- Not have had a solar PV system installed at the property in the last 10 years
- Use an authorised solar retailer and CEC-approved products
⚠️ Important: Income Threshold Changing 1 July 2026
From 1 July 2026, the income eligibility threshold drops from $210,000 to $150,000 combined household income. If your household income is between $150,000 and $210,000, you need to submit your full application through the Service Victoria portal before 5 pm on 30 June 2026 to be assessed under the current threshold.
Don’t miss this deadline. “Saved” or incomplete applications won’t count — your application must be fully submitted.
How Do You Apply?
- Get a quote from an authorised solar retailer (Zap Tech Energy is an authorised retailer — ✔)
- Apply through the Service Victoria portal
- Once approved, the rebate is paid directly to your installer and deducted from your invoice
- You only pay the remaining balance after installation
Thinking about solar for your Melbourne home? Call Zap Tech Energy on 03 9404 0484 — we’ll confirm your eligibility and handle the application process.
3. Solar Victoria — Interest-Free Loan
What Is It?
In addition to the solar PV rebate, eligible Victorian homeowners can apply for an interest-free loan of up to $1,400 to further reduce the upfront cost of a solar installation.
How Does It Work?
- Loan amount: Up to $1,400 (matching your rebate amount)
- Interest rate: 0%
- Repayment term: 4 years
- Monthly repayment: Approximately $29.17/month for a $1,400 loan
- Repayment method: Automatic direct debit from your bank account
- Repayments start: 30 days after your installation is approved
- No collateral required
How Do You Apply?
From 1 May 2026, you must opt into the loan at the time of your rebate application. You can’t apply for the loan separately after the fact. If you want the loan, select it when you submit your Solar Victoria application.
Combined Impact
With both the rebate and the loan, you could reduce your upfront cost by up to $2,800 on a solar installation. For a typical 6.6 kW system in Melbourne:
| Component | Approximate Value |
| System cost (before incentives) | $7,000–$10,000 |
| Less STC discount | –$3,000 to –$3,500 |
| Less Solar Victoria rebate | –$1,400 |
| Less interest-free loan | –$1,400 |
| Your upfront cost | $700–$3,700 |
| Loan repayments | ~$29/month for 4 years |
That’s a fully installed, quality solar system from a CEC-accredited installer — for potentially under $1,000 out of pocket at installation.
4. Solar Victoria — Hot Water Rebate
What Is It?
The Solar Homes hot water rebate helps Victorian homeowners cover the cost of replacing an old hot water system with an eligible heat pump or electric hot water system.
How Much Is It Worth?
- Standard rebate: Up to $1,000
- Locally made product rebate: Up to $1,400 (for eligible Australian-manufactured products)
The rebate is calculated as 50% of the purchase price after any other discounts (including STCs and VEU credits) have been applied.
Who’s Eligible?
- Owner-occupier of an existing property
- Combined household income under $210,000 (dropping to $150,000 from 1 July 2026)
- Property value under $3 million
- The existing hot water system being replaced is at least 3 years old
- The property hasn’t previously received a Solar Homes hot water or battery rebate
- You must use an authorised hot water retailer and eligible products
Can You Get Both the Solar PV Rebate and the Hot Water Rebate?
Yes — you can receive both the solar PV rebate and the hot water rebate, as long as the property hasn’t previously received each respective rebate. They’re separate applications.
VEU Stacking
If your installer is also an approved Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) provider, you may be able to stack VEU discounts with the hot water rebate, further reducing your out-of-pocket cost.
For full details, visit solar.vic.gov.au/hot-water-rebate.
5. Solar Victoria — Battery Rebate and Loan (Status Update)
Current Status
The Solar Victoria battery rebate was previously available for eligible households, and the battery loan program has now closed.
As of mid-2026, you should check solar.vic.gov.au directly for the latest battery rebate availability, as the program has undergone several changes. Note that if your property has previously received a solar PV or battery rebate under the Solar Homes Program, it may not be eligible for additional rebates.
STCs for Batteries?
Batteries do not currently generate STCs under the federal scheme. The STC incentive applies to solar panels and heat pump hot water systems only.
Is a Battery Still Worth It Without a Rebate?
For many Melbourne households, yes. Battery prices have been falling, and if your household has high evening energy consumption, a battery can significantly reduce your reliance on grid electricity during the expensive peak tariff periods. The financial case depends on your energy usage patterns, tariff structure, and system size — we’re happy to model this for you.
6. Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) Program
What Is It?
The VEU program (formerly the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target scheme) provides discounts on energy-efficient products and installations for Victorian households and businesses. Unlike the Solar Homes rebates, VEU discounts are delivered through accredited providers at the point of sale — you don’t apply through a government portal.
What Products Are Covered?
The VEU program covers a wide range of energy-efficient upgrades, including:
- Heat pump hot water systems — significant discounts when installed through an accredited VEU provider
- Reverse-cycle air conditioning (split systems and ducted)
- Ceiling insulation
- LED lighting upgrades
- In-home displays for energy monitoring
- Commercial and industrial solar (for business properties)
How Much Are VEU Discounts Worth?
VEU discounts vary depending on the product and the accredited provider, but they can be substantial — often $500–$1,500 for a heat pump hot water system. These discounts stack with Solar Homes rebates.
How Do You Access VEU Discounts?
You don’t apply separately. If your installer is an accredited VEU provider (or works with one), the discount is applied at the point of sale and deducted from your invoice. Ask your installer about VEU eligibility when getting a quote.
For more information, visit the Essential Services Commission’s VEU page.
Not sure which rebates apply to you? Call Zap Tech Energy on 03 9404 0484 — we’ll map out every incentive you’re eligible for before we quote.
7. Feed-in Tariffs in Victoria
What Is a Feed-in Tariff?
A feed-in tariff (FiT) is the rate your electricity retailer pays you for surplus solar energy you export back to the grid. When your solar panels generate more power than your home is using, the excess flows to the grid, and you receive a credit on your electricity bill.
What Are the Current Rates?
As of 1 July 2025, the Essential Services Commission (ESC) no longer sets a minimum feed-in tariff in Victoria, following an amendment to the Electricity Industry Act 2000. Retailers can now set their own rates, but these cannot be below $0.00 per kWh.
In practice, most Victorian electricity retailers are currently offering feed-in tariffs in the range of 2–8 cents per kWh, depending on the plan and whether it’s a flat or time-varying rate. Some retailers offer higher time-of-use feed-in rates for energy exported during peak evening periods.
What Does This Mean for Melbourne Homeowners?
Feed-in tariffs have dropped significantly from the early days of solar (some early adopters locked in premium rates of 60+ cents/kWh). At today’s rates, the economics of solar increasingly favour self-consumption — using the energy you generate, rather than exporting it.
This is one of the key reasons batteries and home electrification are becoming more popular. By storing excess solar in a battery and using it in the evening, or by running your heat pump hot water system during the day when solar is generating, you use your solar energy at its full retail value ($0.25–$0.35/kWh) rather than the export rate ($0.02–$0.08/kWh).
8. How to Maximise Your Savings Across All Rebates
Here’s how to get the most out of the rebates and incentives available to Melbourne homeowners:
Stack Everything
The key insight: most of these incentives stack. For a Melbourne homeowner installing solar panels and a heat pump hot water system, the combined savings look like this:
| Incentive | Approximate Value |
| STCs (6.6 kW solar system) | $3,000–$3,500 |
| Solar Victoria PV rebate | Up to $1,400 |
| Solar Victoria interest-free loan | Up to $1,400 |
| STCs (heat pump hot water) | $500–$1,000 |
| Solar Homes hot water rebate | Up to $1,000–$1,400 |
| VEU hot water discount | $500–$1,500 |
| Total potential savings | $7,800–$10,200 |
That’s a meaningful chunk of the cost of going solar and replacing your hot water system — often reducing the combined out-of-pocket cost to well under $10,000.
Act Before July 2026
If your household income is between $150,000 and $210,000, you need to submit your Solar Victoria application before 5 pm on 30 June 2026 to qualify under the current income threshold. After that date, the threshold drops to $150,000.
Install Sooner Rather Than Later
STC values decrease every January as the deeming period shortens (the scheme ends in 2030). A system installed in 2026 generates more STCs — and therefore a larger discount — than the same system installed in 2027 or later.
Choose an Installer Who Handles Everything
Navigating multiple rebate programs is confusing. The right installer manages all paperwork — STCs, Solar Victoria applications, VEU claims — so you don’t have to chase government departments or fill in forms yourself. That’s exactly what Zap Tech Energy does for every installation.
What About Rental Properties and Apartments?
Rental Properties
The Solar Victoria PV rebate is available for rental properties. The property owner applies for the rebate, and the same eligibility criteria apply (income threshold, property value, etc.). The benefit is that the tenant receives lower electricity bills, and the property owner adds value to the home.
Apartments, Units, and Townhouses
Solar Victoria offers rebates of up to $2,800 per household for eligible apartments, units, and townhouses. If you live in a multi-dwelling property and are considering solar, check solar.vic.gov.au for specific eligibility and how body corporate approvals work.
Let Zap Tech Energy Handle the Rebates for You
Navigating federal STCs, Solar Victoria rebates, interest-free loans, VEU discounts, and eligibility thresholds is a lot. Zap Tech Energy takes care of the entire process — from confirming your eligibility to submitting applications to ensuring every dollar of rebate is applied to your invoice.
We’re a CEC-accredited, SolarQuotes Gold Rated installer based in Epping, with Electrical Contractor’s Licence REC 34973. We service homes across all of Greater Melbourne — from Geelong to the Mornington Peninsula.
📞 Call us: 03 9404 0484
📧 Enquire online: zaptechenergy.com.au/contact
📍 Visit us: 2A Helm Court, Epping VIC 3076
Frequently Asked Questions
What solar rebates are currently available in Victoria?
Victorian homeowners can currently access: federal Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs, worth approximately $3,000–$3,500 for a 6.6 kW system), the Solar Victoria PV rebate (up to $1,400), an interest-free loan (up to $1,400 over 4 years), the Solar Homes hot water rebate (up to $1,000–$1,400), and discounts through the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) program. These incentives stack, meaning you can claim multiple rebates on a single project.
How much is the Victorian solar rebate worth?
The Solar Victoria PV rebate is worth up to $1,400, calculated as 50% of the installation cost after any other discounts (including STCs) have been applied. Combined with an interest-free loan of up to $1,400, eligible Victorian homeowners can reduce their upfront solar cost by up to $2,800 through the Solar Homes Program alone — on top of federal STC credits.
Is the income threshold for the solar rebate changing?
Yes. From 1 July 2026, the combined household income threshold drops from $210,000 to $150,000 per year. If your household income is between $150,000 and $210,000, you must submit a complete application through the Service Victoria portal before 5 pm on 30 June 2026 to be assessed under the current threshold. Incomplete or “saved” applications won’t count.
Can I get both the solar panel rebate and the hot water rebate?
Yes. The Solar Victoria PV rebate and the hot water rebate are separate incentives. You can apply for both, as long as your property hasn’t previously received each respective rebate under the Solar Homes Program. They also stack with federal STCs and VEU discounts.
What are STCs and how do they work?
Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs) are a federal government incentive for renewable energy. When you install a solar system, it generates a number of STCs based on its size, location, and the years remaining in the scheme (which runs until 2030). Your installer claims the STCs on your behalf and deducts the value from your invoice — you don’t need to apply separately. Each STC is currently worth approximately $38–$40.
Is the solar battery rebate still available in Victoria?
The Solar Victoria battery loan program has closed. For the latest information on battery rebates, check solar.vic.gov.au directly, as the program has changed several times. Even without a dedicated battery rebate, batteries remain a strong investment for Melbourne households with high evening energy consumption and time-of-use electricity tariffs.
What is the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) program?
The VEU program provides discounts on energy-efficient products including heat pump hot water systems, air conditioning, insulation, and LED lighting. Unlike the Solar Homes rebates, VEU discounts are applied at the point of sale through accredited providers — you don’t apply through a government portal. VEU discounts can stack with Solar Homes rebates for additional savings.
How much does a 6.6 kW solar system cost in Melbourne after rebates?
A quality 6.6 kW solar system in Melbourne typically costs $7,000–$10,000 before any incentives. After applying STCs (~$3,000–$3,500), the Solar Victoria rebate (up to $1,400), and the interest-free loan (up to $1,400), your upfront out-of-pocket cost could be as low as $700–$3,700, with loan repayments of approximately $29/month for 4 years.