From 1 October 2026 the federal solar rebate reaches systems up to 1 MW, ten times the old limit. How it works, the dates that matter, and why it pays to move while today's settings last.
Most conversations about the solar rebate start with "How much will I get back?"
The honest answer is that you don't get anything back. The rebate comes off the price before you pay. And from 1 October 2026 it reaches a lot further than it used to.
But rebate settings don't stay put. This one went from announcement to law in about six weeks, and the rules can change again the same way. The sites that move first get today's settings.
Send us your latest electricity bill and we'll show you the system your bill needs and the price after the rebate. It's free, there's no obligation, and we'll tell you if solar isn't the right fit.
Rebate settings can change, so it's worth getting your numbers now.
Send us your bill →Until now, the federal solar rebate stopped at 100 kW. That's plenty for a house and not much for a factory. Anything bigger fell into the large-scale scheme, where the value trickles in over years against metered output instead of coming off the price.
That limit is now 1 MW. The regulations have been amended, and solar systems from 100 kW to 1 MW installed from 1 October 2026 are eligible for the rebate. It's law, not a proposal.
Two things to know about the timing:
The scheme's formal name is the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES), and the rebate comes as small-scale technology certificates (STCs). The Regulator calls the new 100 kW to 1 MW band "mid-scale solar".
Nobody sends you a cheque. It works in three steps.
Under our Total Care model the same value reduces the delivered cost of the system, which flows into your fixed rate.
This is where it gets specific, and where a lot of what's been written gets it wrong.
For systems from 100 kW to 1 MW, the Clean Energy Regulator says eligible systems get a fixed five-year deeming period. In plain words, a 400 kW system earns the same number of certificates whether it's installed this December or next year. There's no end-of-year cliff for the bigger band.
For systems under 100 kW, the old rule still applies. The number of years' worth of certificates you get shrinks by one each 1 January until the scheme ends in 2030. Installed by 31 December 2026, a system gets five years' worth. Installed from 1 January 2027, it gets four. That's about a fifth less off the price for the same roof.
A worked example, using the Regulator's zone 3 rating, which covers much of eastern Australia (your postcode sets your zone):
| System | Installed by 31 Dec 2026 | Installed from 1 Jan 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| 99 kW | about 684 certificates | about 547 certificates |
| 400 kW | about 2,764 certificates | about 2,764 certificates |
So if your site is just under 100 kW, the install date matters a lot this year. If it's bigger, there's no 31 December step-down, but the settings can still change, so the sooner your system is installed, the more certain your rebate is.
When the government announced the change on 4 August 2026, it published its own worked examples:
| Roof | Off the price | Off the power bill each year |
|---|---|---|
| 250 kW (a medium business, a retailer, a club) | about $68,000 | about $50,000 |
| 850 kW (manufacturing, large retail, logistics) | about $232,000 | about $175,000 |
That's around 20 per cent off the installed cost either way. These are the government's examples for its announcement, not a Zool forecast for your site. Your number depends on your roof, your location, when you use power and the certificate price on the day, and it comes from your bill.
The rebate is there today. Nobody can promise how long today's settings will last.
What counts is the rules in force when your system is installed. Commercial projects take weeks to build and network approval runs on its own clock, so the way to lock in today's settings is to start now.
Send us your latest electricity bill this week and we'll tell you what today's rebate is worth on your roof.
Send us your bill →Your right system size may have changed. A lot of commercial sites were deliberately capped just under 100 kW to stay inside the old rule. That reason is gone. If your last proposal was sized to the rule rather than to your bill, it's out of date.
Network approval is usually the slow part. Above 100 kW, getting the network's approval to connect often takes longer than the build itself. A 400 kW roof takes about seven weeks on site, and the approval runs on its own clock. It's worth starting early.
You may have a choice of scheme. The Regulator notes that a mid-scale system can go down the STC path or instead participate in the Renewable Electricity Guarantee of Origin scheme, and that choosing one can affect eligibility under the other. For most sites the STC discount off the price is the simpler route. We'll set out both if it matters for yours.
Schools, clubs and aged care each have their own angle on this. See solar for schools and what solar does for a registered club.
We'll show you:
It's free, there's no obligation, and we'll tell you if solar or batteries aren't the right fit.
Send us your bill →Rebate settings can change at any time. The sooner we see your bill, the sooner you know what today's rules are worth to you. Your bill already has most of the answers. Let's take a look.
Is the 1 MW change actually law now?
Yes. The Renewable Energy (Electricity) Regulations 2001 have been amended. Solar systems from 100 kW to 1 MW installed from 1 October 2026 are eligible, according to the Clean Energy Regulator.
My system was installed before 1 October. Does it qualify?
Not under the new band. The change applies to systems installed from 1 October 2026. Systems already accredited in the large-scale scheme stay under those arrangements.
When can the certificates be claimed?
The Regulator says applications for mid-scale systems open in mid to late November 2026. On a Zool project, that's our paperwork, not yours.
Does the rebate drop on 1 January 2027?
For systems under 100 kW, yes, by about a fifth. For systems from 100 kW to 1 MW, the Regulator says the deeming period is fixed at five years, so it doesn't step down the same way.
Could the rebate change or end?
Yes, the settings can change. The government sets the rules by regulation and can change them with little notice, and the scheme is legislated to end in 2030. What applies is the rules in force when your system is installed, which is why we suggest getting your numbers now.
Does it cover batteries?
This change is for solar. Commercial batteries in NSW have their own incentive, which we cover in our NSW battery incentives post.
Do we pay the full price and wait for the money?
No. The certificate value comes off the price on the quote. Under Total Care it reduces the delivered cost, which flows into your fixed rate.
Zool Energy is a Clean Energy Council Approved Retailer and member, a New Energy Tech Approved Seller and an AFCA member. The rebate depends on system size, location, installation date, eligibility and the certificate price at the time, so any figure is indicative and carries the date it was calculated. Certificate counts use the Clean Energy Regulator's zone 3 rating and are rounded. The $68,000 and $232,000 examples are the Australian Government's, published 4 August 2026. Savings figures are worked out from your own bill and are indicative only. Source: Clean Energy Regulator, mid-scale solar, updated 22 September 2026.
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