If you’re tired of rising energy prices, blackouts, and the impact coal companies are continuing to drive on pollution and climate change, 2025 might be your year to invest in solar power.
The Victoria State Government has an open PV solar panel rebate and interest-free loans to reduce the upfront cost barriers to getting an installation. Add the new Cheaper Solar Batteries Rebate for 2025, and you can have a completely new, price-reduced solar system for your home, rental property or business.
Yes, if you have multiple properties, you can dip into both rebates multiple times!
Below, we’ll break down the different solar incentives available to Victorians as well as other facts that might help you weigh up whether it’s time to switch to solar.
What Is the Cheaper Home Batteries Scheme?
New to 2025, announced as a pre-election promise as an answer to rising energy costs, lack of reliability and as a path forward to reaching energy sustainability goals - the Cheaper Home Batteries Program is here.
It’s a Federal Solar Battery Rebate available nationwide to all Australians that will provide up to 30% discount on a new solar battery installation.
- 10 million Australians are eligible
- 1 in 3 households already have solar panels installed, but no batteries
- No restrictions on who can apply
By accessing the solar battery rebate in Victoria, you can shave thousands of dollars upfront on an investment into cheaper and more sustainable power.
Want to learn more and reserve your place in the queue? Access the National Battery Rebate and take charge in under 5 minutes.
*Terms and conditions apply.
Why get a solar battery in Victoria?
About 31% of Victorian homes - roughly one in three - already have solar installed.
If you’re one of them, adding solar storage often more than doubles the reduction you’re getting from solar panels alone.
Dropping feed-in tariffs
Feed-in tariffs are what you receive for selling excess solar power back to the grid. Every state has had minimum feed-in tariffs that energy retailers must offer based on kWh, but this is coming to a close. From 1 July 2025 there will be no more minimum feed-in tariffs, which means energy retailers will be able to offer whatever price they like (and you should expect a drop).
Having a solar battery installed lets you make the most of your own power and can help shield you from paying on-peak prices for your electricity.
What if I already have a solar battery?
If you’re not happy with your current level of storage, the scheme also gives you access to the up to 30% off discount to install a new supplementary battery.
However, you could also consider whether adding some extra modules to your battery is more worthwhile, if you have a modular battery system.
What Other Solar Rebates Are Available in Victoria?
Victoria Solar Panel (PV) Rebate
Rebate of up to $1,400 for solar panel system installations for homeowners.
Victoria solar rebate eligibility for homeowners:
Property ownership
- You are the owner-occupier of an existing home, or you own a home currently under construction, and the battery system will be installed there.
Income limit
- The combined taxable income of all property owners is less than $210,000 per year.
Property value
- The total value of the property is below $3 million, whether it’s an existing home or a new build upon completion.
Previous rebates
- The property has not received a solar panel (PV) or solar battery rebate under this program in the past.
- No solar panel (PV) system has been installed at the property within the last 10 years.
If you’ve moved
- If you’ve previously received a Solar Homes rebate or loan but have since moved, you may still be eligible at your new address - as long as the new property has not previously received any solar rebates under this program.
When does the rebate end in Victoria?
The VIC Government solar rebate is subject to availability, and is first come, first served.
Solar Victoria lists how many rebates remain for use (for homeowners) on their website here.
Victoria solar rebate - rental property
The solar rebate VIC is also available to landlords to install solar panels on VIC rental properties, under different eligibility criteria and rebate amounts.
Victoria solar rebate eligibility for rental properties:
Tenant income threshold
- Your renters have a combined household taxable income below $210,000 per year.
Rebate limits
- You haven’t already claimed more than two solar rebates for rental properties in the current financial year.
Property value cap
- The property’s value is less than $3 million.
Previous solar rebates
- The rental property has not previously received a solar panel (PV) or solar battery rebate under the Solar Homes Program.
Program agreement
- A Solar Homes Program Agreement has been signed by both you and your tenant(s).
If you previously owned and lived in the property
- If you received a hot water rebate while living in the property as an owner-occupier and then rented it out, you can still apply for the solar PV rental rebate - subject to the limit of two per financial year.
- If you obtained a solar battery loan while living in the home and are now a rental provider, you may be eligible for the solar PV rental rebate - provided your existing PV system is over 10 years old.
Interest-free loan for solar panels
- You can apply to get an interest-free loan for the same amount as your rebate (these loans are paid monthly over 4 years).
- The loan begins 30 days after the installation is approved.
*A monthly repayment on a $1,400 loan over 48 months is about $29.16.
Previously Victoria had access to a Premium Feed-in Tariff Scheme; however the scheme was closed in November 2024.
What Solar Battery Should I Get to Best Help Me Save?
When it comes to size, looking at your electricity bill will help provide more light to give a suitable answer. In particular, you want to look at your average daily electricity usage. After this, it’s important to work out what percentage of that use is outside of peak solar generation hours.
At Solar Battery Group, our solar battery installers can assist you in interpreting your energy usage habits and how much the right battery can help you save. Other things that matter when comparing solar batteries are depth of discharge, which will show you the max amount of energy that can consistently be used from your solar storage.
You may also want to consider going for a solar battery with integrated EMS (Energy Management Software), as well as blackout protection. Not every solar battery will have these features as standard. However, some existing solar systems will already have access to an EMS platform through their solar inverter.
Blackout Protection in Victoria
When the main grid goes down, many individuals will assume their solar system will continue to keep them in power. In fact, the opposite is true (even with most standard solar systems with battery storage). Instead, most homes and businesses on solar will also have their own power cut off, to protect the electrical service providers working on the main power lines.
However, with a solar battery that has enabled blackout protection or backup, your essential appliances will continue being powered automatically, without any additional re-wiring.
If you want to opt into this feature for your solar battery installation, let us know.
Blackouts and Power Outages in Victoria
As a state, Victoria isn’t known for frequent power outages, but there have been some major blackouts in recent years either from severe weather events or ageing infrastructure.
- On 13 February 2025, more than 38,000 homes and businesses were cut off from power during a catastrophic storm.
- Yallourn and Loy Yang aging coal-fired power plants have been experiencing unplanned outages, from increasingly frequent breakdown problems and requiring more maintenance.
With a solar battery with blackout protection, you can have a reliable source of backup power even during disruptions on the grid. Please note, these batteries and additional infrastructure that supports this function may come with added costs.
Solar Batteries with Energy Management to Monitor Your Use
Part of how much you can maximise your savings is through using your solar batteries smartly, especially to get off the main power supply during peak energy times where you’ll often get paid demand tariffs. All the solar batteries that we offer come with their own smart energy monitoring and support that lets you monitor, track and manage your usage, so you can automate when power gets pulled from your batteries. Sometimes, this interface will already be available through your solar inverters. Ask your solar installers for more information to get set up, and make the most of your power.
Why Use Solar Battery Group to Access Solar Rebates Available in VIC?
Our solar installer company is backed by more than 30 years of industry experience. We specialise in supply and installations of premium solar batteries and solar panel systems. We only use CEC accredited installers, and deliver tailored packages to suit the energy needs of every household.
Don’t Wait Until 1 July to Apply - Enter Our Priority Rebate Queue
Take advantage of the new Cheaper Home Battery Program and the Victoria solar rebate for your home or rental property, with trusted, knowledgeable solar installers backed by over 30 years of industry experience.
