Solar for Apartments: Rebates for Victorian Residents
Generating electricity from the sun on your building’s roof is now easy and affordable, as the solar for apartments program helps you and all your residents benefit together. Using this program allows each unit to use electricity at a lower cost, reducing bills at the end of the month and making the family budget easier. This not only saves money but also provides an opportunity to protect the environment. When the entire building participates together, everyone benefits together, and future energy use is better. Once you apply, you can easily enjoy this benefit.
Understand the owner's corporation eligibility
If your Owners Corporation (OC) is located in Victoria and wants to take advantage of the solar for apartments program, you must first make sure that your OC is eligible for the program. Eligibility means that your OC can easily apply, all participating residents will receive equal benefits, and the program rules will be followed.
Eligibility Requirements of Solar for Apartment Rebates in victoria
- Your OC must be a ‘tier three’ or ‘tier four’, consisting of 3 to 50 habitable lots, and not a ‘services only Owners Corporation’.
- You must not have previously received any funding from the solar for apartments Program.
- The OC should explain the benefits of the program to both owner-occupiers and owner-occupiers and ensure their participation.
Organizations not eligible for Solar For apartments in victoria
- Individuals
- Government agencies
- Private sector businesses and agencies
- Educational institutions
- Local government authorities
- Not-for-profit organisations
Finally: If your OC meets these criteria, you can easily apply for the solar for apartments program and help reduce the electricity costs of the entire building. Once you take advantage of it, everyone benefits together and ensures future energy savings.
Understand building eligibility
If you want to install solar power in your building and participate in the solar for apartments program, you must first make sure that your building is eligible for the program. Eligibility means that your building can easily benefit, all residents will benefit equally and all rules are followed.
To be eligible for solar for apartments, your building must
- The building must not exceed 8 storeys, from ground to top.
- It must be fully constructed at the time of application.
- It must be a Class 2 domestic building (such as an apartment complex) or a Class 1a building (such as a townhouse or row unit) under the National Construction Code.
- The median value of the building must not exceed $950,000.
- No solar panels (PV) have been installed in the last 10 years.
- It must be located within the state of Victoria.
- It must not be a retirement village, commercial building or owned by a local council/property developer/community housing.
- The building must not be connected to an embedded network.
Exemptions: If your building falls between 50 and 100 lots or is more than 8 storeys high and meets other eligibility criteria, please contact Eco Aspire Energy before you start your application.
If your building meets these eligibility criteria, you can easily apply and your entire building will benefit from the solar for apartments program. This ensures lower electricity bills and more efficient energy use for you and all residents, so get your building verified now and get ready to take advantage.
Eligible Solar PV Systems
If your building wishes to participate in the solar for apartments program, the solar panel (PV) systems installed must meet certain conditions, so that all residents receive fair benefits and the system is sustainable in the long term.
Solar for Apartments Rebates for Victorian
The solar for apartments program in Victoria offers you the opportunity to receive a rebate of up to $2,800 per apartment (maximum $1,400,000 per property, up to 50 apartments). It helps Owners Corporations install shared solar panels on the roofs of their apartment buildings or townhouses. This program can provide direct power to each unit and is available to apply until April 30, 2026, or until funds run out.
Eligible System Requirements
- The system must provide electricity for a minimum of 5 residential units and a maximum of 50 units.
- The system and installation costs must be able to be recovered within 10 years, so that the investment is economically sound.
- The costs and savings will be shared equally between participating residents.
- In the case of a shared system, the common area electricity supply will not exceed the equal share of each unit.
- The system will supply electricity directly to the meter of each residential unit.
- The system will be installed on the common roof of the building.
- The products used will be from Solar Victoria’s approved product list and will be installed by an approved retailer.
If connecting or exporting electricity to the grid, the building must have a Distributed Network Service Provider (DNSP) approval.
System Types
- OCs can propose systems based on the needs of the residents.
- The system can be a system of multiple small units or a large system that uses solar sharing technology.
- It is best to connect all residential units, even rental units.
- If electricity is supplied to the common area, it will not exceed an equal share of each participating unit.
Ineligible Systems
- Systems installed through a third-party Power Purchase Agreement
- Systems supplying electricity to the common area only
- Systems connected to systems already installed in the last 10 years
- Systems already installed
If your system meets these requirements, the entire building will benefit together, everyone will collectively reduce their electricity costs and future energy use will be more affordable. This ensures that the solar for apartments program will be fair and beneficial to all residents of your building.
How it works
Rebate amount
Up to A$2,800 per apartment is eligible for a rebate, and up to a maximum of A$1,400,000 for all apartments combined, allowing residents to easily reduce their electricity costs and benefit all together.
System Type
You can install multiple individual systems or install one large system that uses solar sharing technology and supplies power only to participating residential units so that each resident benefits in their own unit and everyone benefits together.
Application process
The Ownership Company (OC) applies directly and the rebate is paid directly to the retailer, reducing the final bill and the cost of a new solar system for residents, making it easy for everyone to participate and benefit.
How to Apply for solar for apartments
To learn more about this program and find out how to apply, you can visit Solar Victoria , where all the information is clearly laid out and explained step by step so that anyone can easily understand. This initiative is a joint effort between the Victorian Government and the Australian Government, so that ordinary people can benefit together and feel comfortable using electricity.
The Solar for Apartments program transforms your building into a place where all residents can use electricity at low cost, protect the environment, and experience peace and savings in their daily lives.
Round 3 Open - Share the Solar Benefits and Save Together
The solar for apartment program helps all residents in your building benefit together so that each unit can use electricity at a lower cost, and the bill is much lower at the end of the month, making the family budget easier and everyone happy. This program is easy to use, environmentally friendly, and fair to all residents. It is a joint venture between the Victorian and Australian governments, making it reliable and safe. Using solar energy from your building roof can help you protect the environment and bring convenience to your daily life. Apply once and ensure benefits for all.
Learn more about solar rebates & incentives available in Victoria.
FAQs
What is solar for apartments programme and who is it beneficial for?
The “Solar for Apartments” program is a government initiative that is currently in operation in some Australian states, such as ACT, NSW and Victoria. The program provides financial incentives, such as grants or interest-free loans, to apartment buildings to install shared solar panel systems on their roofs. The main objective is to increase the use of solar energy in multi-unit housing, as it has previously been difficult to use solar in such buildings. It ensures that all residents, even tenants, have easy access to this benefit.
Who can apply for this rebate?
The building’s Owners Corporation can apply for this rebate, so that the entire building gets this benefit together.
Can a regular resident apply directly?
Even if a regular resident does not apply directly, he can start the application by talking to his building’s owner’s company.
Can renters benefit from the solar for apartments program?
Renters are generally not eligible for benefits that are only available to homeowners, such as home equity building, property tax breaks, or some government housing grants. However, they may be eligible for reduced utility bills and, if there are special assistance programs, they may also be eligible.
How is the rebate money paid in the solar for apartments programme?
In Victoria’s solar for apartments program, the rebate money is paid directly to the approved solar retailer, not to the apartment owner or Owners Corporation, and is calculated as a rebate before the total bill. The Owners Corporation is responsible for paying the remaining amount to the retailer after the installation is complete.
How many rooms in a building can get this benefit?
Typically, 5 to 50 homes in a building can receive this benefit together.
Can I apply if I already have a rooftop solar system?
If a new solar system has been installed in the last 10 years, this rebate is usually not available.
Is the electricity shared among everyone in this system?
Yes, in this system, the electricity is shared fairly among everyone, so that no one gets more and no one gets less.
Does it take a lot of paperwork to apply?
The application requires some simple information, which the property management company can easily collect.
Why is this program so important?
This program is important because it reduces people’s electricity costs, keeps the environment healthy, and gives everyone the opportunity to benefit together.
[Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only. While efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, the author makes no guarantees regarding completeness or correctness. Please consult a qualified battery and solar installer to ensure that the information is current, accurate, and compliant with applicable regulations in your jurisdiction.]