The Victorian Government will provide half price solar batteries for 10,000 households in the state that already have solar panels.
The $40 million program is part of the State Government’s massive new Solar Homes initiative, which is cutting electricity bills with either solar panels, solar hot water or solar batteries for 720,000 homes over the next 10 years.
Eligible homeowners will be able to save up to $4838 on installation of a battery storage unit. This will save households with an average 11kwH battery around $650 a year on their electricity bills in addition to savings they are already making with solar panels.
Under the scheme, homeowners can get a 50 per cent rebate for installation of a battery storage unit, capped at $4838 in the first year and tapering down to $3714 by 2026 as the price of batteries comes down.
The battery program will be available in growth areas where there are already a large number of homes with solar panels. This will pave the way for future microgrids, allowing households in a local area to share their stored power to lower electricity prices even further.
A re-elected Labor Government will also work with distributors and invest $10 million to transition the grid to support more renewable energy over the next ten years, including a new expert Network Services Advisory Committee and regulatory reform.
The Solar Homes program is available to Victorians with a household income of up to $180,000 who live in their own home valued at up to $3 million – with homeowners only eligible for one rebate.
The $1.34 billion program includes half price solar panels for 650,000 households, $1000 off the cost of solar hot water with rebates for 60,000 homes, and half price solar batteries for 10,000 households that already have solar panels.
Minister for Energy, Lily D’Ambrosio, said, “This is about modernising our electricity grid to help us transition to a more affordable, reliable and clean energy system.”
A new independent agency – Solar Victoria – will be established to work with industry, regulators and training organisations to deliver the program, which will create almost 5500 new jobs.
Safety is paramount, and the Solar Homes program includes $9 million to support accreditation of 4500 electricians to install solar panels and batteries. These systems will only be installed by accredited solar installers using approved products to ensure the highest safety standards.
The Solar Homes program will bring the number of homes in Victoria with solar panels to one million within ten years. It will also save Victorians more than $500 million a year on their electricity bills once the program is complete and generate 12.5 per cent of Victoria’s target to generate 40 per cent renewable energy by 2025.
