- Published:
- Sunday 17 January 2021 at 6:00 pm
As many as one in every five homes have solar panels on their roof – with that number set to rise further still with the Victorian Government’s latest incentives to get more Victorians making the renewable energy switch.
The latest data shows there are now 510,000 small-scale solar PV systems in Victoria – all together they generate almost a third of the state’s total residential electricity demand, with more than 15,000 households also having a solar battery.
The Victorian Government continues to make it easy for more homeowners to go solar, with eligible Victorians able to access both a rebate and interest-free loan of up to $1,850 each when installing solar panels or up to $4,174 off the cost of installing a household battery system.
Households with solar panels can save up to $890 a year and another $640 with a battery. Given the popularity of battery rebates, postcode restrictions have now been lifted, meaning households across the state can apply.
Recent data on the program – which will create at least 5,500 jobs over its lifespan – also shows November 2020 was the biggest month for solar battery rebate uptake (429 applications), while December 2020 was the biggest month for battery installations (183).
The top five most popular locations for solar are Sunbury, Craigieburn, Wyndham Vale, Werribee and Point Cook, while in regional Victoria the Surf Coast and Gippsland lead the way with Torquay, Lara, Ocean Grove, Grovedale and Drouin among the best performers.
Almost 1,900 Victorian households have now applied for a Solar Homes household battery since the program started in July 2019 – and fortnightly allocations are being snapped up almost as soon as they go online.
The Victorian Government is making 17,500 rebates available over the next three years to keep up with demand.
While grid connection and the associated feed-in tariff is a motivator for some households to install a home battery, the best opportunity for savings comes from using the power that a solar system creates during daylight hours and storing excess energy in a battery. For more information about solar rebates, go to solar.vic.gov.au.
Quote attributable to Solar Victoria CEO Stan Krpan
“Solar Homes battery rebates mean more Victorians can access a generous rebate and be part of our transition to a cleaner energy future.”
Updated