Direct answer
If a salesperson says “the rebate,” they usually mean Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs) created under the federal Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES). You typically assign those certificates to the installer, who discounts the invoice. Some states and territories run extra solar or battery programs with their own forms, dates, and approved-product lists. A feed-in tariff is a retailer credit for exported kilowatt-hours — not an STC and not a state rebate.
We do not publish a live STC dollar value or a “you will receive $X.” The certificate market moves. The deeming period steps down toward 2030. A number frozen on this page would be wrong the week after we typed it.
What an STC is
One STC represents 1 MWh of renewable generation that the scheme deems your small system will produce. The number of certificates depends on:
- the installed capacity (nameplate kilowatts)
- the zone rating for your postcode (sunnier zones deem more generation)
- the remaining deeming period (fewer years left → fewer certificates for the same kilowatts)
The Clean Energy Regulator publishes the method and the zone map. Use that, not a Facebook calculator and not a figure we invent here.
Australia’s small-scale zones exist because a rooftop in Broome is not a rooftop in Launceston. The scheme does not pay you a cash “sun bonus” into a bank account for living further north; it changes the count of certificates created up front. Households in southern Tasmania still create STCs if the system is eligible — just fewer than an equivalent array in a higher zone, all else equal.
How STCs reduce the upfront price
- The designer sizes an eligible system with CEC-listed products and an accredited installer.
- Certificates are created in the REC Registry.
- You usually assign them to the installer (or their agent) in writing.
- Their market value is used as a discount line on your invoice.
Ask for three numbers: gross, STC benefit, net payable. If a quote shows only a net “from” price, you cannot compare it to a neighbour’s paperwork or to last year’s brochure.
Assignment is the norm for households. Creating and selling certificates yourself is possible in principle and uncommon in practice; it is paperwork, registry access, and timing risk. Do not let a salesperson imply you are “missing out” on a secret cash path without showing the forms.
Deeming is not a mystery tax
The deeming period exists because the scheme pays up front for years of generation the system is expected to produce. As 2030 approaches, that window shortens. A system installed later, all else equal, creates fewer STCs. That is policy design, not a retailer trick — but it does mean “wait for a bigger rebate” is often the wrong instinct.
| Layer | What it is | What it is not |
|---|---|---|
| STC / SRES | Federal certificates, usually assigned | A cashback button or a live price we will quote |
| Deeming | Years of generation paid up front | A penalty for installing this year |
| Zone rating | Postcode sunnier/less-sunny factor | A ranking of “best cities for solar” |
| State program | Extra form, extra rules, extra dates | Automatic, national, or permanent |
| Feed-in tariff | Retailer credit for exported kWh | A rebate or an STC |
If a quote has one blob called “govt discount,” ask them to split it.
State and territory add-ons
New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory, and the Northern Territory have, at various times, offered battery rebates, interest-free loans, or targeted solar programs. They have eligibility lists, opening and closing dates, and caps. A program that was open in one budget year can be closed the next.
We will not freeze a 2026 dollar amount in this paragraph. Check the current page of your state or territory energy department. Treat a salesperson’s memory of last year’s television ad as a hint, not a source. If they cannot show the agency URL, they do not have a program — they have a pitch.
The STC versus state rebates essay separates the layers. For batteries specifically, see home battery storage.
Feed-in tariffs still matter — differently
A feed-in tariff (FiT) credits exported solar. Self-consumed solar usually displaces a higher retail usage rate than the FiT. That is why a household that runs the washing machine and the pool pump in daylight often sees more bill movement than a household that exports everything at noon and imports everything at 7 pm.
Compare plans on Energy Made Easy. A “guaranteed FiT” is a retail offer that can change at the end of a benefit period. Historic premium schemes (the old state solar-bonus tariffs) are closed to new customers; do not use a 2011 newspaper figure as a 2026 expectation.
What STCs are not
- Not financial advice.
- Not a cash payment into your bank for most households (assignment is the norm).
- Not available for ineligible, undocumented, or non-CEC pathways.
- Not a reason to skip installer due diligence.
- Not the same thing as Large-scale Generation Certificates (LGCs), which sit on a different scheme for larger generators. See commercial solar.
How to keep this page honest
We date the review. We point to the Regulator, the REC Registry, the Clean Energy Council, and Energy Made Easy on the resources page. We refuse to invent a certificate spot price. If a number on a quote looks unlike anything you can reconcile to those sources, ask for the creation calculation — size, zone, deeming — in writing.
Related: cost of solar, compare two quotes, FAQ.
Worked method (no invented dollars)
Suppose two eligible 6.6 kW households — one in a higher zone, one in a lower zone — assign STCs to their installers in the same week. The higher-zone system creates more certificates because the scheme deems more generation. The price of each certificate is a market fact that week, not a number this page will freeze. The deeming window is the same national policy for both. That is why “my cousin in Cairns got more off” can be true without anyone cheating, and why it is still not your quote.
Ask the installer to show size, zone, and deeming in the creation calculation. If they cannot, you cannot compare their “rebate” line to anyone else’s.
Assignment paperwork
Assignment is a written act. Keep a copy with the electrical certificate and the warranty pack. If you sell the house, the hardware stays; the certificates have already been created. That is different from a finance contract that still has a residual — see the FAQ on $0-upfront deals.
Creating certificates yourself is possible and uncommon. It requires registry access and timing. It is not a secret cash path we will advertise.
Where to go next
Cost of solar for the three-number price. Installers for named people. Resources for the Regulator and Energy Made Easy. STC versus state rebates if a salesperson is still mixing layers. Batteries if the “rebate” they mean is actually a state storage program.
Zone, postcode, and why cousins disagree
Australia’s small-scale zone map exists because a rooftop in Broome is not a rooftop in Launceston. The scheme does not wire a cash “sun bonus” into a bank account for living further north. It changes the count of certificates created up front. Households in southern Tasmania still create STCs if the system is eligible. They create fewer than an equivalent array in a higher zone, all else equal, and the market price of each certificate is still a fact of that week — not a number this page will print.
When a cousin in Cairns “got more off,” they may have had a higher zone, a larger array, an earlier deeming window, or a quote that bundled a state line you do not qualify for. Ask for the creation sheet. Size, zone, deeming. If those three are missing, you are comparing slogans.
What “eligible” quietly requires
Eligible small-scale PV usually needs CEC-listed products and an accredited installer. That is why the installer checklist sits next to this money page. A backyard array of mixed second-hand modules is not a certificate machine. We will not help anyone invent paperwork.
Keep the assignment with the electrical certificate. If you sell the house, the hardware stays and the certificates have already been created. That is a different conversation from a finance residual that still sits on a contract — see the FAQ.
Verify current SRES rules with the Clean Energy Regulator. This page is general information, last reviewed 25 September 2026.