NSW Solar Rebates; A Win-Win For Homeowners And The Environment

Compared with all the other continents on Earth, Australia receives more average hours of sunshine than them all. From the peerless Sydney Opera House to the vast, sweeping glory of the Kakadu National Park, Australia experiences countless hours of glorious sunshine. Amounts vary and those in New South Wales don’t expect the same constant barrage of rays as the sandy suburbs of Perth, but there is still more than enough to be of great use.  

In a warming world where the environment is under ever-greater threat, it would be strange and irresponsible not to make the absolute best use of all that free energy. But, of course, nothing ever truly comes for free, and there are some associated costs involved in solar power. Solar power plants on an industrial scale are making solar energy more affordable and the government is pushing hard to encourage change. That is why incentives were devised and offered, coming in the form of financial bonuses/rebates for businesses and residents to utilise solar power.

The Small-Scale Renewable Energy Scheme

The Federal Governing body of Australia has signed up to and is therefore obligated to meet an annual Renewable Energy Target (RET). To this end, the government rewards anyone who uses a solar power system to help power their home. This is a scheme referred to as the Small-Scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES). In a nutshell, any currency due is transferred in the form of Small-Scale Technology Certificates (STCs). The amount received is determined by the quantity of kWh any given system generates and feeds back to the grid. 

• This can actually represent a very sizeable amount of money and typical households can expect to see a solar rebate NSW of around 30% of the total cost of their bill. Even in the slightly-less sun-drenched East, that is almost a third off the energy bill and goes a long way towards helping out. It is little wonder more and more houses are joining the scheme and taking advantage.  

A limited-time offer

The news is not all good and the schemes generated by Australia’s adherence to its RET commitments are scheduled to come to an end in 2030. The longer homeowners wait to install their solar power systems (small-scale), the less they will benefit financially in the long run. However, the benefits of having your own power plant will continue to far outweigh any initial costs and the green nature of the energy is something we can all benefit from moving forwards. 

State scheme for solar rebate NSW

Alongside the national government’s drive to increase solar power usage, some states offer their own extra incentives. For example, the solar rebate NSW is further sweetened by the state government, whereby low-income residents can receive free solar power systems capable of generating up to 3kWh of energy. Provided they own the property and are prepared to sacrifice their low-income household rebate for a period of 10 years, residents in the following areas are eligible:

• Central Coast 
• North Coast 
• South Sydney 
• Shoalhaven 
• Illawarra
• South Coast

Final thoughts

The more Australia can transition towards making full use of such a prevalent, predictable source of renewable energy the better financial position many people will find themselves in. Perhaps more importantly, they will be doing their part to limit the country’s contribution to climate change and helping to secure a brighter future for the generations that follow.