How state support differs from federal
The federal schemes are automatic and installer-managed: your accredited installer assigns the certificates and deducts the value. There is nothing for you to apply for.
Victorian programs work the other way. They generally require you to apply, often before you sign an installation contract, and they usually carry eligibility conditions — property value caps, household income limits, or requirements about how long you have owned the home.
This is the single most common way people lose money. Sign the contract first and you may permanently disqualify yourself from a state rebate you would otherwise have received. Always confirm the current application sequence before committing.
What Victoria has offered
Solar Victoria's Solar Homes program has, over time, included rebates for solar PV, hot water and batteries, plus interest-free loans that let you spread the remaining cost. The battery component in particular changed significantly once the federal battery discount arrived, to avoid duplicating support.
Confirm current Victorian programs, amounts and eligibility These change more often than the federal schemes and have been restructured repeatedly. We deliberately do not publish specific dollar figures here that could be out of date by the time you read it — check solar.vic.gov.au, or ask us and we will check on the day.
The Victorian Energy Upgrades program
Separate from Solar Homes, the VEU program provides discounts on a range of energy-efficiency measures through accredited providers. It does not generally cover solar PV, but it can cover things worth doing alongside it — hot water heat pumps, efficient heating and cooling, and draught sealing.
A heat pump hot water system paired with solar is often a better spend than extra panels, because it converts surplus daytime generation into stored hot water rather than exporting it for a few cents.
What to check before you sign anything
- Whether the program requires approval before you sign an installation contract.
- Property value and income thresholds, and how they are assessed.
- Whether the property must be owner-occupied, and for how long.
- Whether a previous rebate on the same property excludes you.
- Whether the installer must be on an approved retailer list.
- For loans: the repayment term, and what happens if you sell.
Ask us to check
Because these programs move, we check current eligibility as part of quoting rather than relying on what was true last quarter. If a state program applies to you, we will tell you what to apply for and in what order.