Victorian Solar Homes Program 

The Solar Homes Program is helping Victorians save on their energy bills, tackle climate change, and build a cleaner, renewable future.

The Solar Homes Program is supporting eligible Victorian households to save even more. New and existing hot water customers can now apply for a solar panel PV rebate and loan and interest-free solar battery loan to save even more with solar.

Your local Solahart Dealer can assist you through the process of selecting the solar system best for you and applying for the rebate. 

Solar Panel Rebate Solar panel rebates of up to $1,400 plus the option of an interest-free loan are available for existing homes and homes under construction. 
Hot Water Rebate A hot water rebate of up to $1,000 is available on eligible heat pumps and solar hot water systems. 
Solar Battery Loan Interest-free loans of up to $8,800 solar battery loans to reduce the upfront cost of installing a battery, with repayments made over a four-year period. 

As a Victorian householder, you could receive a solar panel (PV) rebate if you meet the following criteria:

  • you are the owner-occupier of an existing property or the owner of a home under construction where the system is to be installed
  • the combined household taxable income of all owners is less than $210,000 per year
  • the property is valued at under $3 million, or a home under construction that will be valued at under $3 million at the time of completion
  • the property address has not previously received a solar panel (PV) rebate under the Solar Homes Program
  • the property has not had a solar panel (PV) system installed in the last ten years*

*If you are participating in the Premium Feed-in Tariff scheme, you should consider whether you will be better off if you replace your existing system before the scheme ends in November 2024.

As a Victorian householder, you could receive a hot water rebate if you meet the following criteria:

  • you are the owner-occupier of an existing property where the system is to be installed
  • the combined household taxable income of all owners is less than $210,000 per year
  • the property is valued at under $3 million
  • the property address has not previously received a hot water rebate or a solar battery rebate under the Solar Homes Program
  • the hot water system to be replaced is at least three years old from the date of purchase.

Householders cannot receive the same Solar Homes rebate more than once. For example, if a householder has previously received a hot water rebate, they cannot receive another hot water rebate for the same property.

As a Victorian householder, you could be eligible for a solar battery loan if you meet the following eligibility criteria:

  • you are the owner-occupier of an existing property where the system is to be installed
  • the combined household taxable income of all owners is less than $210,000 per year
  • the property is valued at under $3 million
  • the property address has not previously received a solar battery rebate
  • the property has a solar panel system with an inverter capacity equal to or greater than 5kW,or will have one installed in conjunction with the solar battery installation.
  • the energy storage solution has a capacity equal to or greater than 6kWh and is listed on Solar Victoria’s battery product list and the property does not have an existing energy storage system.
  • pre-approval is obtained from your Distributed Network Service Provider (DNSP) to safely connect a battery to the grid
  • the owner/s agrees to receive information from their Distribution Network Service Provider about taking part in battery trials to maximise the value households get from them.

The solar battery loan is not available to homes under construction.

Victorian Solar Homes Solar Rebate

To find out how to claim the Victorian Solar Homes solar rebate, or to get an in-home solar assessment, just fill in your details or call 1300 721 984.

The following errors were found:

The hot water rebate will cover up to 50 per cent of the cost of a hot water system with properties eligible for a rebate of up to $1000.

All hot water installations must be completed by an authorised hot water retailer. Retailers must:

  • ensure plumbing work is undertaken by an appropriately licensed plumber and that a Plumbing Certificate of Compliance is supplied to the householder
  • ensure any electrical work is undertaken by an electrician that holds a current Class A Electrical Licence issued by Energy Safe Victoria and that a Certificate of Electrical Safety, certified by a licensed inspector registered with Energy Safe Victoria, is supplied to the householder
  • provide a minimum five years’ warranty on all major components of your solar hot water system.

No, you can install any system on the Hot Water Approved Products list.

This means that households that have no available or suitable roof space to install PV or solar hot water, such as apartments and townhouses, will still be able to access the program to install a heat pump hot water system.

No, owner-occupier households that have received a hot water rebate cannot apply for a solar battery rebate.

No, only owner-occupier households are eligible for a hot water rebate.

No. If you have already installed a solar system, you will not be able to claim a rebate after installation. 

Yes. If you have moved house, you can apply for a hot water rebate, solar PV rebate and loan and a battery loan as the owner-occupier of the property you have moved to.

No, the Victorian Government has said it will provide a rebate on the cost of solar panel (PV) systems, up to a maximum rebate value. You will need to speak to your Solahart dealeer to ensure the size of your system meets any other restrictions that may be in place.