Solar Rebates & Feed-in Tariffs

Federal Rebates

Since 1st January 2011 Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) are called Small-scale Technology Certificates or STCs.

Your solar, wind or hydro system is entitled to a number of STCs. Rainbow Power will offer you an up-front discount when you assign your STCs to us. Most people take this option.

Alternatively, you could create the STCs yourself once your system is installed and sell and transfer them via the REC Registry or through the STC Clearing House. In this case you will not receive a financial benefit for STCs from us.

The value of STCs fluctuate. Please visit the Clean Energy Regulator website for more information.

Solar Credits

Solar Credits is a mechanism which increases the number of STCs able to be created for eligible small-scale electricity systems (solar PV, wind and hydro) through the use of a multiplier.

Solar Credits apply to the first 1.5 kilowatts (kW) of capacity of grid-tie systems. If you install a stand alone system and are more than 1 km away from the grid OR connection to the grid would cost more than $30,000, you can claim Solar Credits for the first 20 kW.

Since 1 July 2012, the Solar Credits multiplier is '2' for small-scale systems. The multiplier will be phased out on 1 January 2013. Please note that our solar system calculators already disregard the multiplier as we are fully booked until the deadline.

Feed-in Tariff

Unfortunately, Australia does not have a national Feed-in Tariff (FiT).

NSW Rebates & Feed-in Tariffs

The NSW Solar Bonus Scheme (SBS) was discontinued by the O'Farrell Government in April 2011. Since then, feed-in tariffs are voluntary and the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) recommends a fair and reasonable feed-in tariff for NSW (using net-metering). Only a few retailers ever offered voluntary feed-in tariffs (mostly below IPART's recommendations) and in July 2012, these tariffs were reviewed as retailers are now required to contribute to the NSW Solar Bonus Scheme. See an overview of tariffs for both SBS and non-SBS customers.

Check out the Small Scale Renewable Energy Systems in NSW website for updates or ask our friendly staff.

If you want to compare electricity prices we recommend the compare energy retailers website from IPART.

QLD Rebates & Feed-in Tariffs

Queensland currently has a NET feed-in tariff of $0.08 per kW/h. To be eligible, your system must not exceed 5kW.

NET feed-in tariff means you are paid for any excess energy you produce.