Queensland solar and batteries opportunity

21 Nov 2018

Renew is encouraging households in Queensland to take advantage of new rebates available for solar and batteries.

The Queensland Government has announced a new grant of $3000 for homes that install batteries, in addition to extending the availability of interest-free loans that were already available for households installing solar. There are three levels of assistance available:

  • Loans and grants for battery systems
  • Loans and grants for combined solar and battery systems
  • Interest-free loans for solar.

The number of grants available is capped, so the sooner you apply the more likely you are to receive a grant.

BATTERY ONLY
For homes with solar (not receiving the 44-cent feed-in tariff), grants of $3000 and interest-free loans of up to $6000 are available for the installation of batteries. This grant is capped at 500 new batteries, so if you want to apply for this loan you’d better get in soon! The interest-free loan needs to be repaid within 10 years.

SOLAR AND BATTERY
For homes without solar, there are grants of $3000 and interest-free loans of up to $10,000 available for the installation of solar and batteries. Once again the grants are capped, and only available for 100 new systems, so if you want to apply you should get moving!

SOLAR ONLY
From June this year, interest-free loans of up to $4500 have been available for homes looking to install solar, with the loan being repaid within seven years. These loans will only be available for owner-occupiers, and are not available at all for rental properties – for either the tenant or the landlord. Additionally, they are only available for families – the applicants must receive Family Tax Benefit B.

To be eligible for the loan, the household must have spent more than $1000 over the past six months, or more than $2000 over the past twelve months, on electricity bills, and can’t have existing solar panels.

HOW TO APPLY
The first step is to get a quote from an eligible battery supplier for an eligible battery system. A list of eligible suppliers and batteries is available online at www.qld.gov.au/batteryloans, as is a (larger) list of eligible solar installers for the solar only loans. Then submit your online application at www.qld.gov.au/batteryloans.

Once you have submitted your application you’ll need to wait for it to be approved – once the application has been approved, tell your supplier and have the system installed (if the system is installed before you’ve had confirmation that your application has been approved then the system won’t be eligible).

The next step is go back online to have your approved dollar amount paid to your supplier. You’ll have six months to have your system installed from the date that your application is approved.

MORE INFO:
http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/2018/11/18/battery-grants-drive-next-renewable-wave
http://www.qld.gov.au/batteryloans