Solar Rebate QLD: How to Benefit From Solar Energy in Queensland

Solar energy is big in Queensland. With over 30% of all households in the state benefiting from solar energy generation, you might be wondering how you can get the most from solar panels installed on your roof. You can discover more below about solar energy in Queensland, as well as QLD government solar rebates and the best solar feed-in-tariff for the state, to help you decide if solar energy is right for you.

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Government solar rebate QLD and STC price

The Queensland government has, in recent years, reduced the number of solar energy rebates and initiatives to assist Queensland homes with installing solar PV systems. Currently, there is only one Queensland gov solar rebate initiative to help homeowners access residential solar panels.

The Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme, available to all residents, gives Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs) for the solar panels you purchase which can reduce the total cost of a residential solar panel system by 30-40%, or by $2,670 to $3,380 off the total cost of a 5kW system, for example.

STC PriceThe price of Small-scale Technology Certificates relies on supply and demand. However, the STC price is usually around $40 per certificate.

STCs represent the total amount of electricity a solar PV system would generate over its lifetime, offsetting what would otherwise be drawn from the grid. Bigger solar PV systems which generate more electricity, for example, will get you more STCs.

While it is possible to independently trade these Small-Scale Technology Certificates, it’s easier to assign the STC price to your solar panel installer who will be able to give you an immediate point-of-sale discount upfront.

QLD government solar rebate for renters

While the trial is now closed for new applicants, the Queensland solar rebate for renters was a trial program designed to assist landlords and tenants install solar PV systems onto rental properties in parts of Queensland. During this trial, 1,000 government solar rebates of up to $3,500 were made available to eligible landlords in order to install a solar system onto their property. If you were part of the QLD solar panel rebate for renters scheme, and want to find out more about the status of your application, you can call 1800 623 946.

QLD solar grant and loan for solar panels and battery storage

The Queensland government solar grant and loan program was designed to help households install solar panels and solar battery storage onto their house. This program, now closed to new applicants, was divided into three packages for either a loan for solar systems, loans and grants for battery systems, or loans and grants for a combined solar and battery system.

Best solar feed-in-tariff QLD

Even though there aren’t as many government solar rebates in Queensland, that doesn’t mean you can’t benefit from solar energy. If you purchase solar panels in Queensland, you’ll have access to the solar feed-in-tariff. With a solar feed-in-tariff, any excess energy you generate and send back into the grid will be paid for by your energy provider.

Solar feed-in-tariffs vary widely in Queensland, ranging from providers offering no solar feed-in-tariff at all, to offering up to 17c/kWh or more. Here you can find the minimum solar FiT and maximum solar FiT for a selection of top energy providers in Queensland, to help you decide whether a solar PV system would be beneficial for you.

It’s most often the case that energy providers in Queensland will offer a higher solar feed-in-tariff in exchange for a lower discount off the reference price on their energy plans. Choosing whether you want a high solar feed-in-tariff but lower discount, or a high discount but lower solar feed-in-tariff, depends on a number of factors including your lifestyle and the size of your solar PV system.

Queensland Solar Bonus Scheme

While closed to new customers, the Queensland Solar Bonus Scheme offered a 44c/kWh feed-in-tariff to residential customers with eligible solar PV systems. For those who are currently benefiting from the Solar Bonus Scheme, however, these rates will be applicable until 1 July 2028. It’s important to note that there are a number of ways you could lose eligibility for the Queensland Solar Bonus Scheme if you are already benefiting from it. These include:

• Changes to the account holder information for the property, such as through moving or renting (except adding or transferring a spouse onto your account)
• Replacing your inverter with a larger inverter, or adding extra capacity which exceeds your current inverters capacity
• Being disconnected from your electricity for failure to pay your bill or breach of contract

Best solar energy plans and providers in Queensland

If you’ve decided you would benefit more from a high feed-in-tariff, rather than choosing the cheapest energy plan in Queensland, you can find descriptions of some of the highest feed-in-tariffs in Queensland below.

ReAmped Energy

ReAmped Energy offers their ReAmped Solar plan with their best solar feed-in-tariff to customers in Queensland. With ReAmped solar, customers have the option of fortnightly or monthly bill payment through direct debit, and will benefit from 24/7 online billing and communication.

Diamond Energy

Diamond Energy is one of the greenest energy providers in Australia, with a strong focus on solar energy both through large-scale generation and by offering support to households with residential solar PV systems. While they offer a generous 12c/kWh solar feed-in-tariff to all solar energy customers, those who have a compatible solar battery storage system can also benefit from the Diamond Energy GridCredit100 program.

With Diamond Energy GridCredits100, there will occasionally be times when Diamond Energy can pay you up to 100c/kWh for the solar energy you export back into the grid. In order to be eligible for GridCredits100, you’ll need to have a Reposit Box installed onto your system. When a Grid Credit Event is activated, due to extremely high wholesale electricity prices, the Reposit Box will discharge all stored energy from your battery back into the grid at 100c/kWh.

If you’re already a Diamond Energy customer with solar power including a solar battery, there’s no reason not to be signed up for GridCredit100. However, due to the unpredictability of the electricity grid, your savings here are not guaranteed. Those with larger solar storage systems will benefit more, but the exact amounts vary.

Red Energy

Red Energy offers two plans with a higher solar feed-in-tariff. Red Energy Living Energy Saver, and Red Energy Qantas Red Saver. Both plans offer the same rates, discounts, and solar feed-in-tariff, but Qantas members will earn an additional 10,000 bonus Qantas points when signing up for an electricity plan, plus an additional 2 points for every $1 on their energy bill when it's paid on time.

Solar energy and solar panel costs in Queensland

As stated, in recent years, the Queensland government has been reducing the number of government solar rebates and solar energy initiatives available to residents. However, that doesn’t mean the number of solar panels being installed in Queensland is in decline. Over 600,000 homes currently have solar panels installed, with a total generating capacity of over 3.05GW.

If you’re interested in a solar system in QLD, a 5kW solar system price for Brisbane, Queensland is approximately $4,360 with solar rebates included, according to Solar Choice. Including a solar battery, however, the cost of a 5kW solar system in Brisbane could run you up to $17,750 in total.