Incentives

Australian Solar Incentives Explained

Updated 13 October 20268 min read

Five schemes drive most Australian commercial solar and battery incentives: STCs (federal, upfront, systems under 100 kW), LGCs (federal, annual, above 100 kW), VEECs (Victoria, stacking with federal certificates), the NSW PDRS for batteries, and the federal Cheaper Home Batteries battery STCs (bSTC). Amperage applies the schemes your project is eligible for automatically, using the site's state, postcode zone and system size.

Most of the "rebate" on a commercial solar system is the market value of certificates the installation creates. Four schemes do most of the work. Amperage applies the ones your project is eligible for, based on the site's state, postcode zone and system size. This page is the map. Each scheme links to a live calculator for exact numbers.

STCs: federal, upfront, up to 1 MW

Small-scale Technology Certificates cover solar up to 1 MW of site capacity for installs from 1 October 2026, and the first 100 kW for installs before that date. The count depends on the postcode's zone rating and the deeming period (the years left to 2030, or a fixed five years for a 100 kW–1 MW system). The value comes upfront as a discount on the install. In Amperage, STCs reduce the net cost that payback and NPV are measured against. Exact figures: STC calculator.

LGCs: federal, annual, above the STC ceiling

Above the STC ceiling (1 MW of site capacity for installs from 1 October 2026, 100 kW before) a system becomes a small power station. The balance earns Large-scale Generation Certificates each year on actual metered generation, through to the scheme's 2030 end. LGCs are revenue, not a discount. Amperage adds them to the yearly cashflow as a time-limited stream. That is why a system past the ceiling can pay back faster than its upfront cost suggests. Exact figures: LGC calculator.

In force from 1 October 2026: the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Amendment (Mid-scale Solar) Regulations 2026, registered on 17 September 2026, moved STC eligibility from 100 kW to 1 MW for solar installed from 1 October 2026. The band is measured on the site’s total capacity: the new array plus any related systems and accredited power stations. Above 1 MW, the first megawatt earns STCs and the balance earns LGCs. The same split applied at 100 kW before. Public calculators on this site price the band automatically. In the workspace the mid-scale regime is on by default for install dates from 1 October 2026 and can be switched off per project. Details: STCs now extend to 1 MW.

VEECs: Victoria, stacking with federal certificates

Victorian Energy Efficiency Certificates apply to commercial solar from 30 to 200 kW under VEU Activity 47, in addition to the federal certificates on the same system. They also explain why the "Grant Maximising" scenario's size cap moves for installs before 1 October 2026. STC value flatlined just under 100 kW, but VEECs kept incentive value growing to 200 kW. From 1 October 2026 the cap is the 1 MW STC ceiling. Exact figures: VEEC calculator.

NSW PDRS: batteries, not panels

The NSW Peak Demand Reduction Scheme pays Peak Reduction Certificates for batteries that cut demand in the summer evening peak. The value is deemed upfront as an install discount. The panels earn STCs or LGCs. Solar and storage are claimed under separate schemes. On eligible NSW projects Amperage prices the PDRS into the battery scenarios.

The value depends on whether the battery comes with new solar. Installed within 90 days of new solar, the battery earns the higher solar-route value. This applies only if the new solar is at least a quarter of the battery's usable capacity. Below that, it earns no PRCs at all. Outside 90 days, or with no new solar (a battery-only install), the lower battery-only rate applies with no solar requirement. On Solar & Battery, the Incentives card has a checkbox for the 90-day case. Exact figures: PDRS calculator.

Batteries: battery STCs (bSTC)

The federal Cheaper Home Batteries program pays battery STCs, shown as bSTC in Amperage. Despite the name, it is open to small businesses. A battery qualifies if it is between 5 and 100 kWh and is installed with solar on site (new and existing added together) of no more than 100 kW. A battery above 100 kWh earns none. Certificates are counted on the first 50 kWh only. Each step of capacity is weighted less than the one before. The number per kWh steps down every six months to 2030. Like STCs, the value comes off the install price upfront. Amperage applies it from the battery's capacity and install date, alongside the PDRS where both fit. Exact figures: Cheaper Home Batteries calculator.

How they stack

Up to 1 MW (installed from 1 October 2026): STCs upfront; plus VEECs in Victoria from 30 to 200 kW; plus battery schemes if storage is included.
Over 1 MW: STCs on the first 1 MW, LGCs annually on the balance.
Installed before 1 October 2026: STCs on the first 100 kW and LGCs on the balance; plus VEECs in Victoria from 30 to 200 kW.
NSW: federal certificates for the panels, PDRS for the battery. They cover different parts of the project, so both apply.

The full stacking rules, state by state, live on the solar incentives hub.

Certificate prices float. STCs, LGCs, VEECs and PRCs trade on markets, so quoted values are estimates that move between quote and install. Amperage starts from current market prices. You can change them per project (on the Incentives card in an Analysis, or Credits & Incentives on a Proposal's Pricing page). Incentives show as their own line, so a proposal always shows how much of the economics is scheme value.