To help you sort the truth from the tall tales, we dive into this exciting new energy space and put the biggest myths under the microscope.

What is a virtual power plant?

Heard the term but not 100% sure what it means? A VPP company runs a giant network of residential home batteries “virtually” linked together by their custom software or hardware, and the internet*.

By drawing on a portion of electricity from each battery, the network becomes a “virtual power plant” that’s capable of aggregating large amounts to sell to the grid. 

It does this by remotely directing your battery to charge during the day (when electricity is cheapest) through solar or top-ups from the grid. Then when grid demand is high (like in the evening) and wholesale prices rise, the VPP directs its batteries to send power into the grid to sell for maximum profits. 

Residents are paid benefits in exchange for access to their batteries, with VPP companies paying either an upfront bonus, high feed-in tariffs (FiTs), bill credits or a share of the wholesale electricity rate the grid pays at that time. 

*VPPs can also link electric vehicle (EV) chargers, hot water systems and air conditioners, but currently, most operators focus on batteries.

Myth 1: VPPs give you free electricity

Reality check: A few companies offer this at certain times, but definitely not all (most likely because batteries can charge for free with solar panels during the day, weather pending).

At the time of writing, VPPs like Globird and Covau Energy do offer free power from the grid from 10am–2pm daily. Others like Amber automatically charge your battery whenever wholesale prices fall to zero, which often happens around midday.

But other VPPs forgo free power windows, preferring to entice customers with other incentives instead, like upfront bonuses, high feed-in tariffs (FiTs) or bill credits. 

If you like the sound of free power, it’s worth noting the government’s new Solar Sharer Offer (SSO) comes into effect 1 July, 2026. 

Aimed at sharing the glut of solar electricity during the day, this new initiative stipulates that participating electricity retailers offer at least one plan with three hours of free power in eligible regions (currently NSW, SE Queensland and SA as they fall under the federal government’s Default Market Offer framework, whereas other areas do not). It’s available to solar and non-solar households, but you need to opt into the specific plan.

This doesn’t apply to all VPPs (as not all are technically retailers), but if a retailer also has a VPP service, they may offer this under their SSO requirements. 

Just analyse all of the rates on any new plan – you may get free power, but you might also be charged more at other times of day or with a larger daily usage fee.

Why we've partnered with SolarQuotes

We've partnered with SolarQuotes to help you find and buy the right solar, battery, heat pump and EV charger. While we make money if you use SolarQuotes to find an installer, this doesn't influence our ratings. 100% of the money we make goes directly back into our nonprofit mission.

Myth 2: You can earn huge feed-in-tariffs (around $19/kilowatt-hour) during grid spikes

Reality check: Previously, yes, but they’re much rarer now. In the past you might have heard stories of people getting paid wildly high FiTs during extreme grid demand periods (like during a heatwave or cold snap). 

Some VPP operators like Amber and others let you earn the actual market price of electricity sold at that moment (or a hefty share of it). So when the grid spikes, prices can theoretically rise to $19 per kWh, the maximum wholesale market price. 

Such rates have become almost legend in solar circles, but sadly they’re becoming far less common. Why? Because more and more people have installed batteries thanks to the government rebate and more power is now being pumped into the grid, making demand spikes less extreme. 

As an example, Amber that NSW had just 17 price spike events paying $3/kWh or more from January 2025 to June 2025.

As exciting as they sound, it’s best not to count on these high FiTs when doing your maths and choosing a VPP. 

What do VPPs actually pay you?

This largely depends which VPP plan you choose. Given VPPs are relatively new, many offer a very disparate mix of incentives as they try to attract customers.

Benefits can include one or a combination of the following:

• upfront one-off incentives or discounts on batteries
• bill credits (monthly, quarterly or annually)
• premium feed-in tariff rates during certain time windows or grid spikes
• free charging periods
• wholesale market revenue sharing. 

Check out our VPP product pages to see what different plans pay in the Customer Benefits section.

Myth 3: VPPs take over your battery and drain it often

Reality check: This one is half-true, so let’s clarify. 

Yes, a VPP needs to share control of your battery. That’s because they operate by dynamically charging it when power is at its cheapest (during the day) and then exporting it at peak times to get the best prices (usually evenings). They need control to do this quickly and effectively in real time. 

But it doesn’t mean your battery is constantly drained, leaving you in the lurch. Instead, you can set your own battery reserve limits (usually around 10–30%) and preferences to ensure your own needs come first. 

You can also restrict VPP power exports to certain times of day (of course, this may limit your VPP earnings, but it’s your call).

Just be aware that certain VPP operator’s plans do require a certain level of availability. Check out our VPP product pages under Limitations to see what they are. 

Myth 4: Using a VPP can heavily impact battery life

Reality check: Yes, it can definitely accelerate its lifespan, although the impact may be less severe than you might think. 

Being on a VPP means your battery is charged and discharged more often than if you just used it for personal use. This can rapidly increase its number of daily cycles (a cycle equals one full charge and discharge sequence), which can add more wear and tear to your battery and possibly shorten its lifespan.

Many home batteries come with a product warranty that covers ten years or around 6000 cycles (whichever comes first). The latter equates to around 16 years of use at one cycle a day, but obviously a trigger-happy VPP can speed that up and shorten the battery’s warrantied lifespan. 

That said, many VPPs set limits on how often they can discharge your battery during high grid demand as well as setting an annual cap. For example, the Origin Loop VPP states “no more than 200kWh discharged in any 12-month period.”

Check out our VPP product pages under Limitations to see what they are. 

At the same time, if you’re getting good VPP rates, you might be happy to endure more wear and tear to earn bigger financial incentives and reduce your power bills significantly. As always, it’s a balancing act. 

Myth 5: You’re locked into a VPP for a long time

Reality check: Not true. We get it, sharing control of your battery can sound scary (especially after spending thousands on it), as is the idea that you’ll be locked into a VPP deal, even when it’s not working out for you and your bills.

But in reality, most VPPs offer relatively fair and flexible termination terms, requiring around 10–30 days’ notice. Again, check out our product pages for specifics and read the fine print before you join a VPP. 

Some VPPS may charge exit fees, but that’s usually only if they gave you an upfront bonus or discount on an installed battery when you signed up.

The content has been produced with funding support from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC). ĚÇĐÄVlog maintains full editorial independence, and the views expressed are those of ĚÇĐÄVlog. CEFC funding does not constitute an endorsement of any provider, product or service. Any links, tools or services enabling users to request quotes or connect with providers are operated independently by ĚÇĐÄVlog and are not endorsed or recommended by the CEFC.

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The stampede has sparked an advertising blitz between solar providers, with plenty of new installers popping up to cash in on the rebate-fuelled frenzy. 

If you’ve started shopping for a battery, you’ve probably already been bombarded with excited online ads spruiking the ‘best ever deal!’ for ‘super cheap solar!’ or even ‘free solar!’.

Given batteries are expensive and time-consuming to research, such deals can seem mighty tempting, but be careful. Choosing a cheap offer could land you in all sorts of strife, from inefficient or failing systems to shoddy installation to poor after-sales support. 

Plus you’re only eligible to get the rebates once per home, so you want to get it right the first time.

To help you dodge the duds, we spoke to Finn Peacock, founder of SolarQuotes, Australia’s most-visited solar website. Since 2020, ĚÇĐÄVlog has partnered with SolarQuotes, which collates high-quality quotes for you from vetted installers.

Finn’s been in the solar business since 2009 so he’s seen plenty of suss sales tactics or ‘too good to be true’ deals in his time. We asked him about the warning signs to watch out for so you don’t get burnt with a bum deal.

1. Ads spruiking dubious deals and misleading claims

With competition hotting up, some solar companies are spruiking a wild range of questionable deals and claims to entice customers.

These offers can take many forms, including:

• promoting time-sensitive offers (“this week/month only!”) 
• claiming your suburb is now eligible for huge savings (not really, panel and battery rebates are available to everyone Australia-wide)
• claiming rebates are ending soon (they’re not, although they do decrease incrementally every six months and some state rebates will eventually disappear)
• referencing official-sounding rebates or schemes that don’t actually exist (always Google them separately to check)
• offering you a free “eligibility check”, which is just a clever way of getting your contact details
• using AI-generated images or video testimonial.

If you are enticed by an offer, do your own independent research on the company and their products and check for any other red flags listed below. 

2. Salespeople on your doorstep

Red flags don’t get much bigger than doorknockers ambushing you at home, trying to sell you thousands of dollars worth of solar. The same goes for telemarketers cold-calling you. 

Both are paid on commission so they’re incentivised to push quick sales and one-size-fits-all packages that might not actually suit your home or your power needs.

“I’ve literally never known someone to get a competitive deal from a doorknocker spruiking solar or batteries,” says Finn. 

“Any successful doorknocker is well versed in the art of persuasion, so they are likely to convince you to buy something without the due diligence required.”

If you do get door-knocked, ignore any high-pressure tactics and never sign up on the spot.

“The easiest way to handle them is to tell them to leave. Then get three quotes from well-reviewed locals or companies that your friends had a good experience with. Never ever sign up for a doorknocker’s offer without getting other quotes.”

Why we've partnered with SolarQuotes

We've partnered with SolarQuotes to help you find and buy the right solar, battery, heat pump and EV charger. While we make money if you use SolarQuotes to find an installer, this doesn't influence our ratings. 100% of the money we make goes directly back into our nonprofit mission.

3. Beware ‘free solar’, ‘no net cost’ or ‘no-interest finance’ offers

Such deals might sound enticing given how pricey batteries can be, but Finn warns against any offers that seem too good to be true.

“Someone has to get paid. ‘Free solar’ means giving your electricity to someone else and then buying it back from them. ‘No net cost’ is a tricky way of saying your savings will be greater than your repayments, but you can’t claim this if you don’t know the consumer’s usage!”

“‘No-interest finance’ means that they’ve taken the interest cost and whacked it onto the price of the system, unless it’s a subsidised loan from a government scheme.”

4. Mismatched components

Many installers try to entice customers by selling huge batteries with 40–50kWh capacity for very cheap prices. It sounds great, but too often they’re paired with a small 5kW inverter, which will struggle to charge such a big battery or empty it.  

Instead of going for the ‘bigger is better’ approach, Finn says it’s best to chat to reputable installers about customising a system that suits both your energy needs and budget. 

“Your installer should look at your current and future energy load profile and size the inverter to suit accordingly. The one-size-fits-all approach is rubbish,” says Finn.

5. Unknown brands and products

Since the rebate, there’s been an influx of new battery products as installers compete for business and try to keep up with demand.

And it’s not just new or smaller installers using relatively obscure components. In September 2025, Aldi announced its new Aldi Solar service would sell systems using Altius batteries, solar panels and hybrid inverters, which are virtually unknown in Australia.

An unheard-of brand or product isn’t an automatic deal-breaker ​​– they must be on the Clean Energy Council (CEC) to be eligible for the rebate – but Finn does advise extra caution and research, especially if the brand is new to Australia and their products are untested in Australia’s weather conditions.

“The newer the brand is to Australia, the higher the risk of it not being around for the long haul and the less evidence you have that its quality and support are up to scratch,” says Finn. 

“To counter the risk of a new product, use an older, established install company. If you use a brand new company with brand new brands, you have double jeopardy!”

6. The installer’s ABN is suspiciously new

When you buy solar, you want installers that are professional and knowledgeable with a proven track record. There are plenty of them out there, but there’s also a slew of newly-created companies chasing the rebate windfall. 

Finn says to be careful of newcomers and to . If it has only been registered since April 2025, when the government rebate was first announced, then that’s a red flag and you should tread carefully.

7. Swapping out components for cheaper ones

It’s a shady tactic as old as time: advertise a brand or product then – surprise! – it’s no longer available so you get offered another type instead.

To avoid a battery bait-and-switch, you should always read the fine print (no matter how long it is) before you sign on. 

“Installers sometimes have a clause that says they can swap components for ‘similar’, which is a huge red flag,” says Finn.

“If a company genuinely can’t get hold of the hardware they’ve quoted, they should talk to you and create a new quote for new hardware, which you can then accept or decline.”

The post Bad solar battery deals: 7 red flags to watch out for appeared first on ĚÇĐÄVlog.

Designed to capitalise on Australia’s daytime solar surplus, this new initiative stipulates that electricity retailers must now offer at least one residential plan that includes three hours of free power daily, capped at 24 kilowatt-hours (kWh).

It’s available to home owners and renters alike, and you don’t need your own solar panels or battery to opt in. 

There’s just one rather large catch at the moment…

The SSO only applies to some areas (for now)

Before we all get too excited, the SSO will only be available to residents that live in New South Wales, South Australia and South East Queensland.

Why? Because they are the areas covered by the Federal Government’s Default Market Offer (DMO) framework, which is administered by the Australian Energy Regulator.

Other states and territories are not part of the DMO and have their own systems (for a myriad of complicated historical reasons) so are not included.

Thankfully, there are plans to expand the SSO nationally at a later date.

Why is the Solar Sharer Offer being introduced?

Australia is the world leader in rooftop solar generation, with the most installed solar capacity per capita and over four million photovoltaic (PV) systems now in operation. 

That’s great news for clean renewable energy use, but it’s also resulted in a glut of surplus electricity being fed back into the grid during the day.

Residents with home batteries can store it for later, but currently a lot of this excess power is being under-utilised, with wholesale prices dropping very low or even into negative.

By forcing retailers to give it away for free, the government aims to:

• make this glut available to everyone on an SSO plan
• encourage residents to shift their energy usage to these free windows, which will lower power bills
• reduce electricity demand on the grid at night, which will hopefully reduce peak prices over time
• ultimately share the benefits of the solar boom with more people (not just with those who can afford to install panels and batteries, which has been a criticism of the government rebates in the past). 

Why we've partnered with SolarQuotes

We've partnered with SolarQuotes to help you find and buy the right solar, battery, heat pump and EV charger. While we make money if you use SolarQuotes to find an installer, this doesn't influence our ratings. 100% of the money we make goes directly back into our nonprofit mission.

How do you get free electricity?

To access the Solar Sharer Offer, you need to:

• live in NSW, South Australia or South East Queensland
• opt into a retailer’s SSO plan – it’s not automatic
• have a smart meter installed at home, as a SSO plan requires time-based billing – if you don’t have one, talk to your energy retailer.

When are the free power time periods?

Calculated on peak solar generation for each region, the 3-hour free windows are:

• 11am– 2pm for NSW and SE Queensland
• 12–3pm for South Australia 

Catches to watch out for

While free electricity sounds amazing, it’s important to keep the following in mind and evaluate whether an SSO electricity plan works for you and your home.

Remember, you’ll still be paying daily connection fees, electricity charges outside the free window (such as peak, shoulder or controlled load rates) and any green-offset fees.

Before you dive headlong into a SSO plan, it’s vital to compare its rate charges against your current plan as they could actually be higher.

Yes, you might enjoy three hours of power on the house, so to speak, but if you’re paying more for peak rates or daily connection fees, you could be worse off when your bill rolls in. 

That’s why it’s essential to do the maths first (as it is when considering any new plan).

Is a Solar Sharer Offer plan right for you?

Well, it depends – largely on the retail plan fees as discussed in the previous section, but also on how much you can practically shift your electricity consumption to these three-hour windows. 

If you can change your routine and run energy-hungry appliances such as dishwashers or washing machines, or charge your EV or e-bike, during the free-power window, you’ll definitely benefit. Using timers and/or smart appliance settings can also help – and save you – a lot.

For example, a dishwasher uses around one kWh per cycle, on average. Run it with free power and it’ll cost nothing, compared to a peak rate of, say, 35 cents per kWh at night (as an example). That might not seem like much a day, but over a year, you’ll save $127.75 by running a dishwasher load during the day. 

Of course, the big handbrake on time-shifting your energy use is if your work or other commitments mean you’re not home much during the day. Yes, appliance timers are handy, but it’s not the same as being home in person to fully optimise your energy use. 

As a result, Solar Sharer plans will probably best benefit people who are retired, or at home working or on caring duties. 

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Not surprisingly, the rebate has been running red-hot since it launched last July, with the government reporting in March that 250,000 home batteries had already been installed across Australia.

The uptake expended much of the Program’s initial $2.3 billion budget way ahead of schedule, but thankfully the government upped the budget to a hefty $7.2 billion across the next four years. 

To ensure the budget lasts through to its 2031 end date, the government recently implemented new changes to the rebate’s rates and conditions, which came in from 1 May 2026.

Find out how the rebate has changed and how it might impact your battery plans below.

On this page:

• New battery rebate changes
• Rebate eligibility criteria
• Battery costs after the rebate
• How long does a battery take to pay itself off?
• Electricity savings and payback periods with rebate
• Additional state and territory battery schemes
• How virtual power plants can reduce your bills

Battery rebate changes

We’ll get into the technical nuts and bolts of the changes below, but the top line is the revised rebate will now:

1. decrease every six months as opposed to yearly (to reflect falling battery prices over time)
2. change its ‘per kWh’ discount on batteries from a flat rate to a tiered system based on the size of the battery installed.

Change #1: Rebate rates decrease over time

As part of these new changes, the rebate’s value (measured in Small-scale Technology Certificates, aka STCs, which are the same ‘credits’ applied to solar panels) will now decrease every six months rather than annually, and at a faster rate than previously planned. 

When the rebate launched last July, it paid $372 per kWh for a battery installation, and then $366 in January to April earlier this year. This is the new rate schedule below, as sourced from our friends at SolarQuotes.

Note: Expect to lose 10% of your rate to admin fees.

• May–Dec 2026: $272 per kWh
• Jan–Jun 2027:  $228 per kWh
• Jul–Dec 2027: $208 per kWh
• Jan–Jun 2028: $184 per kWh
• Jul–Dec 2028: $164 per kWh
• Jan–Jun 2029: $144 per kWh
• Jul–Dec 2029: $124 per kWh
• Jan–Jun 2030: $104 per kWh
• Jul–Dec 2030: $84 per kWh

If you want to see the exact specific STC Factor rates, view them in the following section.

Change #2: Rebate now depends on battery size

The rebate has now switched from its initial flat ‘per kWh’ discount to a tiered rate system according to battery size. The government says this will maintain a discount of around 25% across small, medium and large batteries. 

Under the previous rules, some residents super-sized their battery systems because a 40–50kWh system could earn a bigger discount of 40–50%. Industry critics argued this drained rebate funds quicker and incentivised people to get systems bigger than they actually needed or could ever charge properly.

The STC Factor rate now depends on the battery capacity installed:

• Small: 0–14kWh capacity: STC Factor applied at 100%.
• Medium: 14–28kWh capacity: STC Factor applied at 60%.
• Large: 28–50kWh capacity: STC Factor applied at 15%.

Video: The federal battery rebate explained

Battery rebate eligibility criteria

Currently to be eligible for the rebate, the battery must:

• be installed after 1 July 2025
• have a nominal capacity of 5–100kWh, but the rebate only applies to the first 50kWh of usable capacity
• be installed alongside new or existing rooftop solar
• be on the Clean Energy Council (CEC)
• be fitted by an installer accredited by
• be capable of joining a virtual power plant (VPP) if it’s an on-grid system (though actual participation is optional)
• be claimed once per property – however, if you own multiple properties, you can get separate discounts for each.

Note: The federal government’s separate solar panel rebate only applies to the panels in the installed system, not the battery. However, you can apply for both discounts together, plus applicable state or territory incentives, to really supercharge your savings.

Why we've partnered with SolarQuotes

We've partnered with SolarQuotes to help you find and buy the right solar, battery, heat pump and EV charger. While we make money if you use SolarQuotes to find an installer, this doesn't influence our ratings. 100% of the money we make goes directly back into our nonprofit mission.

Battery costs after the rebate

Costs vary significantly for solar home batteries, but generally, the bigger the battery capacity, the more you can expect to pay.

Since the launch of the federal rebate, the ‘average’ size of batteries being installed has increased dramatically, with a battery exceeding 20kWh quickly becoming the new norm.

Here are approximate battery costs (after the current federal rebate) for common sizes, including basic installation. Prices are based on information from our solar partners, SolarQuotes.

• 10kWh storage: $7000–$11,000 installed
• 15kWh storage: $11,000–$15,000 installed.
• 20kWh storage: $14,000–$19,000 installed
• 30kWh storage: $18,000–$22,000 installed
• 50kWh storage: $24,000–$30,000 installed

Keep in mind, a more complex installation can increase costs considerably, given that architectural and technical factors can increase the time, work and components a job requires. See our guide to finding a good solar installer.

How long does a battery take to pay itself off?

It’s a tricky question and one that depends on multiple factors including your solar/battery set-up, energy consumption and, most vitally, electricity costs and additional rebates in your state or territory, which can vary a lot.

For a long time, home batteries didn’t make complete economic sense. They were relatively expensive and the payback time was often longer than the battery’s warranty period, which is typically 10 years.

But with the new federal rebate promising a discount of more than 25%, the maths is looking a lot more attractive, depending on the aforementioned factors.

Electricity savings and payback periods with rebate

Calculating your own possible payback period can be mind-boggling, but have shared this helpful general guide comparing electricity savings and simple payback periods (with the rebate) by state and territory.

You’ll notice payback times vary a lot depending on where you live. That’s due to your state and territory’s electricity prices, feed-in tariffs and weather.

For example, Adelaide’s payback period is the shortest because they have high electricity prices, while Hobart’s is the longest, thanks to relatively cheap electricity and high solar feed-in tariffs.

Additional state and territory battery schemes

As well as the federal initiative, here are the current battery-focused rebates or loan schemes available by state and territory. These can be combined with the federal rebate for greater savings.

ACT: Sustainable Household Scheme

Canberra locals can access a low-interest loan (currently 3%) from $2000 to $15,000 for home energy improvements, including household batteries, electric heating and cooling systems, hot water heat pumps, EVs and more.

Over the scheme’s lifespan, you can install one product or several products from the list of eligible products – together, these can be valued at up to $15,000. Zero-interest loans are available to eligible concession card holders under the Home Energy Support Program. 

NSW: Virtual power plant (VPP) Incentive

From 1 July 2025, the NSW government has increased the incentive to up to $1500 to encourage more households and small businesses to install a battery and connect to a virtual power plant. The incentive varies by the size of the battery and can be combined with the federal battery rebate. 

Northern Territory: Home and Business Battery Scheme (closed)

NT homeowners, businesses and nonprofit organisations can apply for a grant to buy and install batteries and inverters. Grants can be used to buy solar panels too, but must be paired with a battery.

Eligible applicants can access a grant of $450 per kilowatt hour of usable battery system capacity, up to a maximum grant of $6000. Homeowners that own a business can apply for both their home and business.

Note that the funding cap for this scheme has been reached and it is closed for new grants. Stay tuned for updates in case this changes.

South Australia: Home Battery Scheme (closed)

Offering up to $6000 off a battery, South Australia’s HBS was one of the earliest and most successful battery programs, but sadly ceased in 2022. Instead, the state government has focused on its emPowering SA program, which employs 18 much-larger community batteries to lower residents’ electricity bills.

Queensland and Tasmania: None

Tasmania and Queensland don’t currently have their own dedicated battery rebate schemes. However, households can still claim the new federal rebate and benefit from VPP programs offered through energy retailers like Reposit, Amber and others.

Victoria: Solar Homes Program

This program is currently not taking applications, but keep an eye on it to see if more become available in future. Previously, it offered interest-free loans to purchase home batteries.

If you’re considering installing solar panels, rebates of up to $1400 plus interest-free loans for the same amount are still available. 

Western Australia: Residential Battery Scheme

This incentive allows residents to get a rebate and no-interest loan to purchase and install a home battery. 

On a 10kWh battery, applicants are eligible for a combined rebate of $5000 for Synergy customers and $7500 for Horizon Power customers. This is in addition to the federal rebate. 

No-interest loans of up to $10,000 are also available to households with a combined annual income of less than $210,000. Loan repayment periods will be up to 10 years. 

To receive a battery rebate and/or no-interest loan through the scheme, eligibility requirements apply, including participation in a virtual power plant.

How virtual power plants can reduce your bills

A virtual power plant (VPP) is a network of solar and battery systems owned by homes and small businesses, centrally controlled by a VPP company. 

When you join, your battery is linked to this network through smart software and the internet.

To maximise revenue, the company charges your battery during the day (when electricity is cheapest) through solar or top-ups from the grid. Then when wholesale electricity prices rise during peak times (such as at night), they sell it to the grid for a higher price.

In return, you get a financial benefit, which might be bill credits, higher tariff rates or a cut of profits on electricity sold (depending on your VPP plan). 

In a wider sense, VPPs also reduce demand on the grid, which makes the state’s energy supply more stable and less prone to outages, and it reduces the price of electricity for everyone (it’s also better for the environment).

For a deeper dive into VPPs, including their pros and cons, check out our handy guide for newcomers, or our comprehensive breakdown of different virtual power plants on offer.

The post Solar home battery rebate: The big changes you need to know about appeared first on ĚÇĐÄVlog.

When you’re throwing down thousands of dollars for a new solar system, you want to be sure your chosen panels deliver the electricity they promise. 

If they don’t, you’ll be missing out on valuable sunshine day in, day out, for the panels’ 20–30 year lifespan. 

That means less power generated for your home to use or to sell back to the grid, as well as higher power bills and longer payback times for your system. 

And if you do buy inferior panels, it’s unlikely you’ll ever know. Because once installed, it’s easy to blame under-performing solar generation on poor weather, shading or other external variables – plus, you probably don’t have much to compare it to if you’ve never have solar before.  

And given you can only get the federal government’s solar panel rebate once per home, it’s a decision you want to get right from the get-go. 

That’s why ĚÇĐÄVlog has been reviewing panels for over a decade. To do so, we partner with , an accredited world-class photovoltaics test laboratory in Canberra with specialised equipment and expertise. 

PV Lab evaluates each panel’s power output under standard lab conditions, and conducts rigorous stress tests to see how they’ll cope on a rooftop in heat and rain.

New to solar panels? Check out our buying guide to learn about price ranges, how to size your system and government rebates.

Why we've partnered with SolarQuotes

We've partnered with SolarQuotes to help you find and buy the right solar, battery, heat pump and EV charger. While we make money if you use SolarQuotes to find an installer, this doesn't influence our ratings. 100% of the money we make goes directly back into our nonprofit mission.

How we test solar panels

To be comprehensive, our experts test three different sample panels of each model, with all subjected to a range of rigorous assessments. These include:

Power output test (85%)

This measures each model’s panel power output under standard test conditions: 25°C, sea level air mass and irradiance (power density) of 1000Watts (W) per square metre. 

PV Lab tests three different panels of each model, and then calculate the average of the results for their performance for power output. This helps detect any variations between samples.

This test makes up 85% of our final ĚÇĐÄVlog Expert Rating for each model.

It’s worth noting that solar panels in the real world will usually deliver a lower power yield than what’s measured in stable, standardised lab conditions. On your roof, they are exposed to higher temperatures, cloud cover and changing sun angles across the day and across seasons. 

Visual inspection (5%)

This test looks for any obvious faults, such as damage to the panel or electrical connections, which can happen in the factory or in transit. A few small imperfections are often found, but these don’t usually affect performance.

Any defect that’s detectable to the naked eye could indicate a risk to the reliability of the panel and it may be more likely to fail sooner than its warranty indicates. This test comprises 5% of the ĚÇĐÄVlog Expert Rating.

Electroluminescence testing (5%)

This takes the inspection to a more advanced level, and uses infrared photography to identify any microcracks or other flaws in the panel that are invisible to the naked eye. 

A fail here means the lab found something serious in that check. It usually won’t mean lower efficiency or power output initially, but this weak point could make the panel more likely to fail after a few years on the roof after being exposed to continual micro expansion and contraction in the heat and rain. This test comprises 5% of the ĚÇĐÄVlog Expert Rating.

Wet leakage (5%)

This testing involves submerging the panel in water and measuring electrical resistance across the panel. This tests how well the panel will resist moisture penetration from rain, dew, fog and other wet weather. This test comprises 5% of the ĚÇĐÄVlog Expert Rating.

Solar panel test results

In our latest round of testing, we’ve assessed 20 different panels from popular brands including Trina, SunPower, Jinko, Aiko, Canadian Solar, REC, Risen, DAS and more. 

Models range in price from $120 to $280 and in claimed output from 430W to 475W.

Don’t judge a brand by one model

If we’ve learnt one thing from decades of testing different products, it’s that quality can vary across a brand’s range and the performance you get can be very different for each individual model. That’s why testing is so vital. 

Likewise, higher prices are never an instant guarantee of quality – our test saw cheaper panels outperform more expensive ones. In fact, the priciest panel in our test actually rated the lowest! 

Our full test results are available exclusively to our members. To see the full solar panel test results, consider becoming a today.

The solar panels to avoid

While our experts found plenty of impressive panels at varying price points, they also saw others that seriously failed to shine. To avoid ending up with lacklustre panels, avoid these models that rated lowest in our power output test.

1. REC 460AA Pure-RX

• Panel price: $280
• Claimed power output: 460W
• Tested power output: 426W
• Output difference: -7.3%

This panel scored the solar wooden spoon in our tests. Why? Because its claimed output is 460W but it only delivered 426W in our test, which means it’s short-changing you a hefty 7.3%.

That difference might not sound like much initially, but it’s a fair chunk of electricity to miss out on every day for the next few decades. With peak-time electricity prices on the rise, no doubt your home and power bill could use that extra 7.3%. 

Its poor performance stings even more given this panel is the most expensive one in our test, giving you another big reason to avoid it. Our experts found panels with a bigger capacity that are cheaper and rated much higher.

In better news, it scored 100% for its visual, electroluminescence and wet leakage tests.

2. Winaico WST-450NGX-D3

• Panel price: $198
• Claimed power output: 450W
• Tested power output: 427W
• Output difference: -5.12%

Sadly, you won’t be winning too much with this Winaico model. This 450W panel undercut its claimed power output, providing a disappointing 427W instead. That’s a discount of just over 5% that you never wanted. 

Alarmingly, this model scored only 33% in the lab’s electroluminescence assessment (which uses infrared to identify any microcracks) with just one of its three sample panels passing the inspection with no faults.

3. Seraphim SN N-Topcon SRP-440-BTD-BG

• Panel price: $200
• Claimed power output: 440W
• Tested power output: 418W
• Output difference: -5%

With the third lowest score for output difference, this panel’s definitely not the brightest spark either. It promised 440W of output, but our test revealed it managed just 418W, squeezing you out of 5% along the way.

Like the Winaico, this panel also displayed some worrying faults – but these ones were actually visible to the naked eye. It scored 67% in our visual inspection with just two sample panels out of three passing the test. It was the only product in our test not to get 100% in this assessment. 

But when our experts took an even closer look using infrared photography in our electroluminescence test, the news got worse. The model rated just 33% after two panels out of three failed the assessment.

The post Solar panels to avoid appeared first on ĚÇĐÄVlog.

Household arrays produced 14.2% of the energy supplied to the electricity grid in 2025, almost double the amount of five years earlier.

The public interest in solar has rapidly picked up pace as various state and federal subsidies have been rolled out.

As of 19 May this year, 343,874 solar batteries had already been installed under the federal government’s Cheaper Home Batteries Program, which was launched in July 2025.

Households with solar save about $1500 a year on their energy costs, so it’s no surprise that more and more people are jumping on board.

“Australia’s rooftop solar uptake is a national triumph and now accounts for 28.3 GW of installed capacity, eclipsing that of the country’s entire fleet of coal-fired generators”, Clean Energy Council chief executive Jackie Trad said in February. 

“It not only leads our national renewables rollout but also leads the rest of the world on a per capita basis.” (A gigawatt, or GW, equals 1 billion watts.)

“[Australians] have long had an appetite for energy independence to drive down bills and as a result have been adopting solar and battery technology at record pace for the last several years,” Trad said, adding that recent government home battery programs “have strapped a rocket to this momentum”.

Half of households locked out

It’s exciting times, except for around half of households in Australia, who face big obstacles.

A recent report from Energy Consumer Australia (ECA) points out that 33% of Australians rent their homes and have little control over which power sources come with them.

A further 7% are owner-occupiers living in apartments, where strata rules can throw a spanner into any attempt to install a solar system.

Then there’s the 10% of Australians who have a household income below $50,000, making it a long shot to purchase solar equipment, even with government subsidies on offer.

“Our data shows that millions of households are being locked out of the solar and battery revolution,” says ECA executive manager for analysis and advocacy, Ashley Bradshaw.

As a stopgap measure, the advocacy group is calling on state and territory governments “to urgently introduce minimum energy performance standards for rental properties, so renters can reduce their energy bills and improve their comfort and wellbeing, even if they cannot access solar or batteries directly”.

Why we've partnered with SolarQuotes

We've partnered with SolarQuotes to help you find and buy the right solar, battery, heat pump and EV charger. While we make money if you use SolarQuotes to find an installer, this doesn't influence our ratings. 100% of the money we make goes directly back into our nonprofit mission.

How does the Solar Sharer Offer fit in?

Starting in July this year, the federal government’s new Solar Sharer Offer (SSO) will be available to households in NSW, South Australia, and South East Queensland, where the Default Market Offer applies. (The DMO is a regulated price – or “safety net” – designed to protect energy customers who passively accept their retailer’s default plan.)

Households with or without solar power are eligible as long as they’re equipped with a smart meter, including households that rent.

Under the program, energy retailers with more than 1000 customers will be required to offer a minimum of three hours of free electricity in the middle of the day, when solar power generation reaches its height. SSO offers are optional and will be available from your retailer. Free power usage will be capped at 24kWh per day.

In NSW and South East Queensland, the SSO plans on offer will include free electricity from  11am to 2pm, and in South Australia from 12pm to 3pm.

The goal for regulators is for energy customers to help use up all the excess solar power generated during the daytime.

In a consultation paper submitted to the federal government in December last year, ECA called for the SSO to be supported by “careful design and implementation”.

“This will not be achieved if costs are simply shifted to other times or other parts of the bill,” ECA wrote.

ECA also called for price guarantees “to ensure consumers do not end up paying more if they move to the SSO”.

Between those who can’t easily access or afford solar and those who already have it lies a large segment of the population that is still thinking about it.

“There remains a massive, untapped appetite for small-scale energy in Australia,” Bradshaw says.

“Our data reveals that 15% of Australian homes do not face these major barriers and are currently researching solar, while another 23% say they are interested in getting a battery. These aren’t households locked out by apartment living or rental agreements, these are families ready to invest right now.”

The hesitation can be linked to a limited understanding of the costs and benefits. Bradshaw says households that have yet to embrace solar “should have tailored, trusted, and well-publicised advice and support to make better energy decisions, including the purchase of a battery”.

He cites the efforts of Victoria’s State Electricity Commission, which recently launched a free advice service, Easy Electric SEC, to help households dispense with gas and go all-electric, including through solar technologies.

“We think all Australians deserve such advice and we encourage all governments to fund similar services.”

But getting rid of gas isn’t any easier than taking up solar if you’re a renter of a living in an apartment, as ECA made clear in an earlier report.

The technical obstacles to Australia fulfilling its geographical destiny of being fueled by the sun are dropping away day by day.

But the bigger hurdles seem to be socioeconomic, and they may be the hardest ones to overcome.

Get the inside story on our investigations into consumer rip-offs and bad business practices.

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The post Why are millions missing out on the solar revolution? appeared first on ĚÇĐÄVlog.

And with the federal government’s Cheaper Home Batteries Program offering generous discounts since last July, batteries are booming too, with more than 400,000 already installed.

There’s never been a better time to get solar – or to be more vigilant about which installer you choose. Because while there are plenty of solid accredited suppliers out there, the current solar gold rush has attracted a swath of new operators keen to cash in and spruik dodgy ads to lure customers.

Getting several quotes and choosing the right installer ensures you get a fair price, quality components and installation, and great after-sales support. Vitally, that means your system can generate as much free solar as possible and reduce your power bills for decades to come. 

Here’s our easy expert guide to getting it right, spotting suss deals, and your consumer rights should things go awry.

On this page:

• Check installers’ accreditation
• Ask questions and do your research
• Get multiple quotes
• Beware super cheap deals
• Understanding warranties and what they cover
• Know your consumer rights

1. Check installers’ accreditation

Getting solar is an expensive investment, but the good news is that the solar industry has more accreditation than ever to protect consumers and maintain standards. 

The trick is knowing what accreditation to ask for and where you can check it.

When you’re sourcing installation quotes, it’s likely you’ll be dealing with:

• the company’s sales representative
• the company’s system designer (who puts the panels, inverters and battery design together)
• the installer (who actually gets on the roof and puts the system in place)
• a qualified electrician, who must sign off on the system and provide a certificate of compliance.

In some cases, one person (for example, a local electrician who specialises in solar installations) can cover all four roles. It’s also not unusual for larger retailers to secure the sale and contract, and then subcontract out the installation.

Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA)

Installers must be accredited by the Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA) to operate legally. 

You can search for installers by name or accreditation number on the to ensure they are currently accredited. 

New Energy Tech Consumer Code (NETCC)

To further protect consumers, the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) created the NETCC program in 2023 as a way for businesses to demonstrate responsible practices relating to sales and marketing, installation and warranty support.

Unlike SAA accreditation, it’s a voluntary industry code of conduct designed to give consumers extra peace of mind. NETCC-approved sellers commit to a high standard of quality in:

• advertising, marketing and sales
• quotations, contracts and payment options
• delivery, installation and activation of the system
• compliance with all relevant laws and standards
• user information
• customer service
• warranty and complaints.

Visit the to find approved sellers in your area.

Solar components accreditation

The Clean Energy Council (CEC) is the accreditation body for solar system components, and is funded by industry. They maintain including panels, inverters and batteries that meet Australian standards. 

It’s highly unlikely that a reputable installer would be using unapproved components, but if in doubt, you should check that the components for the system quoted are clearly specified by make, size and model, and are CEC-approved.

Remember: No accreditation, no rebate

It’s a condition of the federal government’s solar panel rebate and home battery rebate that all components, the designer and your installer are all properly accredited as above. If they’re not, you will be ineligible for these rebates.

2. Ask questions and do your research 

Before committing to a company, here’s a handy list of key questions you should ask them.

It may seem arduous and awkward, but it’s a lot better than not asking and ending up with an expensive dud deal. Besides, reputable companies will happily help you with your queries. 

Here’s what you should check:

• Are they SAA-accredited? 
• Are they NETCC-approved, as above? 
• How long have they been installing solar for?
• Does the company have a local office and phone number?
• Can they visit your home to do the quote? This is essential to review your home’s system needs, roof condition, any hidden issues and safety measures required (i.e. fire barriers or bollards for home batteries).
• What solar component brands do they stock? It’s worth researching the brands separately.
• Will the work be done by their own staff, or do they subcontract the installation to other companies or independent contractors? Are they also accredited?
• Is any additional work required, like switchboard or meter upgrades? Older houses may need these in order to get solar.
• What after-sales support do they offer and for how long?
• When can they start the job and how long will it take? Some companies can have hefty waiting lists.
• Can they refer you to previous customers so that you can ask about their service pre- and post-installation? 

Research them online 

In addition to asking questions, it’s helpful to do some cyber-sleuthing on the company and the brands they install. Key things to look for include:

• Have they been reviewed on our partner ?
• What do independent online reviews say? Keep in mind, some may not be legit but it’s still worth checking.
• How old is the company’s ABN? Check the – if it’s only been registered since April 2025, when the battery rebate was first announced, that could be a red flag.  
• What do reviews say about their brands’ components? SolarQuotes has a comprehensive list of .

To give you a head start with quotes from vetted installers, we’ve created the ĚÇĐÄVlog Solar Estimator with our solar partners, SolarQuotes. They are Australia’s most visited solar website and have been in the business since 2009.  

The tool is free to use, and will help you estimate your solar needs for your home, including solar battery storage. Plus if you want, this free service can connect you with three vetted installers in your local area for high-quality, obligation-free quotes.

Why we've partnered with SolarQuotes

We've partnered with SolarQuotes to help you find and buy the right solar, battery, heat pump and EV charger. While we make money if you use SolarQuotes to find an installer, this doesn't influence our ratings. 100% of the money we make goes directly back into our nonprofit mission.

3. Get multiple quotes and check them carefully

As with any major investment, we recommend sourcing at least three quotes for your installation. Again this might sound time-consuming, but it’s certainly worth the effort.

Getting multiple quotes provides a wider range of products and prices to choose from, and gives you more ammo to negotiate a better deal if need be. 

Additionally, talking to various installers is also great for getting intel on different system set-ups, like the best spots to position batteries, inverters and cabling (which can get ugly pretty quick), plus any other troubleshooting.

What to look for in a solar quote

• A printed formal document featuring the company’s name and key details (don’t accept hand-written quotes or receipts).
• An itemised list of all costs, labour and parts, including GST.
• The proposed system design with all components (panels, inverter and battery) specified by quantity, brand, model number and warranty.
• Clarity on substitutions for components if unavailable (beware of last minute downgrading, or upselling to more expensive ones!).
• Any additional work required on the premises. 
• An estimated timetable for supplying and installing the system.
• Applicable government rebates (officially known as Small-scale Technology Certificates, or STCs) and their resulting discounts 
• The actual installer should be named on the quote – are they a sub-contractor or in-house? The latter is preferred.
• Details of post-sales service and maintenance schedule (read more about how to maintain your solar panel system. 
• Business terms such as payment method, deposits and payment timetables, and how long the quote will be valid for.
• Additional costs: the quote should spell out clearly what future work is or isn’t covered by the quote, e.g. maintenance, system updates and so on.

4. Beware super cheap deals and dodgy tactics

With demand for solar running red-hot right now, some companies are trying everything to get your attention and business. 

We expose these shonky tactics more fully in our article on the red flags to watch out for, but here’s a topline summary of the warning signs to look out for. Be wary of any company that:

• Uses pushy sales techniques such as cold-calling or going door-to-door, and insists you sign up on the spot.
• Spruiks offers saying “limited time only”, “your suburb is now eligible” or “government rebates are ending now” (they do decrease over time, but they won’t end for years).
• Advertises “free solar”, “no net cost” or “no-interest finance” offers.
• Makes exaggerated claims such as “no more energy bills” or unrealistic investment payback times.
• Provides a lazy quote for a one-size-fits-all system (it should be customised to your home).
• Offers deals well under the usual market rate – you’ll end up with a poor-quality system.
• Offers a free “eligibility check” – it’s just a lead generator to get your info.
• Baits you with good-quality components and then swaps them for cheaper ones.
• Tries to upsell you to more expensive components.
• Only sells little-known brands untested in Australian conditions â€“ these may be OK but do exercise caution.

5. Understand warranties and what they cover

When it comes to solar, there are three different types of warranty you need to know about: 

Product warranty

This is the typical type of product warranty that offers repair or replacement if there are any critical manufacturing faults with the panels, inverter or storage battery. 

These average 20–30 years for solar panels, 10 for batteries and 5–10 for inverters depending on the product. As always, a longer warranty is a good indication of the manufacturer’s confidence in their product.

Performance warranty

Commonly included with solar panels and batteries, a performance warranty is a guarantee that as long as the equipment is functioning and undamaged, it will still deliver a guaranteed minimum performance for a certain time period. 

Most solar panels have 25-year performance warranties, while battery manufacturers often offer 10 years.

Workmanship warranty

This covers the provider’s workmanship in installing the system, including mounting racks, wiring and connections.

See our solar panel buying guide for more information.

6. Know your consumer rights if things goes wrong

Hopefully your installation goes smoothly and this is something you never need to resort to, but if your solar does go sideways, it’s important you know that your rights and protections under the Australian Consumer Law.

Cooling-off periods

Signed a deal on your doorstep but now you’re regretting it? When you sign a contract that has arisen from an unsolicited sale, a 10-day cooling-off period applies in which you can exit the deal.

Some suppliers may offer a 10-day cooling-off period in their terms, regardless of whether it was an unsolicited sale or not. Be sure to check.

Your rights under Australian Consumer Law

The Australian Consumer Law (ACL) offers protection for you if there are any problems with your solar system, whether that’s with the service provided by the installer, or the components of the system.

Service

The provision and installation of the solar PV system is a service by the solar company, and as such, according to the ACL it must be:

• performed with proper care and skill
• fit for a particular purpose or achieve the result you expected
• delivered within a reasonable time, or by the end date in a contract.

If you have a complaint about the service provided, see our guide to resolving issues with bad service under the ACL.

Products

The components of the system (including the panels, panel support racks, inverter, and electrical components) are covered by the ACL, just like any other product or appliance that you buy. Under the ACL, the components must be:

• of acceptable quality
• fit for purpose.

If the product fails to meet either of these conditions, you should be able to claim a repair, refund or replacement, depending on the nature of the problem.

See our guide to your rights with a faulty product for more advice on how to use the ACL to address any complaints with the installer or manufacturer.

The post How to find the best solar installer for panels and batteries appeared first on ĚÇĐÄVlog.

When you’re installing thousands of dollars’ worth of solar panels, you naturally want the best for your budget.

After all, how much electricity they generate will have a huge impact on your power bill savings and carbon footprint for decades to come. 

It’s easy (and human nature) to assume that the more expensive the panels are, the more superior, well-built and reliable they’ll be. But as our testing proves time and time again across hundreds of different appliances and products, higher price tags don’t automatically guarantee better performance. 

That’s why actual lab-based, real-world testing is so vital. Our latest review of popular panels definitely proved the point (see the solar panels to avoid here), with some cheaper 440-watt units clearly showing up more expensive panels.

​​For ĚÇĐÄVlog members only, we’ll reveal the top-rated budget solar panels (under $140 per panel) below, plus we share our expert tips for getting started with solar for your home.

If you want to just see the results, you can jump straight to the best budget solar panels now.

Panel pricing and sizing your system

How much do solar panels cost?

Unlike many other products, solar panels have actually come down in price over the past decade, thanks to economies of scale in manufacturing, a competitive market and improvements in panel technology.

In our latest test, panel models range in price from $120 to $280 and in claimed output from 430W to 475W. Note that panel prices are a guide only; the price you’ll pay per panel will be part of the overall installation package and may vary.

So how much does a whole solar panel array cost? According to our partners at SolarQuotes, these are the current estimated ranges for installation of a good quality solar panel system:

• 5 kilowatt: $4500–$8000
• 6.6 kilowatt: $5500–$9000
• 10 kilowatt: $8000–$13,000

The most popular size for new systems is 6.6kW, but bigger systems (9 to 10kW or more) are becoming more popular. The above prices include the federal government STC rebate and could be further reduced by state or territory rebates or schemes, if they’re currently available.

Why we've partnered with SolarQuotes

We've partnered with SolarQuotes to help you find and buy the right solar, battery, heat pump and EV charger. While we make money if you use SolarQuotes to find an installer, this doesn't influence our ratings. 100% of the money we make goes directly back into our nonprofit mission.

Determining your system size

We take a deeper dive into this in our buying guide, but it will depend on your power needs, available roof area and your budget.

It’s important to understand your current electricity consumption, so you’ll need to look at how much you use and when you use it throughout the day (analysing previous bills is a great first step). A good installer will also help you through this process.

As a guide, a typical Australian home uses 15–20kWh per day, but consumption can vary, depending on:

• how many people live there
• your location (are you frequently running air con or heaters?)
• if you use gas instead of electricity for cooking or hot water daytime and nighttime routines (are you home mostly or out?)
• additional needs like EV-charging, a pool, or air conditioning. 

Any excess electricity generated can be exported back to the grid to earn feed-in tariff credits, or charge a home storage battery to use at night.

If you’re considering the latter, you’ll want to upsize your solar panel system to ensure there’s enough solar incoming to run your home while also charging the battery.

How we test panels to find the best

ĚÇĐÄVlog has been reviewing solar panels for over a decade. We partner with , a world-class solar photovoltaics test laboratory in Canberra who have specialised equipment and expertise. 

PV Lab evaluates each panel’s power output under standard lab conditions, and conducts rigorous stress tests to see how they’ll cope on a rooftop in heat and rain.

We test three sample panels of each featured model, with all samples subjected to a range of identical assessments (learn more about how we test here).

These include: 

• Power output test (comprises 85% of ĚÇĐÄVlog Expert Rating)
• Visual inspection (5%)
• Electroluminescence testing (5%)
• Wet leakage test (5%)

Best budget panels from our test

In our product review, we’ve assessed 20 different panels from popular brands including Trina, SunPower, Jinko, Aiko, Canadian Solar, REC, Risen, DAS and more. 

These are the best performing budget models priced under $140 per panel. Not only are they great value, they also outperformed many more expensive panels costing over $200.

The post Best budget solar panels from our test appeared first on ĚÇĐÄVlog.

Once upon a time, electricity retailers would pay a pretty penny for the surplus power sent from your solar panels to the grid. 

In the late 2000s, some state governments offered tariffs as high as 40 to 60 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in a bid to boost solar uptake. 

Fast forward to the present and those incentives have definitely paid off. Australia now leads the world for solar adoption, with 4.2 million solar photovoltaic (PV) systems now installed across the country, according to the CSIRO (as of June 2025).

Of course, that’s great news for consumer energy independence and cutting power bills and climate pollution. But along the way, feed-in tariffs have tumbled to an average of around five cents per kWh, or even zero depending on your retail plan. 

With many solar owners still counting on a decent FiT to reduce bills, the crash has left many asking why it’s fallen so far, and what they should do now with their surplus solar power. 

We take a look at why FiTs have flatlined, the current rates still available, the emergence of new export charges, and how to best use your excess energy in future.

On this page:

• The rise and fall of FiTs over the years
• Why have FiTs dropped so much?
• Current FiT rates
• New factors: Variable rates and caps, free power and export charges
• Are FiTs still worth it?
• What to do with your surplus power

The rise and fall of FiTs over the years

Richard Foxworthy is an industry expert and the CEO of Bill Hero, a savings service that compares utility bills for customers across Australia. Since 2014, his company has analysed thousands of electricity retail plans, including the FiTs they offer.

He says there have been three main phases of FiT pricing.

1. The FiTs ‘premium’ phase: 2008–2016 

State governments offered huge FiTs (44c–60c/kWh) to kickstart the industry. Most of these ‘premium’ schemes have now ended or will end soon (for example, Queensland and South Australia in 2028).

2. The ‘fair value’ era: 2017–2020

As government subsidies ended, many state energy regulators set ‘minimum’ FiTs, with these rates decreasing yearly. They typically hovered around 10–12c/kWh.

South Australia and Victoria stopped setting minimum FiTs in 2017 and 2025 respectively,  while NSW never did (it does have voluntary benchmarks). Only Tasmania, Western Australia, the Northern Territory and regional Queensland still regulate FiTs. 

3. The ‘solar surplus’ era: 2021–present:

The combination of high solar uptake and cheaper, more-efficient panels has rapidly increased daytime energy production, which has crashed wholesale electricity prices.

Why we've partnered with SolarQuotes

We've partnered with SolarQuotes to help you find and buy the right solar, battery, heat pump and EV charger. While we make money if you use SolarQuotes to find an installer, this doesn't influence our ratings. 100% of the money we make goes directly back into our nonprofit mission.

Why have FiTs dropped so much?

“It’s ultimately supply and demand – the more solar kWh that get generated as more systems are installed, the lower the wholesale electricity spot price will go during those solar production hours,” says Foxworthy. 

“With the spot price so radically reduced compared to what it used to be, many electricity retailers can’t offer higher feed-in tariffs because literally at that time, the energy is not really worth much in the marketplace.”

If retailers do offer higher feed-in tariff rates, it’s part of their marketing strategy to attract and retain customers. But higher-FiT plans can have shortcomings (see the next section).

Current FiT rates: How much are retailers paying?

It’s a tricky question, given FiTs vary widely due to a range of factors. These include your electricity retailer, your location, the electricity plan you’re on and when you signed on. 

The good news is that while spot prices might hit zero during the day, many retailers still offer small FiTs to remain competitive in the market and attract customers. 

The graph below shows average FiTs by state and territory over the past three years. 

As you can see, rates hover around five cents per kWh, with some variance across locations, although Bill Hero’s Richard Foxworthy expects that to continue to drop in the near future.

Average FiT by state and year, based on Bill Hero data

Note: WA and NT are not included as they are independent networks and not part of the National Electricity Market (NEM), which Bill Hero services.

Don’t pick a plan based solely on FiT

Some plans still spruik above-average rates, but Foxworthy warns this shouldn’t be your only criteria when choosing a plan. 

“There are plans out there offering higher FiTs, which sound great, but they’re very likely to have a correspondingly unattractive daily usage rate. You need to consider the entire plan holistically.”

At the same time, he says solar owners shouldn’t instantly dismiss plans that offer zero FiT.

“We know from direct experience that there’s plenty of situations where a zero FiT plan can still represent the best value for a consumer, because you’ve got to also consider the consumption charges that come with it. Once again, there’s a trade-off that’s baked into every one of these plans.”

New factors: Variable rates and caps, free power and export charges

In response to the solar surge, many retailers have dramatically changed their plans and FiT payouts. Some now offer free electricity during the day, while others pay variable FiTs depending on times, and/or they cap FiTs to certain kWh limits per day. 

No doubt these new dynamics will make choosing the right electricity plan even more complicated (as if they weren’t complex enough). 

Variable FiTs and limits

Instead of flat rate FiTs, some retailers now pay variable rates based on the time of the day. These time-of-use (TOU) rates usually pay lowest during 10am to 3pm, slightly better in the early morning and late afternoon, and much higher after 4pm when the grid is hungriest.

Other plans taper FiTs to a certain kWh limit each day. For example, Alinta’s Solar Balance plan currently pays customers 10 cents per kWh for the first 10kWh exported daily and five cents for anything over that. 

‘Free electricity’ windows now available

With the over-supply of solar power, several retailers are now offering customers free electricity during certain time periods during the day (note: supply charges still apply and their peak rates can be more expensive). 

It’s a practice we’ll definitely see more of when the federal government’s new comes into play on 1 July. 

In a bid to lower power bills for everyone and ease peak demand in the evening, the scheme requires retailers to offer all residential customers at least three hours of free electricity during the day.

Initially the scheme will be available in states covered by the Australian Energy Regulator’s Default Market Offer (DMO) price cap, which is NSW, South Australia and South-East Queensland. Customers must opt in via their plan and have a smart meter installed.

Electricity export charges, aka the ‘sun tax’

In a sign of how quickly the market’s shifting, some customers may ultimately be penalised for exporting too much solar power. 

Last year, the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) permitted electricity distributors (the companies that own the infrastructure and provide power to retailers) to implement two-way pricing tariffs and charge a small fee per kWh if exports exceed a certain threshold during set times (usually 10am to 3pm). 

For example, NSW electricity distributor Ausgrid now lets customers export 200kWh a month between 10am to 3pm for free, but over that, it will charge retailers 1.23 cents per kWh exported. Between peak grid times of 4pm and 9pm, Ausgrid pays a FiT of 3.85 cents.

Whether these charges will be passed on to customers directly will depend on each retailer and their plans – some retailers might absorb them, but just reduce the FiTs they pay out.

This so-called ‘sun tax’ has angered many solar owners, but retailers argue it’s required to maintain grid stability and encourage customers to use their own generated electricity, or store it in a battery to use for later.

Are FiTs still worth it?

Sadly, the sun is setting on daytime FiTs, with the long-term forecast looking grim and rates expected to slide further. 

“The fundamental reality is that solar FiTs are rapidly trending towards $0, and therefore no longer represents a major financial reason for a solar investment alone,” says Foxworthy.

“Before long, solar export will attract network access fees for most solar households, so as well as earning very low FiTs, households can expect to be charged for the privilege of exporting their solar kWh.”

With that in mind, unless you’re on an older legacy plan still offering great FiTs, it’s probably wise to review your power bill and consider other ways to optimise those extra kWhs.

What to do with your surplus solar

So with daytime FiTs fading, where does that leave solar owners and their excess electricity? And what are the best options to use it going forward?

Rather than sending solar to the grid for pennies, or being charged to do so, Foxworthy says home owners should aim to “maximise self-consumption of solar generation and minimise the need for high-priced kWh imports at other times of day”.

There’s two key ways to do this:

1. Shift your power use to peak solar hours

This requires changing up your routine to run appliances like dishwashers or washing machines, or charging your EV or e-bike, either side of midday rather than at night (using your appliances’ timers can be quite helpful for this).

For example, a dishwasher uses around one kWh per cycle on average. Run it through the day and it’ll cost nothing with solar, but use it at night and it’ll chew up peak grid rates – let’s say it’s 35 cents per kWh, for this example. It might not seem like much, but using solar for one wash a day will save you $127.75 yearly.

Of course, time-shifting sounds great but it is difficult if work or other commitments mean you’re not home much. Plus at night, you’ll always need to use some power for cooking, lights, heaters and other appliances. That’s where a home battery comes in handy.

2. Store power in a battery

Historically, home batteries have been very expensive, but that’s changed considerably with the federal government’s solar battery rebate now offering a discount of around 30% off the installation price.

Still, they don’t come cheap – even with the rebate, a 10kWh battery installed costs between $7,000-$11,000 – so you’ll need to do some maths to ensure it’s right for your budget and home power usage. See our battery buying guide for more on prices and payback periods.

If you do install one,  you can bank all that juicy sunshine during the day (and even charge it during the aforementioned ‘free power’ windows) and use as you please. 

“A battery allows you to capture and store the excess kWh that otherwise would be exported at very low FiT rates,” says Foxworthy. 

“You can use that electricity later to avoid buying expensive peak-time grid power that will cost 35 cents or more. The financial opportunity for the battery is in the spread between the high price you avoid paying and the low FiT price that you forgo earning.”

If you still have excess power left over, you can also export it to the grid when FiTs are much higher, or funnel it to a virtual power plant for extra credit.

The post Solar feed-in tariffs: Why they’re falling, current rates and what to do next appeared first on ĚÇĐÄVlog.

According to a new carbon credit exchange platform called Aetium, the answer is yes.

Aetium is set up to issue carbon credits to people who have EVs or solar technology and offer them for sale to businesses or individuals who want to offset their carbon emissions. The scheme is also open to people who have forests on their property, defined as more than 50 trees.

The company claims that buyers of the carbon credits are making contributions that reduce net carbon dioxide (°ä°żâ‚‚) emissions, thereby reducing the buyers’ carbon footprints.

Aetium is a new entry in the world of voluntary carbon credit schemes as opposed to mandatory, government-regulated ones. Its aim, like that of other grassroots schemes, is to turn households into issuers of carbon credits.

But the advocacy group Climate Integrity has taken issue with the company’s claims of being able to contribute to the effort of reducing °ä°żâ‚‚ in the atmosphere.

The not-for-profit says Aetium’s claims lack supporting evidence and are not validated by any third-party certifier of voluntary carbon offsets or independent standards regime. They are also not certified by any government-operated crediting scheme, the not-for-profit says. In short, the business isn’t regulated by anyone.

Working with lawyers from the Environmental Defenders Office (an Australian NGO), Climate Integrity recently filed a complaint with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission about Aetium, flagging potentially misleading and deceptive conduct.

The not-for-profit has also filed a complaint with Ad Standards, charging that Aetium’s claims may be in breach of the Environmental Claims Code.

°ä°żâ‚‚ removal or business as usual?

In order for a carbon credits scheme to prove its credits represent genuine °ä°żâ‚‚ reductions, Climate Integrity says it needs to pass the “additionality” test. This measures whether emissions reductions can be linked directly to the scheme or would have happened without the scheme in place.

The requirement to achieve additionality has been endorsed by virtually all carbon crediting regimes around the world as well as by climate scientists, Climate Integrity says. 

“An additionality test is a critical integrity safeguard in all major carbon credit standards. It assesses whether a project genuinely creates additional emissions reductions, beyond business as usual and which would not have occurred in the absence of the incentive,” says executive director Claire Snyder.

“Aetium’s credits fail to meet an additionality test because consumers signing up to the scheme would have bought and used their EVs or solar panels whether Aetium existed or not.”

The credits issued therefore don’t satisfy the principle of additionality and do not represent genuine reductions in carbon emissions, Climate Integrity says.

It also makes the case that Aetium’s methodologies are based on the contentious concept of “avoided emissions”, whereby emission reductions are calculated by comparing the activity in question (in this case driving an EV, having solar panels, or owning a forest) against hypothetical emissions-intensive alternatives.  

For Climate Integrity, the hypotheticals lack a firm grounding in the real world. “Avoided emissions offsets cannot cancel out emissions, and claims of their environmental benefits are likely to mislead consumers,” the group says. 

Aetium has signed up to the Australian Carbon Industry , but when Climate Integrity contacted the organisation, it was told that it doesn’t assess whether carbon credits are legitimate or not.

“Aetium’s claim that it aligns with the industry code of conduct is another example of the integrity crisis in Australia’s carbon market,” Snyder says. 

Aetium: ‘Voluntary actions must be recognised’

Aetium managing director Christopher Ride tells ĚÇĐÄVlog that the company is a new type of carbon credit platform that shouldn’t be compared to more traditional models. He suggests that Climate Integrity is damning a carbon credit scheme it doesn’t understand.

The company acknowledges that it’s not endorsed by the widely accepted certification or standards schemes, but says such bodies weren’t designed to oversee small-scale voluntary operations such as Aetium.

“Innovation often opens necessary debate, particularly in carbon markets, where concepts such as additionality and their interpretations continue to evolve,” Ride says. “Our view is clear – for Australia to reach Net Zero, voluntary community actions, like solar or EVs, must be recognised and rewarded, not ignored.” (Net Zero means the human race taking out as much °ä°żâ‚‚ – or greenhouse gasses – from the atmosphere as we put in.)

The company says that around 4000 people in Australia are currently using the platform but stresses that it has yet to collect fees, sell credits or retire carbon units. (Usually units are retired when one unit of °ä°żâ‚‚, normally a tonne, is confirmed to have been removed from or prevented from entering the atmosphere though the project that issued the credit.)

Ride says there is no regulatory framework at the moment that captures the “necessary evolution” that Aetium represents. The current additionality rules do not allow smaller, voluntary projects to be formally recognised, the company says.

Aetium argues that the lack of government certification doesn’t mean it and other voluntary carbon credit schemes aren’t contributing to a reduction of °ä°żâ‚‚ emissions, as long as the accounting of reductions is transparent and defensible.

“We are a technology-first company measuring positive impact, actively working with regulators to identify the appropriate path forward,” Ride says.

He maintains that the company’s methodologies are robust.

“From an ESG reporting perspective, Aetium’s aggregated reporting of current and future actions is designed to the highest level of accuracy, transparency, and consistency. Moving beyond simple estimates, it takes into account up to twice as many variables and parameters than current methods.” (ESG stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance and is used to assess a company’s sustainability profile.)

Carbon credit market in disarray

Voluntary schemes may have their place, but the whole idea of carbon credits – that overall °ä°żâ‚‚ emissions will be reduced when companies that produce a lot of °ä°żâ‚‚ pay money to projects focused on reducing it – appears to be on shaky ground at this point.

In a recent , Climate Integrity head of corporate accountability Michael Mazengarb argues that multiple academic studies have shown that claims of emission reductions through carbon credit schemes have either been untrue or “grossly exaggerated”.

He cites one study that found that around 90% of carbon credits issued under some schemes could not be linked to actual emissions reductions.

A 2023 article by public policy think tank The Australia Institute said depending on carbon credits to offset emissions “is mathematically impossible and a recipe for climate disaster”.

In 2024, ĚÇĐÄVlog reported on Climate Integrity’s case against Qantas Airlines’ carbon neutral claims. The charge was that such claims in its marketing materials were highly suspect due to its heavy reliance on fossil fuels. Whatever mitigation efforts it claimed to be doing couldn’t possibly offset this.

In a response to our queries at the time, Qantas acknowledged that the science behind its marketing messages was a work in progress.

“The integrity flaws are well documented, and become doubly problematic when offsets are used to pardon other emissions-intensive activities,”  Mazengarb wrote in Review Economy, referring to carbon credit schemes in general.

‘False solutions’

Last year, EnergyAustralia discontinued its Go Neutral carbon offset scheme after the environmental advocacy group Parents for Climate took the company to court, alleging greenwashing.

“While EnergyAustralia participated in the Climate Active certified carbon offset program in good faith, today EnergyAustralia accepts that there is legitimate public concern about the efficacy of these programs,” the company’s chief customer officer, Kate Gibson, said at the time, adding that carbon offsets “should not be used to delay or diminish the important work that needs to be done to actively decarbonise”.

An October 2025 article written by a group of carbon credit experts (including several from Australian universities) and published in the journal Nature argues that the use of carbon offsets, particularly those whose credibility is suspect, “undermines decarbonisation by enabling companies and countries to claim that emissions have been reduced when they have not. This results in more emissions, delays the phase-out of fossil fuels and diverts scarce resources to false solutions”.

In the big picture, there may be valid views on both sides about whether voluntary carbon credit schemes such as Aetium are helping to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions. But for organisations such as Climate Integrity and Parents for Climate, the real focus should be on the world’s major °ä°żâ‚‚ emitters finding ways to pollute less, or not at all.

Allowing them to keep pumping out carbon dioxide and contributing to global warming while claiming that they’re offsetting this through questionable schemes – whether voluntary or mandatory – doesn’t seem to be moving the needle in the right direction.

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