The Australian government is still giving a rebate if you buy a solar power system in 2011. However things are about to change very soon. After July 1 the rebate will be reduced by up to $1200 for any systems installed after that period.
Therefore if you are looking at buying a solar power system then it is to your advantage to hurry up and buy one now. at the moment the current rebate is between 6000 and $13,000 and after July 1, 2011 this rebate will be reduced. The announcement was made by the Minister for climate change Greg Combet in December 2010. The solar power rebate will slowly be reduced over a period of time until it does not exist.
I have been getting quotes from different solar power companies and they all seem to be quoting the same amount and showing the same rebate from the government. I am doing this because I am thinking about the future. I know that the electricity bills are meant to rise again and my power bill is pretty big already.
It is not easy to rush into something like this as I have no clue about solar panels or solar power. I do not even understand how to find the best quality panels and why, or anything like that. But unfortunately I do not want to miss out on this massive rebate before it gets reduced on July 1.
previously I wrote a post about getting an $8000 grant for a solar power system from the Australian government. This grant was for a 1 kW system which some of my friends did get. I held off because I thought that a better deal would come along and I believe it has. I will still get approximately $6000 grant for a solar power system, but I get to choose what size I want, and what I want to pay. The bigger the system, the more I will have to pay out of my own pocket.
As with many government rebates there are some conditions attached.
- The Solar Credits multiplier will offer up to $6,300 in savings depending on the size and location of installation and apply to new installations of small-scale renewable energy generators eligible under the scheme.
- Solar credits will apply to the first 1.5 kilowatts (kW) of capacity installed.
- Generation from capacity above 1.5 kW will still be eligible for the standard 1:1 rate of RECs creation.
- The multiplier credits will only apply to the first small-scale generation system installed at an address.
Most people will fit into this criteria and even the people that got the $8000 grant may be eligible for some small kind of rebate to upgrade their system.
In the next few days I will post an article about my research I have done about buying a 3 kW or 4 kW solar power system.
Grants from the government are a good thing for the solar industry and for solar power users. But it would be better if the costs of using solar power are brought down so that more and more people will be able to avail of it without government grants.
Hi, It has taken us (hubby and I) about 2 years of looking into solar grid connected electricity. Endless hours on the Net researching companies, products used and installers.
Save yourself some grief, go with the best at “Energymatters.com.au” reliable, well known, big company. Too many fly by nighters with inferior products being imported from overseas.
Minimum size for a residential home with 2 people retired (us), is as close as you can get to 5kWh unit.
If you both work and have no children, then a 3.5 kWh unit will be okay, but plan to extend if children come along, or if by choice will have no children, plan for your retirement when you will be at home 24/7.
Disadvantage, solar units may well not have any rebate by then.
If you can afford it and have the room go 5kWh with 21 panels of 235v, as they are approx 1m wide and 1.6m tall. We have ours in a configuration of 2 rows of 11 panels and 10 panels.
Thanks for your tips Barbara!! It is great to here what others think about solar. 🙂