Victorians have collectively saved a lot of money on the upfront costs of solar, battery and hot water systems through government rebates and loans. Find out how much here.
How much was saved on systems under solar houses?
Victoria’s Solar Homes program, launched in August 2018, has so far provided $750 million in rebates, according to the Allan government. In addition, there are more than $365 million in interest-free loans, which corresponds to a program total of around $1.115 billion.
Added to this are the significant savings on electricity bills that recipients will continue to benefit from with their subsidized systems.
“Our focus is on delivering cheaper electricity bills to Victorian families – helping to reduce the cost of living and give them more money back,” said Victorian Energy and Resources Minister Lily D’Ambrosio.
Beyond the rebate/loan recipients, the program has provided other benefits; That includes thousands of jobs that help reduce the state’s electricity-related carbon emissions and put downward pressure on wholesale electricity prices during the day.
According to the state government, around 30 percent of Victorian homes are now equipped with solar panels; more than twice as much as when the Solar Homes program began.
In terms of the solar modules supported under the program alone, more than 2.3 gigawatts of power were installed at the end of September 2025, distributed across 326,000 solar power systems. A record-breaking 76,530 PV systems and 9,256 heat pump hot water systems were installed in the last financial year.
The program also provided $5.7 million in rebates for the installation of solar panels on more than 110 homes, about half of which were occupied by renters.
Current incentives for solar homes
Solar panel rebate: (actually an upfront rebate) of up to $1,400 for solar system installation for Victorians with existing or under construction homes. There is also an optional interest-free loan of up to $1,400, repaid over four years. Both are also available to landlords of rental properties.
For multifamily homes or townhouse complexes, there is a rebate of up to $2,800 per household or up to $140,000 per property.
The Victorian incentive can be claimed alongside the national solar rebate. Find out more about Victoria’s solar panel rebate.
Hot Water Rebates: (also an upfront rebate) of up to $1,000 (or up to $1,400 for locally manufactured products) on eligible heat pump and solar hot water products. Additionally, further savings can be made through Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) hot water rebates. More information here.
There was also previously government support for solar batteries under the program, initially providing a rebate of $3,500, which was reduced to $2,950 in 2022. Battery rebates were eliminated entirely in mid-2023 in favor of interest-free loans of up to $8,800 with repayment over four years, but the loan program ended in May this year. However, the federal government’s battery rebate soon came into play.
With support from the Victoria program, 21,298 home batteries were installed.
Hotspots for solar houses
The top 10 Local Government Areas (LGAs) for installed PV systems with a Solar Homes rebate and/or loan as of early October 2025 were:
- Casey: 30,258
- Wyndham: 27,396
- Hume: 18,105
- Melton: 16,281
- Whittlesea: 15,771
- Greater Geelong: 13,210
- Knox: 8,499
- Mornington Peninsula: 8,239
- Spider Bank: 8,158
- Cardinia, 8,082
There are 79 LGAs in Victoria and the 10 above account for approximately 47% of the solar panel systems installed under the program to date.
The City of Casey, Victoria’s most populous municipality, includes suburbs and towns such as Berwick, Clyde, Cranbourne, Doveton, Endeavor Hills, Hallam and Hampton Park. The population estimate for the LGA was 405,415 in mid-2024.
Will the financing of solar houses last over the entire distance?
The Solar Homes Program aims to subsidize systems for up to 777,000 homes, with a total decade-long investment of about $1.3 billion, including the value of loans. So there’s about $185 million in the coffers, so to speak, to last through 2028; Assuming that’s still the plan and the budget.
Whether you’re in Victoria or elsewhere in Australia, you can see what support is available in your area on our solar rebates and subsidies page. This also includes summary information on electric vehicle incentives.
Incentives can change quickly or disappear altogether, sometimes with little or no warning. Subscribe to SolarQuotes’ weekly newsletter to stay up to date.
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