Canberra has access to a lot of sunlight, throughout the region. That makes it an excellent location for those considering installing solar panels.
There has never been a better time to have a more sustainable home in Australia.
The ACT actually already hit 100 percent renewable electricity back in 2020 — one of the first jurisdictions in the world to do so — and has maintained that since.
The local government’s current focus is now on reaching net zero emissions by 2045, which means tackling gas use, transport, and other sources beyond just electricity.
To accelerate towards that future, the federal and local ACT governments have a raft of energy schemes, all designed to make going solar a financially lucrative option for homeowners and business owners.
We have covered the following government schemes (federal and state) that incentivize solar energy adoption:
As these programs have multiple conditions and rules regarding who can get them, and how, we’ve compiled an explainer for prospective or current homebuyers in the ACT region.
The goals of this program were as follows:
Financials for Sustainable Household Scheme
This scheme is scheduled to run till 2026. The loan is completely interest fee, and there are no processing fees either.
The limit for the loan starts from 2000 AUD, all the way up to AUD 15000, at which it becomes a commercial loan. This means the first 15000 AUD is completely interest-free, and you only have to pay interest after that.
Brighter has partnered with the ACT Government for financing. For loans that are under/over the limit, Brighter will handle everything.
What is covered under Sustainable Household Scheme?
This loan includes multiple sustainable energy systems, not limited to just solar energy.
Multiple spends can be accommodated within the ambit of this program. You can buy from the following options:
Solar energy has many benefits. During the day, all the required power is generated to run throughout the day.
The battery stores extra energy, that can be used when sunlight is not available such as at night, on overcast days, or at times of high demand in the local energy market, helping you save more, while being more sustainable.
In case of power outages, you are already secure with your energy needs, as solar does not depend on the local electricity grid.
It makes the grid less congested, easier to repair, and less prone to failure. Not only get you more savings, but also make the grid more resilient.
To incentivize battery storage system, the government has introduced this scheme.
Financials for NextGen Energy Storage Program
Started in 2016 with $25 million to finance battery installation across the ACT, it included small businesses as well as around 5000 residences.
For low-income households, the incentives can go up to 50 percent (maximum $2500) of the total cost.
The scheme includes training programs, and research grants in addition to the rebate. The ACT Government’s NextGen Energy Storage Program ran from 2016 to early 2023 and helped subsidise more than 5,000 home and business battery installations across Canberra before officially closing once it hit that target.
While NextGen is no longer accepting applications, ACT homeowners can still access battery savings through the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program, which currently discounts the upfront cost of an installed battery by around 30%.
Designed specifically for Veteran cardholders and Pensioners, this program can help you receive a $2,500 solar rebate.
There are two ways to get this scheme: simply as a rebate or rebate with an interest-free loan. You can review the latest rules and conditions of this program on the government website.
With solar, you can not just save, but also get a return on your investment. Unlike solar in NSW, ACT provides wider coverage and incentives.
Apart from all of these rebate schemes, you can earn through producing and supplying electricity to the grid.
ACT has a voluntary feed-in system where you can talk to an energy retailer and get paid to supply electricity to the grid.
In the ACT, this market is unregulated, which means the price per unit of electricity depends on the electricity retailers. You can shop around with different retailers to negotiate the best rate.
ABM Homes has years of building and installing sustainable measures on all our homes in the ACT region. Recently, we participated in a big pro-green project, the Whitlam Display Village in Canberra.
We developed 8-star EER compliant energy systems, a big part of which was solar. We understand solar, and we would love to help make your home more sustainable.
Reach out to us to find how much you can save using these energy schemes, or other ways team ABM can help make your home more sustainable.