By Solar Energy Adelaide | 2 March 2025
With Adelaide having some of the highest electricity costs in the world, it is not surprising that our beautiful State has led the charge in embracing a cheaper and more reliable alternative, solar power.
One of the major financial incentives for solar installation in Adelaide is the government solar rebate. These rebates can significantly reduce the upfront cost of your solar system, making your return on investment much faster.
In this article, we’ll explain how these rebates work, why they’re beneficial, and how you can take advantage of them to start saving on your energy bills.
The primary solar rebate available to Adelaide residents comes in the form of Small-Scale Technology Certificates (STCs). This is a Federal Government solar incentive most commonly known as the STC Rebate.
These certificates are part of Australia’s Renewable Energy Target, designed to make renewable energy solutions more accessible and affordable for households and businesses.
Each STC represents a set amount of electricity generated by your solar system over its lifetime, and the number of STCs you receive depends on factors like:
STCs act like a built-in discount on your solar system. The value of these certificates is deducted directly from the upfront cost of your installation. Typically, Adelaide homeowners can expect to save between $1,000 to $8,000 on a residential solar system through this rebate.
This deduction is automatically applied by your solar installer, so you don’t have to worry about complicated paperwork.
For example:
The above example shows how a solar system that initially costs $9,160 can be reduced to $6,640 with the STC rebate. This makes solar energy more affordable and helps you see a faster return on your investment.
To be eligible for the solar system rebate in Adelaide, both the inverter and the solar panels must be approved by the CEC (Clean Energy Council). In addition to this, the installation process has to be done by a certified CEC solar installer, such as Solar Energy Adelaide.
As of 1 July 2025, homeowners and businesses will be eligible for a solar battery rebate. Find out who is eligible, how much you’ll receive and the process for applying here.
The value of the STC rebate reduces each year on January 1st, as part of the government’s plan to phase out the incentive by 2030.
This means that the longer you wait, the fewer STCs you will receive, and the smaller your rebate will be.
Installing solar sooner rather than later allows you to lock in the current rebate value, maximising your savings.
One of the best aspects of the STC rebate is that it’s handled by your solar installer. Here’s how it works:
Solar companies often advertise to customers that they could be eligible to get solar for free. But this can be misleading. You are still paying for the solar but the benefit is that you are not typically paying any more than what you already are paying on your electricity bills.
Let’s look at an example:
Jenny, an average South Australian homeowner, is paying $1,832 per year in electricity costs or $35 per week. She decides to install a 7.9 kW solar system and finances the system using a low-interest Green Loan over 72 months. Jenny’s new solar system saves her $1,855 a year on her power bill, and her loan repayments are only $29 per week—less than her old electricity costs!
By financing her solar system, Jenny eliminates her power bill, and she is paying less each week on her loan than she used to pay for electricity.
Financing means she can start enjoying the savings from day one without needing to pay upfront costs.
With a big push for renewable energy, solar financing was set up to assist more homeowners in being able to make the switch over to solar with low interest loans.
Solar financing is available through the banks as well as private institutions.
At Solar Energy Adelaide, we make this process easy by using the most trusted and best available financing options.
As a local, family-run business with over a decade of experience, Solar Energy Adelaide is committed to helping Adelaide residents make informed decisions about solar energy.
We prioritise customer satisfaction and transparency, ensuring you understand exactly how much you’ll save and how the process works.
We also provide comprehensive services, including solar battery storage and solar repairs, so you can get the most out of your solar system for years to come.
Solar power has become a staple for South Aussie homes and businesses.
With rising electricity costs, solar panel installation offers long term savings and financial security with minimal maintenance and solar rebates available.
Ready to gain energy independence? Dreaming of a day with a $0 power bill?
With a solar battery for your home or business, you can store your excess energy and use it when you need it most.
Solar battery storage has become more affordable in recent years and can even be added to most existing solar systems.
Worried your solar system is underperforming?
If your solar system is not covering between 60-90% of your energy needs there is likely a problem that needs attention.
Our skilled technicians handle all aspects of solar system servicing, including solar panel repairs, solar inverter repairs and solar warranty assistance.