STCs for systems up to 1MW
Small-scale Technology Certificates reduce upfront costs for eligible systems up to 100kW and, from 1 October 2026, eligible mid-scale systems up to 1MW with a fixed 5-year deeming period.
Commercial solar rebates
Compare business solar rebates, tax incentives, and installer proposals.
We help businesses compare trusted installers and claim their commercial solar rebates, worth around $23,000–$32,000 in STCs on a 100kW system.
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3,600+
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Quote process
3 quotes
Key schemes
STCs up to 1MW
What to compare
A useful rebate quote separates assumptions from real savings.
Which certificate pathway applies: STCs up to 100kW, mid-scale STCs up to 1MW, or certificates over time?
Are STCs deducted upfront, or are LGC or REGO certificates modelled over time?
Which state, grant, finance, or tax assumptions are included?
What payback has been calculated from solar usage versus exported power?
Incentive types
Commercial solar incentives are not one single rebate.
The right comparison depends on system size, energy use, certificate treatment, tax position, location, and whether the installer has clearly separated assumptions from guaranteed savings.
Certificates earned over time
Large projects create certificates from actual generation over time (LGCs until the RET ends in 2030, and REGO certificates beyond it). Mid-scale systems can choose REGO instead of upfront STCs.
Tax and write-off treatment
Some businesses may be able to use depreciation, write-off rules, or energy-efficiency incentives depending on timing and eligibility.
State and sector programs
Grants, low-interest finance, audits, batteries, and efficiency programs can vary by state, business type, and project scope.
Eligibility lens
A better proposal should explain what applies to your business.
The most useful rebate conversation is tied to your site. A warehouse, medical centre, retail store, farm, and office building can all have different load profiles and different commercial returns.
Compare proposals
Find out what your business may be eligible for.
Get commercial solar quotes that make rebate assumptions, certificate treatment, and projected savings easier to compare side by side.
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Understanding Commercial Solar Rebates
This is the ultimate guide to understanding commercial solar rebates, business solar incentives, tax considerations, and certificate schemes in Australia.
Below we answer the most popular questions business owners ask us about the rebates.
So if you want to:
- Learn about the Federal Government Commercial Solar Rebate
- Check if your State Government has current energy subsidies available to businesses
- Find out about the available solar tax incentives
- Understand the main factors that influence commercial solar savings
- Confirm your eligibility
Then you’ll find this page very helpful!
Let’s dive into it!
Business Solar Rebates in Australia: A Strategic Approach to Overhead Reduction
Going solar can be extremely beneficial to businesses of all sizes, particularly those that use the majority of their energy during the standard 9-5 schedule. A well designed commercial solar power system has the potential to become a cashflow positive asset from the day one!
The energy cost savings from installing solar can be bolstered by certificate schemes, tax treatment, grants, finance programs, and other incentives tailored to businesses. Once business owners understand the savings possible with a well designed installation, the appeal of solar energy can become an attractive business proposition.
Outlined below are key commercial solar rebates available in Australia, aimed at expediting the return on investment for businesses:
Federal Government Solar Rebates
The federal Renewable Energy Target supports commercial solar through two schemes:
- Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES), which creates Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs). Their value is usually passed on as an upfront discount on your quote.
- Large-scale Renewable Energy Target (LRET), under which accredited power stations create Large-scale Generation Certificates (LGCs) over time from the electricity they generate.
What changed on 1 October 2026: the SRES now extends to eligible mid-scale solar systems from 100kW to 1MW installed from 1 October 2026. Previously, systems above 100kW fell outside the small-scale scheme. How the three size bands now compare:
- Up to 100kW: upfront STCs, with a deeming period that shortens each year until the scheme ends in 2030, so an identical system installed in a later year earns fewer certificates.
- 100kW to 1MW (installed from 1 October 2026): eligible systems can claim upfront STCs with a fixed 5-year deeming period. The Clean Energy Regulator says STC applications for these systems will not open until mid to late November 2026, and existing SRES requirements continue to apply unless otherwise specified.
- Above 1MW: outside the small-scale scheme. Large projects are assessed as power stations and create certificates over time from actual generation rather than receiving an upfront discount.
Upfront STCs or certificates over time? Owners of 100kW to 1MW systems can alternatively register under the Renewable Electricity Guarantee of Origin (REGO), which issues a certificate for each megawatt-hour actually generated. The two are not additive: if you claim STCs for a mid-scale system, you cannot create REGO certificates for that system during the deeming period. The Regulator has said it will publish further guidance on existing systems, extensions and upgrades, so ask your installer which pathway a proposal assumes and confirm it against current guidance.
Planning beyond 2030: the Renewable Energy Target ends in 2030, and with it LGC creation, while REGO continues beyond it. Certificate income should be modelled conservatively in any proposal, and an upfront STC discount should be shown as its own line. For systems up to 100kW, the installation date affects the size of the STC discount; for 100kW to 1MW, getting eligibility and the certificate pathway right matters more than rushing an install. Our guide to commercial solar and battery rebates in 2026 walks through the October changes and NSW business battery incentives.
Feed-in Tariffs
While not a direct rebate, feed-in tariffs serve as a financial incentive for solar adoption by compensating businesses for excess solar electricity exported to the grid. Although their value has decreased over time, optimising internal consumption of solar-generated power remains a lucrative strategy, given the considerable disparity between grid electricity rates and solar export rates. This is particularly beneficial when an energy audit is completed, and your business energy tariff can be optimised to maximise your energy savings.
Energy Efficient Communities Program
In addition to solar rebates, the Federal Government's Energy Efficient Communities Program targets solar uptake by offering avenues for investment in monitoring systems and energy audits, particularly catering to the food and beverage manufacturing sector.
State Government Solar Rebates
States occasionally introduce initiatives such as low-interest financing or grants tailored to specific sectors. See below the current state level rebates & grants.
Northern Territory Home & Business Battery Scheme
The Northern Territory Government’s Home & Business Battery Scheme allows homeowners and businesses receive a grant of $450 per kWh of useable battery capacity up to maximum grant value of $6,000.
ACT Business Energy & Water Program
The Australian National Territory (ACT) Government’s Business Energy & Water Program allow eligible small-to-medium businesses reduce operational costs with a rebate up to $10,000 to upgrade to energy-efficient and water-efficient technologies.
Energy Rebates are available for energy efficient upgrades including gas to electric upgrades as well as upgrades for heating, cooling, lighting and refrigeration. The maximum rebate for electric-to-electric upgrades is $5,000 (incl GST), while gas-to-electric upgrades are capped at $10,000 (incl GST).
Rebates are only available for upgrades that have not yet commenced. Eligibility criteria applies.
Tax Incentives and Asset Write-Off Considerations
Commercial solar can also have tax implications for eligible businesses. Depending on the business, timing, turnover, asset cost, financing structure, and current tax rules, solar may be treated through depreciation, write-off provisions, or other business asset rules.
Because tax settings change, businesses should confirm the current treatment with their accountant or tax adviser before relying on any solar proposal. A good commercial solar quote should make clear which savings are energy savings, which are certificate-based discounts, and which are tax assumptions.
When applied to business solar specifically, tax treatment can help businesses evaluate the after-tax case for investing in an asset that reduces operating costs over time.
Energy Efficiency Incentives
From time to time, businesses may also be able to access incentives for energy-efficient upgrades, electrification, monitoring, audits, batteries, heat pumps, or other equipment that reduces energy use.
The details, timing, caps, and eligibility criteria can change. Some programs are federal, while others are state or territory based. Others are sector-specific, such as support for manufacturers, food and beverage businesses, or small businesses upgrading inefficient equipment.
This is why it is important to compare commercial solar proposals carefully. The strongest proposals should show the system cost, certificate treatment, tax assumptions, projected energy savings, export assumptions, and any available grant or finance support separately.
Navigating the generous rebates & tax incentives for your business. The expert team at Your Solar Quotes is here to guide you through the process. With over a decade of experience and thousands of satisfied businesses helped, we'll maximise your solar investment returns. Request obligation free quotes today to slash your business overheads, and start saving with solar!
Commercial Solar Rebates FAQs
For a 100kW commercial solar system installed in 2026, the upfront STC rebate is typically worth around $23,000 to $32,000. The system earns 592 STCs in Zone 4 up to 811 STCs in Zone 1 over the 5-year 2026 deeming period, and each STC is worth up to the $40 Clearing House price. This rebate is normally applied as an upfront discount on the system cost by your installer rather than paid back to you as a separate amount.
For example, a 100kW commercial solar system in Australia typically lands in the order of $130,000 before the rebate, which means it would usually be quoted at around $98,000 to $107,000 after the STC discount is taken off. The exact STC zone, certificate count, and dollar value should be itemised on every commercial solar quote so you can see exactly what has been applied and check that the numbers are consistent across competing proposals.
Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs) are typically deducted upfront from the system price as a single discount at the point of sale. They apply to eligible systems up to 100kW and, from 1 October 2026, to eligible mid-scale systems from 100kW up to 1MW, which receive a fixed 5-year deeming period.
Large-scale Generation Certificates (LGCs) are created over time by accredited power stations based on the electricity they actually generate, and can be sold as an ongoing revenue stream. LGC creation ends with the Renewable Energy Target in 2030, while Renewable Electricity Guarantee of Origin (REGO) certificates continue beyond it. Mid-scale systems can choose REGO instead of upfront STCs, but not both for the deeming period, so ask each installer which certificate pathway their proposal assumes.
Australia is divided into four STC zones based on solar resource, with Zone 1 covering the sunniest parts of the country and Zone 4 covering the least sunny. Every system is assigned a zone rating that multiplies its kilowatt capacity to calculate how many STCs are issued. Zone 1 carries the highest multiplier (around 1.622), Zone 2 around 1.536, Zone 3 around 1.382, and Zone 4 around 1.185.
In practical terms, the same 50kW system installed in Zone 3 will create roughly 17% more STCs than one installed in Zone 4, which directly increases the upfront rebate dollar value. Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth fall mostly in Zone 3, Brisbane and Townsville in Zone 2, the Northern Territory and northern WA in Zone 1, and most of Tasmania and the southern Victorian coast in Zone 4. Your installer should clearly show the assigned zone and the resulting rebate figure on every quote.
STC rebates are usually treated as a price reduction on the system rather than separate income, so they typically lower the capital cost of the asset for depreciation and write-off purposes rather than appearing as taxable revenue. In practice, the depreciable cost base of the system is the net price after the STC discount has been applied.
LGC revenue is generally treated differently and is usually recognised as income in the year it is received from selling the certificates. Tax treatment can also depend on how the system is financed, your business structure, and the rules in force at the time of installation, so confirm the specifics with your accountant or tax adviser before relying on a particular outcome in a commercial solar proposal.
In many cases, yes. The federal STC scheme is separate from state and territory grant, rebate, and finance programs, so a single commercial solar project may be eligible for both at the same time. For example, a 60kW system in some states may attract the full STC discount as an upfront price reduction and still be eligible for a separate state-funded grant or low-interest finance program on top of that.
The details, caps, and eligibility windows vary by state, business type, and project scope, and a small number of programs cannot be combined with each other or with specific finance products. A strong commercial proposal should list every rebate, grant, and incentive that has been applied, the dollar value of each, and any conditions or stacking rules attached, so you can see clearly what is genuinely on offer.
Since 2014, Your Solar Quotes has helped 100,000+ Australian homeowners and 3,600+ businesses compare the best solar companies and save money on their energy bills. We have built a curated network of 966 CEC accredited installers and suppliers across Australia, every one personally vetted, so customers receive transparent, apples-for-apples proposals rather than generic sales quotes.
By requesting three obligation-free proposals through Your Solar Quotes, you put trusted installers in direct competition for your project, which typically delivers stronger pricing, better equipment, and longer warranties than going direct to a single installer. Every comparison is backed by thousands of detailed customer reviews you can read in full before you commit.
Want to learn more about solar for business?
Read our Commercial Solar Guide for 2026! Learn everything you need to know about solar power, brands you can trust, commercial rebates & pricing for solar in 2026!
Read The Guide