The solar rebate ACT households can get depends on whether they hold a concession card. As at 12 November 2026, the ACT Government pays a rebate of up to $2,500 on rooftop solar only to concession card holders, through the Home Energy Support Program. Everyone else gets a 3 per cent Sustainable Household Scheme loan of $2,000 to $20,000 for a battery (not panels), plus the federal discounts: about $1,710 to $1,800 off a 6.6 kW solar system in Canberra and about $3,460 to $3,640 off a 13.5 kWh battery.
This guide is independent desk research, checked against ACT and federal government sources. No installer, retailer or lender paid to be mentioned.
Key facts
- As at 12 November 2026, the ACT Sustainable Household Scheme lends eligible ACT households $2,000 to $20,000 at 3 per cent interest over up to 10 years.
- Rooftop solar has not been an eligible product under the standard ACT Sustainable Household Scheme since 1 July 2025, so the 3 per cent loan covers batteries but not solar panels.
- The ACT Home Energy Support Program pays concession card holders 50 per cent of the cost of rooftop solar, up to $2,500, plus a second rebate of up to $2,500 for other upgrades and a zero-interest loan of up to $10,000.
- The federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program gives 6.8 certificates per usable kWh for batteries installed from 1 May to 31 December 2026, falling to 5.7 on 1 January 2027.
- Feed-in tariffs in the ACT are voluntary and not regulated, according to the ACT Government, and Evoenergy limits residential solar exports to 5 kVA per phase.
ACT solar rebates at a glance
This table lists the support we found for ACT households, with status checked on 12 November 2026.
| Program | What it covers | Worth | Status (12 Nov 2026) | Stacks with federal? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sustainable Household Scheme loan | Batteries, heat pumps, heating, EV chargers, EVs, insulation | $2,000 to $20,000 at 3% | Open | Yes, it is finance |
| Home Energy Support Program rebates | Solar and efficient appliances, concession card holders only | 50% of cost, up to $2,500 each | Open | Yes |
| Home Energy Support zero-interest loan | Remaining cost of those upgrades | Up to $10,000 at 0% | Open | Yes, it is finance |
| Solar for Apartments Program | Shared solar for apartment complexes | Up to $100,000, half grant, half 0% loan | Open for registration | Paid to owners corporation |
| Cheaper Home Batteries Program (federal) | Batteries paired with solar | About $258 to $272 per usable kWh, first 14 kWh | Open. Steps down 1 Jan 2027 | Federal program |
| Solar panel STC discount (federal) | Rooftop solar | About $1,710 to $1,800 on 6.6 kW | Open. Steps down 1 Jan 2027 | Federal program |
| ACT battery rebate, or panel rebate for general households | Nothing | $0 | No program | Not applicable |
How much you could save on a typical system
A Canberra household without a concession card gets about $5,170 to $5,440 off 6.6 kW of solar plus a 13.5 kWh battery, all of it federal. The estimates assume installation by 31 December 2026 and certificates worth $38 to $40 each. The Clearing House price is fixed at $40 excluding GST, and the Clean Energy Regulator’s June quarter 2026 Carbon Market Report says prices “remained close to $40”.
| Item | Working | General household | Concession card holder |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solar STCs | 6.6 kW x 1.382 (zone 3) x 5 years = 45 | $1,710 to $1,800 | $1,710 to $1,800 |
| Battery STCs | 13.5 kWh x 6.8 = 91 | $3,460 to $3,640 | $3,460 to $3,640 |
| ACT solar rebate | 50% of cost, capped | $0 | Up to $2,500 |
| Total | About $5,170 to $5,440 | About $7,670 to $7,940 |
What the 3 per cent loan costs. Our battery cost guide puts a 13.5 kWh battery at roughly $11,000 to $15,000 installed before discounts. Borrowing $9,500 at 3 per cent over 10 years works out to about $92 a month and roughly $1,500 in interest. This is our estimate, not a lender quote.
The concession example. Solar Choice’s price index for 1 October 2026 puts the average Canberra price at $5,700 for 6 kW and $6,440 for 7 kW after STCs. On a system at about $6,000 the rebate hits the $2,500 cap. The remaining $3,500 on a zero-interest loan over 10 years is about $29 a month.
Sustainable Household Scheme: 3 per cent loans for batteries
The Sustainable Household Scheme is the ACT Government’s low-interest loan program, delivered by the lender Brighte. As at November 2026 it lends $2,000 to $20,000 at 3 per cent over up to 10 years, with no fees and no early repayment penalty.
What it funds: household batteries, EV chargers, reverse cycle systems, hot water heat pumps, electric cooktops, ceiling insulation and electric vehicles.
What it does not fund: rooftop solar. The scheme’s September 2026 FAQ says solar stopped being an eligible product on 1 July 2025, except for Home Energy Support Program loans.
Eligibility:
- You own the ACT property or live with the owner. Landlords can use it on a rental they own.
- Unimproved land value at or below $750,000 for houses and townhouses, or $300,000 for units in multi-storey apartments, in any year from 2022.
- You attend a free one-hour Everyday Climate Choices workshop before applying.
- You pass a credit check and use a Brighte-accredited supplier.
- The $20,000 limit is per household for the life of the scheme. Households that applied or were approved before 1 July 2026 stay capped at $15,000.
Source: Sustainable Household Scheme, ACT Government, with its guidelines and FAQ dated September 2026.
Home Energy Support Program ACT: the only solar panel rebate
The Home Energy Support Program is the only ACT program that pays a rebate on solar panels, and it is limited to concession card holders who own and live in their home. It pays up to $5,000 in total.
What it is worth:
- 50 per cent of the supply and installation cost of rooftop solar, up to $2,500.
- 50 per cent, up to $2,500, for reverse cycle heating and cooling, efficient hot water, an electric cooktop and oven, or ceiling insulation.
- An optional zero-interest loan of up to $10,000 through Brighte for the remaining cost.
Eligibility:
- ACT resident with a Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card or Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card.
- You own and live in the home, so landlords and renters do not qualify.
- The same unimproved value limits and workshop requirement as the loan scheme.
- The program FAQ says solar systems must be 5.5 kW to 8 kW with a 5 kW or 6 kW inverter, and that batteries are not eligible.
Source: Home Energy Support: Rebates for Homeowners, ACT Government and its FAQ.
Solar battery rebate ACT: the federal discount
There is no ACT Government battery rebate in 2026, so the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program is the battery rebate for Canberra homes. The installer creates small-scale technology certificates (STCs) for the battery and takes their value off the invoice, with no income test and no application.
A small-scale technology certificate (STC) is a tradeable certificate created when eligible solar or batteries are installed, which the installer sells to fund your discount.
This table shows the federal battery factor by size band for installs from 1 May to 31 December 2026, as published by DCCEEW. Capacity above 28 kWh earns 15 per cent, and nothing above 50 kWh.
| Usable capacity band | Share of the 6.8 factor | Example at $38 to $40 |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 14 kWh | 100 per cent | 10 kWh: 68 STCs, $2,580 to $2,720 |
| Above 14 up to 28 kWh | 60 per cent | 20 kWh: 119 STCs, $4,520 to $4,760 |
On 1 January 2027 the factor falls to 5.7, then drops every six months to 2.1 in late 2030. A 13.5 kWh battery installed in January 2027 earns about 76 certificates, roughly $570 to $600 less.
Source: Cheaper Home Batteries Program, DCCEEW. See our battery rebates by state guide and our Canberra battery installer guide.
Solar panels Canberra: the federal STC discount
Solar panels in Canberra get the federal STC discount, worth about $1,710 to $1,800 on a 6.6 kW system installed in 2026. The formula is system size x zone rating x deeming years to 2030, rounded down. Canberra is in zone 3 (rating 1.382), and a 2026 install gets 5 deeming years. A 10 kW system earns 69 STCs, about $2,622 to $2,760. In 2027 the same systems earn 36 and 55 STCs.
Our STC explainer covers the mechanics. Source: Calculate STC entitlements, Clean Energy Regulator.
Hot water, apartments and renters
Hot water. The ACT has no stand-alone heat pump rebate for general households. A heat pump can go on the 3 per cent loan, concession card holders can claim 50 per cent up to $2,500, and federal STCs also apply. See solar hot water versus heat pumps.
Apartments. The Solar for Apartments Program offers owners corporations up to $100,000 per complex for shared rooftop solar, half as a grant and half as a zero-interest loan. The average unimproved value per unit must be $300,000 or less, the complex must have no existing solar, and all residents, including tenants, must benefit. See solar for apartments and renters.
Renters. No ACT program pays for solar or batteries on a home you rent. The Renters’ Home Energy Program gives free energy assessments.
Concessions. The Electricity, Gas and Water Rebate for concession card holders is $800 for 2026-27.
Programs that have closed
- Next Gen Energy Storage Program. The ACT’s battery rebate stopped taking applications after reaching its target of 5,000 batteries, according to an ACT Government media release of 11 January 2023.
- Scheme loans for solar. Rooftop solar left the standard Sustainable Household Scheme on 1 July 2025, and zero-interest loans are now limited to Home Energy Support Program participants.
- The premium feed-in tariff. The legacy scheme closed to new entrants on 13 July 2011.
Feed-in tariffs in the ACT
The ACT has no minimum feed-in tariff. The ACT Government says feed-in tariffs “are voluntary, and the rates are not regulated in the ACT”, so each retailer sets its own. The Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission (ICRC), the ACT’s electricity price regulator, does not set one.
Standard retailer rates in our feed-in tariff tracker, checked in August 2026, ranged from about 2.5c to 5c per kWh, with one capped boost plan at 10c. We could not confirm ActewAGL’s current rates on its own website in November 2026.
Evoenergy, the ACT network, applies a 5 kVA per phase export limit to all residential solar.
How to claim, step by step
- Work out your pathway. Concession card: Home Energy Support Program. No card: the 3 per cent loan for a battery, and cash or private finance for panels.
- Check your unimproved value and book the free workshop.
- Get at least three quotes from Brighte-accredited suppliers. Check the New Energy Tech Consumer Code approved seller list and the Solar Accreditation Australia register yourself.
- Read the quote line by line for separate solar and battery STC lines, usable capacity, model numbers and the export limit. See how to compare solar quotes.
- Apply before you sign. For a rebate, wait for pre-approval before accepting a quote.
- Ask for the Evoenergy approval letter before installation, and keep the invoice and warranties.
Watch out for
- Out-of-date loan claims. On 12 November 2026 the ACT Government’s own search description for the scheme still read “loans up to $15,000” and mentioned solar systems. The page itself says $20,000 at 3 per cent, with no solar for general households.
- The 1 January 2027 step-down. A delayed install can cost $570 or more on a 13.5 kWh battery.
- Door-to-door sellers. The scheme guidelines say suppliers using door knocking or telemarketing are removed from the accredited list.
FAQ
Is there a solar rebate in the ACT in 2026?
Yes, but the ACT Government’s solar panel rebate is only for concession card holders. The Home Energy Support Program pays them 50 per cent of the cost of rooftop solar, up to $2,500. Other ACT households get the federal STC discount, about $1,710 to $1,800 on 6.6 kW.
Is there a solar battery rebate in the ACT?
There is no ACT Government battery rebate as at November 2026. Canberra households get the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program discount, about $3,460 to $3,640 on a 13.5 kWh battery installed by 31 December 2026. The ACT Sustainable Household Scheme adds a 3 per cent loan of up to $20,000.
Can I use the Sustainable Household Scheme for solar panels?
No, not as a general household. The scheme’s September 2026 FAQ says rooftop solar has not been an eligible product since 1 July 2025. Concession card holders approved under the Home Energy Support Program can still get a zero-interest loan of up to $10,000 for solar.
Who is eligible for the Home Energy Support Program in the ACT?
ACT homeowners who live in the home and hold a Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card or Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card are eligible. The property’s unimproved value must be at or below $750,000, or $300,000 for units in multi-storey apartments.
How much does a solar battery cost in Canberra after rebates?
A 13.5 kWh solar battery in Canberra costs roughly $7,400 to $11,500 after the federal discount, based on a national installed range of $11,000 to $15,000. That is an estimate from published ranges in November 2026, not a quote.
Can apartment owners or renters get solar help in the ACT?
Apartment complexes can, through the owners corporation. The Solar for Apartments Program offers up to $100,000 per eligible complex. Renters cannot claim solar or battery support directly.
Find an installer in the ACT
Browse ACT solar companies, our top 10 ACT solar installers or our guide to the best solar companies in Canberra.
Sources
- Sustainable Household Scheme, guidelines and FAQ, ACT Government
- Home Energy Support: Rebates for Homeowners and FAQ, ACT Government
- Solar for Apartments Program, Solar feed-in tariff and Renters’ Home Energy Program, ACT Government
- Electricity, Gas and Water Rebate, ACT Revenue Office
- Solar and battery connections, Evoenergy
- Cheaper Home Batteries Program, DCCEEW
- Calculate STC entitlements, Clean Energy Regulator
- Next Gen Energy Storage media release, ACT Government, 11 January 2023
- Solar Choice Price Index, October 2026
About this guide
This guide is independent desk research by the Solar Cobber editorial team, checked against ACT Government, Evoenergy, Clean Energy Regulator and DCCEEW sources on 12 November 2026. Solar Cobber is a free directory that may earn referral or advertising fees from installers, and commercial relationships never affect content. This is general information, not financial advice. Send corrections through our contact page.
Filed under Savings
Back to blog
