STC Solar Rebates: Small Scale Technology Certificates – 2024

Energy & Telecom SEO Specialist

Updated on 16/11/2023

min reading

The Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme is an Australian government incentive for households and small businesses to install renewable energy systems (like solar panels, for example). The goal is to motivate Aussies to use green energy sources and contribute towards a sustainable energy market in Australia. If that is not great in and of itself, you can get solar rebates too! Read on to learn how with our STC calculator.

Small-Scale Technology Certificates (STCs)STCs are government-regulated certificates that you can claim whenever you install small-scale renewable energy systems. They work like credits that you can trade or sell for either discounts or money in a stock-like market.

Depending on the small-scale renewable energy systems you have installed and other factors like where you live or when you have installed them, you can claim more STCs, which is why an STC calculator like the one we have below comes in handy!

STC Calculator Tool

Check how many solar STCs you can receive with our Solar STC calculator. Use the STC calculator below to simulate how many STCs you could be eligible for depending on your system size and solar zone.

Solar_STC_Calculator_v2

Enter the KW of your solar PV system (from 1.0 - 100.0)*

Select the year of installation for your system:*

Enter Zip code of your address*

Depending on the type of system you have, its wattage, and the zone you live in, you will be allotted a different amount of STCs. You will need to know your zone to be able to apply for your STCs.

Here is a map of the solar zones in Australia:

Australia is divided into four solar zones:
Zone 1 (from Darwin down to Brisbane across the northeast)
Zone 2 (which includes parts of the Northern Territory, Western Australia, and into New South Wales)
Zone 3 (Perth and across to Brisbane and down to Canberra)
Zone 4 (The southern coast and Tasmania)

STC Calculator Frequently Asked Questions

How does the STC calculator work?

The amount of STCs you can receive depends on several factors including the size of your system, where you live, and when your system is installed.

The STC solar rebate calculator takes into account all of these factors to give you an idea of how many solar STC certificates you can receive depending on your specific criteria.

STCs are calculated using: Kilowattage of your Solar PV system x Your Solar Zone Rating x Your Deeming Period.

As mentioned above, your Solar Zone Rating depends on where you live (see the solar zone map above). The deeming period depends on when your system was installed. Our STC calculator takes all of these variables and gives you an approximation of how many STCs you can receive depending on your parameters.

Why do you need my postcode to calculate STCs?

The STC calculator uses your postcode to identify which solar zone your home falls under. By entering your postcode, the solar rebate calculator is able to find your Solar Zone Rating, which is a variable used to calculate how many STC certificates you can receive.

Why does the STC calculator ask for my year of installation?

You must enter the year of installation for your solar panel system because the STC grant only runs until 2030. Year-by-year until 2030, the number of STCs offered will decrease. Therefore, the STC calculator asks when your system was installed so we can calculate how long you will be able to receive STCs, and thus how many you can receive.

How many STCs am I entitled to?

Households and businesses with solar PV systems under100kWh can receive STCs however the amount of STCs available to you depends on the following factors:

The size of the system (number of panels x wattage of each panel)
The number of years until the STC scheme is phased out (also known as a deeming period)
The rating of the solar zone you reside in

If you have a solar hot water system you can use the following STC calculator to check your STC allowance. Use the following STC calculator for solar hot water systems.

STC Solar Rebate Overview

There is an Australian government solar rebate offered by the national government called the Small Scale Renewable Energy Scheme.

This scheme uses a system of renewable energy certificates (small-scale technology certificates or STC) that are issued to small-scale renewable energy generators, such as homeowners with solar panel systems.

Put simply the certificates, called STCs, can be traded in exchange for money that works as a solar rebate to reduce the upfront cost of installing your solar panel system.

STCs are available for small-scale and residential Solar PV systems, wind energy systems and hydropower systems. However, solar energy is the most popular form of residential renewable energy system in Australia.

Apart from this federal government solar rebate, there are several smaller government solar rebates depending on the state in which you live. In this article, we will cover both forms of solar rebates.

How Do STCs Work?

If you install a solar PV system at your property in Australia, you are eligible to claim certificates known as STCs.

STCs are allowed to be sold to generate extra income to help you pay off the high cost of buying solar panels.

In Australia, all energy providers that offer renewable energy must prove that the renewable energy they sell came from a renewable energy generation source.

As a solar panel owner, you are considered a "small-scale energy generator" of renewable energy. This means that the energy your solar panels generate and send back to the electricity grid qualify you to sell STC's as proof of the green energy you generate. Therefore, you can sell your STC's to energy companies and recoup part of the cost for installing solar panels at your property.

However, it's important to remember to apply for your STC's when your system is installed, as STCs must be created within 12 months of your system installation.

Need Energy Advice ?

Selectra's Energy Experts are Available To Help You Free of Charge

1300 560 964 Free Callback

(Free Selectra Service - Currently open)

Call center currently closed (free service - open Monday to Friday from 10am -7pm)

Speak to a Selectra Energy Expert About All Your Energy Needs !

Free Callback

How to Apply for STCs

You can apply for STCs on the REC website.

However, you must be the owner of the solar system or have been assigned the right to create STCs on behalf of the owner.

Follow these steps to create STCs:

Make sure your system has been completely installed
Fill out the required documentation for applying for STCs
Check the deeming period & calculate how many certificates your system should receive. (The deeming period = 2030 - This year)
Calculate the correct amount of certificates the system is entitled to, with the correct deeming period, using an online STC calculator
Create or log into the Renewable Energy Certificate Registry (REC) as a “registered person” or “registered agent”
Apply for the certificates via the REC platform

STC Price Information

STC prices work similarly to the stock exchange.

The daily STC price fluctuates and depends on the supply and demand at a specific moment in time.

Therefore, it's always best to check the STC spot price before trying to sell them to get an idea of how much your STCs are worth.

So, How Much is The STC Rebate?

You can check the current STCs price here, but from January 2022 - July 2022 the STC rebate is hovering at $39 - $40 per STC.

How to Sell STCs

You can sell STCs to individual buyers (energy retailers) through an open market at a price you negotiate or through a system called the STC Clearing House.

The STC Clearing House acts as a broker for you and sells each certificate at a fixed STCs price of $40 (per certificate). If you choose to use the STC clearing house, your STCs will be added to a first-come-first-serve waiting list and will be sold according to demand. Once the certificates before yours are sold, then the STC Clearing House will sell yours.

You can also assign your STC vouchers to your solar retailer or installer for a point-of-sale discount when first purchasing their system. The discount will be assigned at the time of purchase Rather than needing to negotiate an STCs price through the open market or wait for a buyer at the STC Clearing House.

Currently, there is an influx of certificates, meaning the value is going down and is expected to continue to decrease until the STC scheme is phased out in 2030.

STCs prices have fluctuated since they were first created. Their lowest price was around $16 per certificate. However, they are capped at $40 per certificate in the STC Clearing House. Currently, their value on the open market hovers between $30 - $40 per certificate.

Need Energy Advice ?

Selectra's Energy Experts are Available to Help You Free of Charge

1300 560 964 Free Callback

(Free Selectra Service - Currently open)

Call center currently closed (free service - open Monday to Friday from 10am -7pm)

Speak To a Selectra Energy Expert About All Your Energy Needs !

Free Callback

Energy rebates and concessionsIf you need more immediate and ongoing help with your energy bills, there are a number of additional rebates and concessions available. Check out these one-off Emergency Energy Payments and concessions for pensioners, low-income households, and households with families.

Solar Rebates By State

We have several in-depth articles covering the specific solar rebates offered nationwide and in each state.

Select your state in the drop-down menu for a summary on the solar rebates of each state or click on the links in the list below to see the full guide regarding solar energy rebates in your area.

Solar Rebates in Victoria

There are 3 solar rebates in Victoria, with solar panel rebates for Victorian homeowners and renters, as well as solar rebates for hot water and solar heat pumps, and battery storage systems.

The 3 solar rebates offered in Victoria are:

Solar Panels for homeowners and tenants
Solar rebate for hot water and solar heat pumps
Solar rebate for battery storage VIC

Solar Rebates in New South Wales

Currently, over 20% of households in New South Wales benefit from solar energy.

If you’re interested in adding a solar PV system to your home or a solar battery to an existing system, there are a few solar rebates in New South Wales available to help reduce the cost and installation price of solar and renewable energy generators.

The 3 solar rebates offered in New South Wales are:

NSW home solar battery loan
Solar for low-income households
Empowering Homes Grant

You may want to consider other energy rebates in NSW like the NSW family energy rebate or the NSW low income household rebate.

Solar Rebates in Queensland

Currently, all solar rebates in Queensland are paused and closed to new applicants.

They may open back up in the future, so we've provided information about them below.

The 2 solar rebates offered in Queensland were:

Queensland government solar rebate for renters
Queensland solar grant and loan for solar panels and battery storage

Solar Rebates in South Australia

South Australia has a Home Battery Scheme that is available to residents of SA interested in adding solar battery storage to their homes. This grant is unique as it's also available to homeowners with existing solar PV systems.

The SA Home Battery Scheme is a three-step subsidy, and currently, the maximum amount available is $3,000 per battery installation.

Solar Rebates in ACT

There are two available solar energy programs available in the ACT:

Solar for Low-Income Households program
Next Generation Energy Storage program

The Solar for Low-Income program is available to ACT residents with valid Pensioner Concession Cards and offers a 50% rebate (up to $2,500) to eligible homeowners in the state.

If you don’t already have solar PV, and your household is assessed and shown to be viable for solar energy, you can contact Access Canberra by calling 13 22 88 or emailing [email protected] to register your interest. Even if you’re not sure, you can still contact Access Canberra for a no-obligation quote at no cost.

If you already have a solar PV system or are interested in both solar PV and a battery system, the ACT Government is offering 5,000 households a rebate of up to $825 per kW (up to 30kW) to go towards a new battery storage system.

To apply for the Next Generation Energy Storage program through the ACT government, you need to get in touch with one of the approved solar battery storage providers; Evergen, Solahart, or SolarHub.