Solar rebates in South Australia — 2026–27
STC Zone 3 (Adelaide) · 2026 install, 5 deeming years
Applied at the point of sale by your installer — advertised prices already include it. STC spot price as at 10 July 2026.
Formula: kW × 1.382 zone rating × 5 years, rounded down, × certificate price
| System size | STCs | Discount value |
|---|---|---|
| 6.6 kW | 45 | $1,796 |
| 8 kW | 55 | $2,195 |
| 10 kW | 69 | $2,753 |
| 13.3 kW | 91 | $3,631 |
SA state schemes
| Scheme | Type | Status | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home Battery Scheme | battery | closed | Closed to new applications (September 2022; funding wound down) |
| REPS VPP incentive | battery | active | Up to ~$2,050 via participating retailers for connecting an approved battery to a VPP (retailer-delivered figure); City of Adelaide residents may add a ~$1,000 council bonus |
REPS VPP incentive — key eligibility
- Approved battery connected to an approved Virtual Power Plant
- Delivered through a participating retailer under the Retailer Energy Productivity Scheme
The federal battery discount
The Cheaper Home Batteries Program — Federal battery discount (from 1 July 2025) — STCs at 6.8 per kWh of usable capacity (rate from 1 May 2026) on the first 14 kWh, tapering above, roughly 30% off an eligible battery. Battery must be VPP-capable, 5–100 kWh, installed with new or existing solar. Not means-tested. Stacks with state schemes.
Frequently asked questions
- How is the STC rebate worked out?
- System kW × your postcode's zone rating × the deeming period, rounded down, × the certificate price. Adelaide is STC Zone 3 (rating 1.382), a 2026 install deems 5 years, and certificates trade near $40 — so 6.6 kW → 45 STCs ≈ $1,796. The discount shrinks every 1 January as deeming steps down to the scheme's 2030 end.
- Do I have to claim the STCs myself?
- Almost never — you assign them to the installer at the point of sale and the quoted price already includes the discount. That's why our payback calculator defaults to "price already includes the STC discount" — subtracting it again would double count.
- Is there a battery rebate?
- Federally, yes — the Cheaper Home Batteries Program discounts a VPP-capable battery via STCs (the factor steps down over time; it's not means-tested and stacks with state schemes). SA-specific battery support is shown in the table above with its current status.
- Why does the rebate shrink each year?
- The scheme ends in 2030 and certificates are "deemed" on remaining years: install in 2026 and you get 5 years' worth; wait a year and it's 4. All else equal, the same system earns fewer certificates every January.
Related
- Is solar worth it in SA?
- SA feed-in tariff
- SA electricity prices
- NSW rebates
- VIC rebates
- QLD rebates
- WA rebates
- Clean Energy Regulator — STC calculation & zone ratingsverified
- Ecovantage certificate market update (REC Registry spot)cross-checked
- CER — Cheaper Home Batteries Programverified
- SA Department for Energy and Mining — HBS closedverified
- SA Department for Energy and Miningcross-checked
Scheme status churns on political timelines — every scheme above carries a verified date and is re-checked quarterly. The STC price floats daily; the value shown uses the latest verified spot.