How to apply - Solar panel (PV) systems and solar batteries

Applying for a rebate through the Solar Homes Program is a three-step process. Your solar provider does the rest!

1. Inform yourself about the eligibility criteria and application process
2. Get a quote
3. Upload documents to confirm your eligibility via the Solar Victoria Portal

Step 1 - Inform yourself about process

Buying solar is a big investment, costing thousands of dollars. Before you decide to get solar, do some research.

Some things to consider when doing your research are to:

• Check if you qualify for a solar PV rebate and loan under the Solar Homes program. If you don’t qualify then you will need to pay the full amount for your chosen system
• Talk to an authorised solar retailer about how much energy your household uses and the likely system size to meet your needs
• Find out why you need a good inverter
• Consider whether you might want a battery system one day
• Understand connecting your solar to the grid
• How do I know if I am eligible for a rebate?

To qualify for a rebate, you must be able to answer ‘Yes’ to the criteria below and provide proof that you meet the criteria:

• Do you have a combined taxable income of less than $180,000 per annum?
• Are you the owner-occupier of the property?
• Is the property valued at under $3 million?
• You have not received another rebate for the property under the Solar Homes Program?

Evidence you need to provide for eligibility

You will need to provide evidence of proof of income and property ownership at the time you apply via Solar Victoria Portal, so be sure that you have your paperwork handy when you’re ready to apply.

We require proof of income documentation for each person named as an owner of the property as listed on Land Data records. For instance, if there is more than one owner of the property, we require proof of income for all listed owners. If there is more than one listed owner, you will need to provide proof of income documents for each person from the same financial year.

Depending on your financial situation, proof of income documents may include:

• Australian Tax Office Notice of Assessment (NOA) confirming annual taxable income
• Centrelink Payment Summary or Centrelink Income Summary showing dates, reference number and confirming pension income for the financial year,
• Completed and signed Statutory Declaration if you are retired and your total income amount (including any superannuation) for the financial year
• Department of Veteran Affairs payment summary showing dates and confirming pension income for financial year.
• If you didn’t receive a taxable income, we need correspondence demonstrating the submission of non-lodgement advice with the Australian Tax Office (ATO) for the financial year
• We also require evidence of the owner/s of the property. This is provided via your local council rates notice.

Step 2 - Get a quote from an authorised solar retailer

Your authorised solar retailer can work with you to select an accredited product that meets your needs. All systems installed under the program are required to meet Australian standards and be on the Clean Energy Council (CEC) approved Products List for solar PV.

We recommend that you check all quotes and product warranties that you receive from a solar provider to make sure that the system to be installed matches your needs. Make sure you retain a copy of the quote for your records. The authorised solar retailer will submit any quotes they provided to you to the Solar Victoria Portal, which will be used to trigger your eligibility assessment and provide you with an eligibility number.

From 1 November 2019, all authorised solar retailers must be signed up to Clean Energy Council’s (CEC) Solar Retailer Code of Conduct to participate in our rebate program. Only authorised retailers will be able to access our rebates program via our online portal and app.

Step 3 - Apply for eligibility via the Solar Victoria Portal

The Solar Victoria Portal is the only place you can go to get an eligibility number that confirms you qualify for a rebate and an interest-free loan.

You must have a quote from an authorised solar retailer and check that you qualify for rebate and loan before you apply via the portal as this will save you time and effort completing an application down the track.

Your solar retailer or installer cannot apply for an eligibility number and QR code or an interest-free loan on your behalf.

When you complete your application via the Solar Victoria Portal, you will need to supply your proof of income and property ownership, so be sure that you have your paperwork handy so that you can submit it via the portal when you’re ready to apply.

We require proof of income documentation for each person named as an owner of the property as listed on Land Data records [check]. For instance, if there is more than one owner of the property, we require proof of income for all listed owners. If there is more than one listed owner, you will need to provide proof of income documents for each person from the same financial year.

We also require evidence of the owner/s of the property. This is provided via your local council rates notice.

Your application must be submitted within 14 days of commencement to ensure that it remains valid. If you do not submit within 14 days, you may miss out on the monthly allocation and be required to recommence your application in the following month.

Once you have submitted your application, via the Solar Victoria Portal, we will send you confirmation that your application has been approved.

If you qualify for a rebate, you will receive an eligibility number, which you must provide to your solar provider as confirmation so they can proceed to install your solar panels under the program.

Installation must be completed within four months from confirmation of eligibility to ensure that the rebate and loan amounts can be paid.

The Solar Victoria Portal is the only place you can go to get an eligibility number that confirms you qualify for a rebate and an interest-free loan.

What happens next?
After your solar panel system (PV) has been installed, the solar provider will need to upload the following documents to the Solar Victoria Portal as evidence for the rebate (and loan if applicable) to be paid:

Certificate of Electrical Safety
Small-scale Technology Certificate (STC) Assignment Form & Victorian Energy Efficiency Certificate (VEEC) - your supplier will be able to advise if VEECs are applicable to your installation.
Tax receipt & invoice that includes the total cost of the system, minus STCs, minus rebate/loan and the remaining amount paid by you as the customer.
Once all the documents have been submitted by the authorised solar retailer, Solar Victoria will pay the rebate amount (and loan amount, if applicable) directly to the installer on your behalf.

It is your responsibility to pay any outstanding balance to the authorised solar retailer.

If you are a recipient of an interest-free loan, you are also required to repay the loan amount over a four-year period, or you can arrange payment of the loan in full at any time.