There’s a lot to love about NSW; beautiful beaches, iconic destinations, and the incredible sunny weather that makes it ideal for solar!
If you’re planning on getting solar in NSW, you need targeted info. That’s why we’re making it super easy for you to learn about the various solar rebates in NSW.
On this page we cover:
- All the State Government solar rebates NSW has on offer
- The Federal Gov STC incentive
- NSW solar feed-in tariffs
It’s all the info you need to snap up every available solar rebate in NSW, so you get a winning deal on your system!
State Government Solar Rebates in NSW
Rebate Swap for Solar and Energy Efficient Upgrades
If you’re a NSW resident and currently receiving the Low Income Household Rebate (LIHR), you might be eligible to receive a free, fully installed, 3kW solar system from the NSW Government.
To access this solar rebate, NSW residents will generally need to trade in the $285 annual credit they receive on their energy bills through the LIHR in exchange for the new system, or other energy efficient upgrades.
What you qualify for depends on your living situation.
For homeowners
If you’re a homeowner-occupier you should qualify for a free 3kW solar system, but you’ll need to meet the following criteria:
- Currently receive the Low Income Household Rebate
- Agree to not receive the rebate for 10 years
- Hold a valid concession card
- Own and live in your own home
- Not already have a solar system
The offer is available to most of Greater Sydney and select regional postcodes.
Click here to check if your postcode can access this solar rebate. More NSW postcodes will become available in the future.
For households not suitable for solar
If you receive the Low Income Household Rebate but don’t qualify for solar, you can still receive up to $4,000 toward energy efficient upgrades to your home after a free, no obligation energy assessment of your home.
Common upgrades include energy efficient:
- Washer and dryers
- Air-conditioners
- Hot water systems
- Window shading
- Draught sealing
To be eligible you’ll need to:
- Currently receive the Low Income Household Rebate
- Agree to not receive the rebate for 10 years
- Hold a valid concession card
- Not be eligible or suitable for the rebate swap for solar offer
Land and Housing Corporation tenants
Those living in Land and Housing Corporation (LAHC) properties will soon be able to access a free solar system install.
To be eligible you’ll need to:
- Live in a suitable LAHC property
- Currently receive the Low Income Household Rebate
- Agree to not receive the rebate while you remain a tenant at the property
- Hold a valid concession card
This offer opens soon.
Upgrade Your Hot Water System
If you’re thinking of upgrading to a solar hot water system or heat pump, then this rebate is for you.
Run as a part of the NSW Government’s Energy Saving Scheme, this offer is designed to make it easy to swap your old electric and gas hot water unit for a greener, more efficient model.
To access this solar rebate, NSW homeowners need to line up a couple of quotes from the list of approved suppliers. A minimum $30 (ex GST) co-payment is then made, after which your chosen supplier sends out a qualified electrician or plumber to install your system.
The more expensive the system the bigger the co-payment, and be prepared to pay for any additional plumbing or building works required to mount your system.
Federal Government Solar Incentive - STCs in NSW
State solar rebates are great, but in NSW they’re very targeted and aren’t available to everyone.
The main solar rebate for NSW homeowners shopping around for a system for their home is still the Federal Government STC incentive.
You may have heard this referred to as the ‘STC rebate’, but it’s really an incentive. Either way, it delivers a huge upfront discount to those installing solar in NSW.
The size of your system, the year you install and which of the 4 ‘STC zones’ you live in all affect how much you receive from this solar rebate. NSW mostly falls under zone 3.
Here is an example of the STC solar rebate you could expect if you live in or around Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour or Byron Bay:
Solar Battery Rebates for NSW
Read our dedicated Battery Rebates page for NSW to get all the latest info on available battery rebates & incentives in your area and find out how much you could save.
Solar Rebates NSW – STC Calculator
Want to work out your federal solar rebate in NSW? Try our Solar Calculator.
Just enter in your postcode to know:
- Estimated STC discount
- Predicted payback period
- Savings on your electricity bill with solar
NSW Solar Feed-in Tariffs
While it’s not a solar rebate, NSW homeowners can also receive feed-in tariffs (FiTs) to pump up their solar savings.
A FiT is a credit you receive on your bill from your electricity retailer in exchange for any excess solar energy fed back onto the grid.
In NSW, your FiT rate is set by your electricity retailer and can range from anywhere between $0.00 per kWh all the way up to $0.22 per kWh.
Current NSW solar feed-in tariffs are in the table below (double check each retailer’s website for specific T&Cs) or check out our main FiT page for even more info:
| RETAILER | MIN FiT | MAX FiT | * NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
| Actew AGL | 5.5c | 8.0c | |
| Amber Electric | No Fixed Amount | No Fixed Amount | |
| CovaU Energy | 5.5c | 5.5c | |
| Discover Energy | 0.0c | 10c | |
| Energy Australia | 5.0c | 5.0c | |
| Energy Locals | 3.0c | 7.0c | |
| Origin Energy | 9.0c | 12.0c* | For customers who install solar with Origin Preferred Partners |
| Red Energy | 5.0c | 5.0c | |
| Simply Energy | 8.0c | 8.0c* | Simply Energy Standard Feed-in Tariff. You might be entitled to a higher FiT depending your plan |
| RETAILER | MIN FiT | MAX FiT | * NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Energy | 1.5c | 5.0c* | Higher feed-in tariff is limited to the first 15kWh/day, 2.5c thereafter |
| AGL | 4.0c | 10.0c* | Higher feed-in tariff is limited to the first 10kWh/day, 4.0c thereafter |
| Alinta Energy | 4.0c | 10.0c* | Higher feed-in tariff is limited to the first 10kWh/day, 4.0c thereafter |
| CovaU Energy | 5.0c | 10.0c* | Higher feed-in tariff is limited to the first 15kWh/day |
| Diamond Energy | 0.0c | 5.2c | |
| Discover Energy | 0.0c | 10.0c | |
| Dodo | 3.5.c | 3.5c | |
| Energy Australia | 4.6c | 4.6c | |
| Energy Locals | 0.0c | 2.0c | |
| Ergon Energy | 12.377c | 12.377c | |
| Future X Power | 3.0c | 3.0c | |
| GEE Energy | 0.0c | 13.0c | |
| GloBird Energy | 1.0c | 11.0c* | Higher feed-in tariff is limited to the first 8kWh/day, 3.0c thereafter |
| Kogan Energy | 0.0c | 1.4c | |
| Momentum Energy | 0.0c | 2.9c | |
| Nectr | 0.0c | 0.0c | |
| Origin Energy | 4.0c | 10.0c* | For customers who install solar with Origin Preferred Partners |
| OVO Energy | 0.0c | 3.0c | |
| Powershop | 0.0c | 1.4c | |
| Red Energy | 1.0c | 8.0c | |
| Simply Energy | 5.5c | 5.5c* | Higher feed-in tariff is limited to the first 15kWh/day, 2.5c thereafter |
| Sumo | 1.0c | 6.0c* | High feed-in tariff is capped to the first 10kWh/Day, 4.0c thereafter |
| RETAILER | MIN FiT | MAX FiT | *NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Energy | 1.5c | 5.0c* | Higher feed-in tariff is limited to the first 15kWh/day, 2.5c thereafter |
| ActewAGL | 5.0c | 8.0c* | Higher feed-in tariff is limited to the first 10kWh/day, 6c thereafter |
| AGL | 5.0c | 10.0c* | Higher feed-in tariff is limited to 10c for the first 10kWh/day, 5c/kWh thereafter |
| Alinta Energy | 5.0c | 10.0c* | Higher feed-in tariff is limited to 10c for the first 10kWh/day |
| CovaU Energy | 5.5c | 5.5c | |
| Diamond Energy | 0.0c | 5.2c | |
| Discover Energy | 0.0c | 10.0c | |
| Dodo | 3.5c | 3.5c | |
| Energy Australia | 5.0c | 10.0c* | Higher feed-in tariff is limited to 12kWh/day, 5c/kWh thereafter |
| Energy Locals | 0.0c | 1.0c | |
| Future X Power | 3.0c | 3.0c | |
| Gee Energy | 0.0c | 14.0c | |
| GloBird Energy | 1.0c | 12.0c | Higher feed-in tariff is limited to 8kWh/day, 4c/kWh thereafter |
| Kogan Energy | 0.0c | 1.4c | |
| Momentum Energy | 0.0c | 5.0c | |
| Nectr | 0.0c | 0.0c | |
| Origin Energy | 5.0* | 10.0* | For customers who install solar with Origin Preferred Partners |
| OVO Energy | 0.0c | 3.0c | |
| Powershop | 0.0c | 1.4c | |
| Red Energy | 5.0c | 10.0c | Higher feed-in tariff is limited to the first 5kWh/day |
| Simply Energy | 5.5c | 5.5c* | Simply Energy Standard Feed-in Tariff. You might be entitled to a higher FiT depending your plan |
| Sumo | 1.0c | 8.1c | |
| Tango Energy | 0.0c | 0.0c |
| RETAILER | MIN FiT | MAX FiT | *NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacana Energy | 9.33c | 9.33c | |
| Rimfire Energy | 12.1c | 16.5c |
| RETAILER | MIN FiT | MAX FiT | *NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Energy | 1.5c | 1.5c | |
| AGL | 4.0c | 10.0c* | Higher feed-in tariff limited to first 10kWh/day, 4c/kWh thereafter |
| Alinta Energy | 4.0c | 10.0c* | Higher feed-in tariff is limited to first 10kWh/day |
| CovaU Energy | 0.0c | 5.5c | |
| Diamond Energy | 0.0c | 5.2c | |
| Discover Energy | 0.0c | 10.0c | |
| Dodo | 3.5c | 3.5c | |
| Energy Australia | 4.5c | 4.5c | |
| Energy Locals | 0.0c | 5.0c | |
| Future X Power | 3.0c | 3.0c | |
| GloBird Energy | 1.0c | 1.5c | |
| IO Energy | 0.0c | 33.0c* | 33c from 6pm-9pm only |
| Kogan Energy | 0.0c | 1.4c | |
| Lumo Energy | 3.0c | 4.5c | |
| Momentum Energy | 0.0c | 2.5c | |
| Nectr | 0.0c | 0.0c | |
| Origin Energy | 4.0c | 10.0c* | For customers who install solar with Origin Preferred Partners |
| OVO Energy | 0.0c | 2.0c | |
| Powershop | 0.0c | 1.4c | |
| Red Energy | 3.0c | 4.5c | |
| Simply Energy | 4.0c | 4.0c* | Simply Energy Standard Feed-in Tariff. You might be entitled to a higher FiT depending your plan |
| Tango Energy | 0.0c | 0.0c |
| RETAILER | MIN FiT | MAX FiT | *NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Energy | 8.9c | 10.0c | |
| Aurora Energy | 8.935c | 8.935c | |
| CovaU Energy | 8.9c | 10.9c | |
| Energy Locals | 8.9c | 8.9c |
| RETAILER | MIN FiT | MAX FiT | *NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Energy | 3.3c | 3.3c | |
| AGL | 3.3c | 10.0c* | Higher feed-in tariff for the first 10kWh/day, 3.3c/kWh thereafter |
| Alinta Energy | 3.3c | 10.0c* | Higher feed-in tariff for the first 10kWh/day |
| CovaU Energy | 4.9c | 4.9c | |
| Diamond Energy | 0.0c | 5.2c | |
| Discover Energy | 3.3c | 7.1c | |
| Dodo | 3.3c | 3.3c | |
| Energy Australia | 2.1c* | 8.4c** | Time of use FIT – off peak rate **Time of use FIT – peak rate. Standard FIT rate is 3.3c |
| Energy Locals | 3.3c | 5.0c | |
| GloBird Energy | 2.1c | 8.4c | |
| Kogan Energy | 3.3c | 3.3c | |
| Lumo Energy | 3.3c | 4.5c | |
| Momentum Energy | 3.3c | 6.0c | |
| Nectr | 3.3c | 3.3c | |
| Origin Energy | 3.3c | 7.0* | For customers who install solar with Orign Preferred Partners |
| OVO Energy | 3.3c | 3.3c | |
| Powershop | 3.3c | 3.7c | |
| Red Energy | 3.3c | 4.5c | |
| Simply Energy | 3.3c | 12.0c | Higher feed-in tariff for the first 8 kWh/day, 3.3 c/kWh thereafter |
| Sumo | 3.3c | 3.3c | |
| Tango Energy | 3.3c | 3.3c |
| RETAILER | MIN FiT | MAX FiT | *NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horizon Power | 3.0c | 10.0c* | Exports between 3pm and 9pm have a FiT of 10c; exports at other times earn 3c |
| Synergy | 2.0c | 10.0c** | Exports between 3pm and 9pm have a FiT of 10c; exports at other times earn 2c |
Feed-in tariff rates are ‘cents per kWh exported’
While it’s important to maximise your solar rebate, NSW homeowners wanting long term returns need an electricity deal with a FiT that will work for them.
Energy Market lets you compare electricity plans with FiTs online, and switch in minutes. It’s a dead easy way to make the most of the solar energy you export.
FAQs
Is the Government offering free solar panels in NSW?
Yes! If you’re currently a recipient of the Low Income Household Rebate you might be eligible to receive a free 3kW solar system for your home, courtesy of the NSW Government. Jump up to our main Rebate Swap for Solar and Energy Efficient Upgrades section to find out more about this generous solar rebate in NSW.
How much is the Federal solar rebate in NSW?
The Federal solar rebate in NSW will vary depending on your ‘zone’ location, the size of your solar system, when your system was installed and the value of STCs at that point in time. You can easily calculate how big your solar rebate will be using our Solar Calculator.
What are the current solar rebates in NSW?
Luckily for NSW residents, there are a few rebates available to reduce the cost of solar panels in NSW. These include the Rebate Swap for Solar and Energy Efficient Upgrades, Federal Government STC incentive , as well as the Upgrade Your Hot Water System rebate.
How do I apply for solar rebates in NSW?
The Federal STC solar panel rebate in NSW is applied when you install your solar system, as long as you get your system through a Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA) accredited installer who meets Australia’s Clean Energy Regulator (CER) requirements. Most installers will include this upfront discount into your solar quote and handle all the paperwork for you – phew!
To access the Rebate Swap for Solar and Energy Efficient Upgrades, residents can apply through the dedicated rebate NSW government website here.
If you’d like to make the most of the ‘Upgrade Your Hot Water System’ rebate, you will need to ensure you go through an Accredited Certificate Provider (ACPs). For a full list of ACPs, check the website here.
Why do I need a smart meter when I buy solar panels in NSW?
When you get solar panels in NSW you’re going to need to replace your traditional meter with a smart meter.
This is because your solar system both imports and exports electricity from the grid.
Quick, Lock In Your Solar Rebate! NSW Solar Installers Are Ready to Help Plan Your Solar System Right Now.
Now that you’re up to speed on solar rebates in NSW, it’s time to talk to an installer about getting your system!
Request 3 quotes from SAA accredited installers now and compare offers.
Rebates can save you heaps, but so does shopping around, so get to it!
Step 3
