- Published:
- Wednesday 28 October 2020 at 5:00 pm
Customer rebate applications that were approved prior 19 October 2020 will receive an additional 60 days on the installation timeframe.
Customer rebate applications approved from 19 October to 31 December 2020 will receive an additional 30 days on the installation timeframe.
The extension will be applied automatically, and customers or retailers won’t need to make a request.
The new expiry date for all applications will be reflected on the installations tab in the Solar Victoria retailer portal.
Please note: Retailer requests to further extend installation expiry dates cannot be accepted.
What’s going to happen?
Your customers who have an application due to expire in this timeframe have been notified and will be provided with a new QR code reflecting the extended expiry date by the end of next week.
When you have arranged the installation with your customer, the installer will be required to scan the new QR code on the day of installation.
Your installer will be required to download the new version of the Service Victoria app before they can scan your customer’s QR code at installation.
Complete your oldest applications first
Make sure you complete your oldest applications first – that is, those with the closest approaching expiry deadlines. This way, your customers who’ve been waiting the longest can start getting the benefits of clean, affordable energy.
You can sort your pending installations in the Solar Victoria Portal by date. See more at Organise installations by expiry date.
Please monitor installation due dates in the Portal and remember that new rebate work may overlap with existing pending installations.
Check your DNSP approval
We encourage you to check that your DNSP pre-approval for both solar PV and solar battery installations is still valid.
Some DNSP pre-approval is only available for a short time, and customers may be disappointed if they cannot connect to or export to the grid.
Workplace safety
Safety always comes first. While you may have a number of installations to complete, it’s important to maintain appropriate safety standards.
Everyone participating in the program must continue to meet their OHS obligations. We expect retailers to provide all necessary information, instruction, training and supervision to ensure Solar Homes installers work safely and without risks to health.
Please help make sites safe for workers and customers by continuing to prioritise mandatory safety training for your workers. Over 650 solar workers have now completed the training.
WorkSafe Victoria and Energy Safe Victoria inspectors will be increasing visits to solar worksites over the coming months.
To help maintain focus on safety and quality, Solar Victoria’s independent auditors will also be inspecting installations as soon as six weeks post-installation. You can see what they assess by downloading the PV audit checklist.
Remember that solar systems in Victoria must be independently tested at the time of installation and provided with a certificate of electrical safety to demonstrate compliance. A Certificate of Electrical Safety, certified by a licensed inspector registered with Energy Safe, must be provided.
And if you haven’t already, please also familiarise yourself with the new workplace manslaughter offences that came into effect on 1 July 2020.
Other important information
Approved products
Retailers must ensure products are eligible for the Solar Homes Program at the time of installation. You can update installed product details when you submit your request for payment through the Solar Victoria Portal.
Small-scale technology certificates
The value of small-scale technology certificates (STC) under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme is decreasing on 1 January 2021. As part of the payment claim process, Solar Victoria will be checking that the correct STC values aligned to the original quote have been applied to the customer invoice.
The Clean Energy Regulator will continue to apply additional scrutiny to STC claims for systems installed in Victoria and share information with relevant Victorian authorities such as Energy Safe Victoria, WorkSafe Victoria and Solar Victoria.
More information is on the Clean Energy Regulator website.
Support for apprentices and trainees
If you are looking for extra capacity to manage your workload in 2021, now might be a good time to hire. Remember that support is available for apprentices and trainees as part of the Australian Government’s economic response to COVID-19.
COVIDSafe Plans
Make sure you are completing installations in line with the latest advice from the Victorian Government and the Department of Health and Human Services.
Remember that installers in both metropolitan and regional Victoria must have a High-Risk COVIDSafe Plan in place for each workplace or site.
Random spot checks are underway to ensure compliance, and installers must regularly review and update their COVIDSafe Plans, especially when restrictions or public health advice changes.
More information is on the Victorian Government’s coronavirus (COVID-19) website.
You can also read about what updates from the Victorian Government mean for the solar industry at Solar Homes Program coronavirus (COVID-19) update.
Questions?
For any queries or if your customer does not receive the new QR code by the end of next week, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 1300 376 393 between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday (except public holidays).
Alternatively, you can email us at enquiries@team.solar.vic.gov.au
Updated