Rebates of up to $2,800 per apartment (up to $140,000 per property) are now available until Tuesday 30 June 2027 or until all rebates are exhausted, whichever comes first.
Rebates are available for apartment buildings, strata townhouses and units under the control of an Owners Corporation and sharing a common property rooftop.
By adopting solar, an average household in a multi-unit development can save up to $500 a year on their energy bills.
New program changes announced in September 2026 to remove the property value cap and expand eligibility for larger apartment buildings will help more Victorians access solar and save on their energy bills.
Rebates are applied by your chosen retailer as a discount on your invoice to reduce your upfront costs. If you are a retailer, you can go to information for retailers.
The Solar for Apartments Program is jointly funded by the Victorian and Commonwealth governments.
New electrification and efficiency standards
The Victorian Government is taking action to ensure Victorian buildings are safer, more comfortable and healthier to be in, while driving down energy bills and cutting emissions.
From 1 January 2027, all new homes must be built all-electric. Existing homes from 1 March 2027 must also upgrade gas hot water systems with an efficient electric alternative, like a heat pump, as they reach end-of-life.
To understand how the changes apply to you, go to New electrification and efficiency standards and regulations.
Understand owners corporation eligibility
Rebates will be provided to Victorian Owners Corporations (OCs) with up to 50 occupiable lots*. To be eligible, your OC must:
- be a ‘tier three Owners Corporation’ or ‘tier four Owners Corporation’, as defined by the Owners Corporations Act 2006 (Vic) – this refers to OCs that consist of 3 to 50 occupiable lots and are not a ‘services only Owners Corporation’*
- not have previously received funding under the Solar for Apartments Program.
OCs should engage both owner-occupiers and owner-investors on the benefits of the program and encourage their participation.
Entities not eligible for funding include:
- individuals
- government agencies
- private sector businesses and agencies
- educational institutions
- local government authorities
- not for profit organisations.
Understand building eligibility
To be eligible, your building must:
- be no more than 8 storeys tall from ground level - *see ‘Changes to exemption cap lot eligibility’ below
- be a completed development at the time of application
- be classed under the National Construction Code as a Class 2 domestic building (e.g. an apartment complex) or a group of horizontally attached Class 1a buildings (e.g. townhouses or row units) – go to the Victorian Building Authority website for more information about building classes
- have not had a solar panel (PV) system installed in the last ten years (the OC may apply for funding to install solar PV for residential lots not already connected to an existing system)
- be located in the State of Victoria
- not be a retirement village, commercial building or owned by a local council, property developer or community housing organisation
- not be connected to an embedded network for its electricity supply.
Changes to exemption cap lot eligibility
Buildings that do no not meet the 8-storey requirement or have between 50 and 150 lots can now apply for an exemption if all other criteria are met.
To apply for an exemption, you must complete an exemption request form before you begin your application. Please email apartments@team.solar.vic.gov.au if you have any questions.
Eligible systems
Solar PV systems will be eligible for funding if they:
- supply power to a minimum of 5 residential lots, and no more than 50 lots
- demonstrate a payback period for the system and installation cost within 10 years (the payback period assessment is based on the total cost for supply and installation of the eligible system after any small-scale technology certificates have been applied and prior to application of the funding from the program)
- equitably share the cost saving benefits of the system among participating residents (residential buildings with commercial lots are eligible subject to demonstrating equitable sharing of system costs and benefits)
- for shared solar systems, limit the energy allocated to the building’s common area to 20% of power generated from the system
- directly supply power to residential lots behind the meter
- are installed on parts of the roof that are common property
- use products on Solar Victoria’s eligible product list and are installed by a Solar Victoria authorised solar retailer, unless otherwise expressly agreed to by Solar Victoria
- have grid connection pre-approval from the building’s Distributed Network Service Provider (DNSP).
OCs can propose solar panel (PV) systems that are most suited to the needs of their residents. Systems can be made up of individual systems directly connected to residential lots or a single large system coupled with solar sharing technology. We recommend systems that connect to all residential lots, including rentals.
In cases where energy is supplied to the building’s common area, it must not exceed the amount of energy available to each participating residential lot.
The solar panel (PV) system will not be eligible if it:
- is installed through a third-party Power Purchase Agreement
- exclusively provides energy to common areas of the property
- connects to apartments with an existing solar panel (PV) system that was installed in the last 10 years, or
- has already been installed.
Process for applying
If you think your OC and building are eligible, follow the step-by-step process:
Resources
Solar for your apartment: Making it happen
Useful information on what you need to know before contacting your Owners Corporation about installing solar for your apartment.
Solar systems for apartment buildings
Learn more about the different types of solar systems eligible for apartments.
What to know about solar sharing technology
Solar sharing technology allows electricity generated through solar to be equitably and safely distributed to participating apartments.
Does your apartment building need a solar champion?
Hear from apartment residents on how they rallied their Owners Corporation to install solar.
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