It’s been a long time coming, but Queensland’s Crisafulli Government has fulfilled its election commitment and provided eligible landlords in the state with rebates for installing solar power systems on their rental properties.
How does Supercharged Solar work for renters?
The $26.3 million program will help landlords with rebates of up to $3,500 to install solar panels on their rental homes that already have leases in place. It is expected that around 6,500 rental households will benefit from the program, who are expected to save around $700 per year on their electricity bills.
While landlords can only receive one discount per rental property, they can apply for discounts for up to 3 properties separately.
Rental property requirements
- Located in Queensland.
- A house, semi-detached or townhouse (Class 1a) or second home on the same property; for example a granny flat.
- Rented for $1,000 or less per week.
- Have your own electricity meter.
- Building power supply not via an embedded network1.
- There are no solar panels installed yet – regardless of whether they work or not.
The Queensland Government says the eligibility criteria for the program is aimed at providing solar savings without changing other lease terms.
Requirements for solar power systems
Systems installed as part of the program must:
- Get delivery from a New Energy Tech approved seller.
- At the time of installation, use solar panels and inverters included on the Clean Energy Council (CEC) approved list of products.
- Be designed/installed by holders of appropriate SAA accreditation, Queensland Electrical Contractor and Work License holders.
- They must have an output of at least 3 kilowatts (kW).
- Have a generation detection device (GSD) installed.
What is a generation signaling device?
According to GSD, these are devices that allow Energy Queensland to remotely switch off a solar power system if necessary. A generation signal device receives signals over the power lines using Audio Frequency Load Control (AFLC) and either turns the solar system on or off.
When it comes to solar emergency management, a GSD is considered a “dumb” device. Elsewhere in Australia there are already more elegant options – such as flexible solar exports.
Discount levels
The amount of the refund is tied to the system capacity.
- At least 3 kW but less than 4 kW: $2,500.
- At least 4 kW but less than 5 kW: $3,000.
- 5 kW or more: $3,500.
For more information on how to apply for the Supercharged Solar for Renters rebate, click here.
Commenting on the launch of the program, David Janetzki, Queensland Treasurer, Minister for Energy and Minister for Housing, said:
“It’s a win-win-win as it reduces costs for tenants, increases property values for landlords, while supporting the adoption of renewable energy in Queensland.”
Total funding of $26.3 million for 6,500 systems results in an average subsidy cost of just over $4,000 per system, including the cost of administering the program.
Not QLD’s first solar for renters rodeo
This is not the first time such a tenant support program has been launched in Queensland. In 2019 and 2020, the then Labor government ran a tenant solar trial, but its continuation/expansion did not materialize for unknown reasons.
It was expected that up to 1,000 landlords would receive rebates of up to $3,500 as part of this trial; However, only 670 systems were installed in various locations. The average system size was 6 kW and participating households were reported to be on average $600 better off per year. Further findings from the study can be found here.
As for the LNP’s involvement in a new scheme, the Supercharged Solar for Renters rebate was first announced as an LNP election commitment in March last year. However, things remained quiet after the election until the Queensland Conservation Council urged those in power to make good on their promise earlier this year and funding was made available in June this year.
Landlords – find out more about why installing solar on your investment property can make just as much sense as installing it on your own home.
Footnotes
- An embedded network is a private, on-site power system that resells electricity to the residents of the site. Apartment buildings, shopping centers and caravan parks can be part of an embedded network. ↩
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