How is the STC rebate worked out?

kW × zone rating (1.185 in Melbourne) × deeming years (5 for 2026), rounded down, × the STC price (≈$40).

Do I have to claim the STCs myself?

You assign STCs to the installer at the point of sale; advertised prices already include the discount, so it must not be subtracted again.

Is there a battery rebate?

Yes — the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program discounts VPP-capable batteries via STCs; state-specific schemes are listed above with current status.

Why does the rebate shrink each year?

Deeming counts the years left to the 2030 scheme end — 5 years for a 2026 install, one fewer each January.

Solar rebates in Victoria — 2026–27

STC Zone 4 (Melbourne) · 2026 install, 5 deeming years

≈$1,556 off a 6.6 kW system (39 STCs at $40)

Applied at the point of sale by your installer — advertised prices already include it. STC spot price as at 10 July 2026.

Formula: kW × 1.185 zone rating × 5 years, rounded down, × certificate price

STC discount by system size — Melbourne (Zone 4), installed 2026
System size	STCs	Discount value
6.6 kW	39	$1,556
8 kW	47	$1,875
10 kW	59	$2,354
13.3 kW	78	$3,112

VIC state schemes

State scheme status, verified 17 July 2026 — closed schemes stay listed as closed
Scheme	Type	Status	Amount
Solar Victoria solar panel (PV) rebate	solar	active	Up to $1,400 (plus an optional matching interest-free loan)
Solar Victoria hot water rebate	hot water	active	Up to $1,400 for locally-made products ($1,000 otherwise)
Solar Victoria battery loan	battery	closed	Closed to new applications (May 2025) — Victorian battery support is now the federal program only

Solar Victoria solar panel (PV) rebate — key eligibility

Combined household taxable income under $150,000 (lowered from $210,000 on 1 July 2026)
Owner-occupier or eligible rental; property value cap applies
No Solar Homes PV rebate previously received at the property

Solar Victoria hot water rebate — key eligibility

Same $150,000 combined-income cap
Heat-pump or solar hot water on the approved product list

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. Melbourne is STC Zone 4 (rating 1.185), a 2026 install deems 5 years, and certificates trade near $40 — so 6.6 kW → 39 STCs ≈ $1,556. 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). VIC-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.

Sources — figures current as at 17 July 2026.

Clean Energy Regulator — STC calculation & zone ratingsverified
Ecovantage certificate market update (REC Registry spot)cross-checked
CER — Cheaper Home Batteries Programverified
Solar Victoria — solar panel rebateverified
Solar Victoria — hot water rebateverified
Solar Victoria — battery loanverified

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.