Commercial solar rebates in Australia

Yes. The regulations have been made, and solar systems from 100kW to 1MW installed from 1 October 2026 can now claim small-scale technology certificates (STCs), the upfront rebate, under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme. Mid-scale systems get a fixed five-year deeming period. The Clean Energy Regulator expects applications for these systems to open in mid to late November 2026, and systems installed from 1 October can apply once they do. When the change was announced, the government estimated around 20 per cent off the install, about $68,000 on a 250kW system and $136,000 on a 500kW system.

No, nothing was withdrawn. If your system is under 100kW the rebate works the same way it did before, and the expansion simply extends the same support up to 1MW. The only thing that reduces is the certificate count, which steps down each January until the scheme ends in 2030, and that has always been the case.

The main one is the federal STC rebate, applied as an upfront discount on your install. Since 1 October 2026 it covers solar systems up to 1MW, not just up to 100kW. Businesses adding battery storage from 5kWh to 100kWh can also access the Cheaper Home Batteries Program discount. On the tax side, the cost may be claimed through the instant asset write-off or depreciation. Queensland does not currently run a separate state solar rebate.

It depends on the system size, your STC zone and the certificate market price on the day. The Gold Coast sits in STC Zone 3. As an indicative guide, a 30kW system is commonly worth several thousand dollars off the install, and a system close to 100kW can be worth tens of thousands. We show the exact certificate value on your written quote, not an estimate.

The STC scheme winds down gradually and ends in 2030. The number of certificates a system earns is based on the years left until then, so it steps down a little every January. The same system installed this year earns more certificates than it would next year, which is why earlier installs capture more of the rebate.

You may. The federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program supports eligible battery systems from 5kWh up to 100kWh for households, small business and community sites, worth roughly 30% off the upfront cost. Since May 2026 the support is tiered by capacity, with the strongest factors on the first portion of the battery and reduced factors above that. We confirm the eligible amount when we quote.

STCs come off your price upfront as a discount. Since 1 October 2026 they apply to solar systems up to 1MW, up from 100kW, so most commercial rooftops now take the upfront discount. Before that, systems over 100kW earned Large-scale Generation Certificates each year based on how much power they generated, which is ongoing income rather than an upfront rebate. A mid-scale system that takes STCs cannot also create REGO certificates (the government's renewable electricity guarantee of origin) for its five-year deeming period. We will tell you which option suits your system before you commit.

Often yes, and the tax benefit stacks on top of the certificate rebate. Depending on your aggregated turnover the net cost may be eligible for the instant asset write-off, or claimed through depreciation over time. We are not accountants, so we provide the documentation and you confirm the treatment with your tax adviser.