The short answer, as at October 2026
There are two federal rebates in Queensland, and both come off your price upfront. You don't apply for either yourself.
- The solar rebate in QLD is the federal Small-scale Technology Certificate (STC) scheme. A system installed in Brisbane in 2026 earns 45 STCs on 6.6 kW and 89 STCs on 13 kW. That's worth between $1,485 and $1,800 on 6.6 kW, and between $2,937 and $3,560 on 13 kW. It gets smaller every 1 January until the scheme ends in 2030.
- The battery rebate in QLD is the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program, which the government says takes around 30% off an eligible battery. A battery with 10 kWh of usable capacity installed by 31 December 2026 earns 68 STCs, worth between $2,244 and $2,720. From 1 January 2027 the same battery earns 57 STCs, which is $363 to $440 less.
- The Queensland Government has no state battery rebate at the moment. Landlords can get $2,500 to $3,500 towards solar on a rental through Supercharged Solar for Renters.
The dollar figures use $33 a certificate at the low end, the bottom of the $33 to $38 the Clean Energy Regulator says agents usually pay, and $40 at the top, the government's STC Clearing House price. The official sources are linked at the end.
Understanding Solar Rebates
The Australian Government offers financial incentives to encourage the adoption of renewable energy. The primary rebate for residential solar is the Small-scale Technology Certificate (STC) scheme, which significantly reduces the upfront cost of a solar system.
How STCs Work
When you install a solar system, you're entitled to a number of STCs based on the system size, your location (solar zone), and the years remaining until the scheme ends at the close of 2030. Brisbane postcodes are in zone 3. These certificates have a monetary value that your installer applies as an upfront discount on your system.
System Is Installed
Your installer, who must be accredited by Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA), installs the system with panels and an inverter from the Clean Energy Council's approved lists.
STCs Are Calculated
The number of certificates is the system size in kW, times your zone rating, times the years left in the scheme, rounded down. In Brisbane in 2026 that's the system size times 1.382 times 5.
Discount Applied
You assign the certificates to your installer or their agent, and the value comes off your price. You pay the reduced price upfront.
How Much Is the Rebate?
For a 6.6kW system installed in Brisbane in 2026, the STC rebate is 45 certificates, worth between $1,485 and $1,800. For a 13kW system it is 89 certificates, worth between $2,937 and $3,560. It gets smaller every year until the scheme ends in 2030. Most installers, including UV Power, already factor this into the price they quote. Get a quote from UV Power to see your figure.
Queensland-Specific Incentives
Feed-in Tariffs
South East Queensland has no government-set feed-in tariff, so your electricity retailer sets the rate it pays for the solar you export. The Queensland Competition Authority's latest report found single feed-in tariffs in South East Queensland of 1c to 8c per kWh in the June quarter of 2025, averaging 3.4c. A few retailers paid 12c, but only on the first 8 to 15 kWh exported each day.
Supercharged Solar for Renters (landlords)
The Queensland Government's Supercharged Solar for Renters program has been open since 12 December 2025. It gives eligible landlords a rebate towards solar on a rental property: $2,500 for a system of at least 3 kW, $3,000 from 4 kW, and $3,500 for 5 kW or more. It is for solar, not batteries. You must get conditional approval from the Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority (QRIDA) before the system goes in, and it runs first in, first served. See solar for rental properties and the program's own page for the full rules.
Discounted Green Loans
There is no Queensland Government solar or battery loan at the moment. The federal Household Energy Upgrades Fund, run by the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), offers discounted green loans through lenders such as Brighte, CommBank, ING and Plenti. The CEFC's page lists the current lenders.
Battery Rebates: the Cheaper Home Batteries Program
There is a federal battery rebate. The Cheaper Home Batteries Program has applied to batteries installed since 1 July 2025, and it works the same way as the solar rebate: your battery earns STCs, and your installer takes their value off the price upfront. You don't apply for anything yourself.
How much is it worth?
The discount depends on your battery's usable capacity and on the date it is installed.
- Batteries installed from 1 May to 31 December 2026 earn 6.8 STCs per usable kWh.
- From 1 January 2027 that drops to 5.7, and it keeps stepping down every six months until the scheme ends in 2030.
- Bigger batteries earn less per extra kWh. The first 14 kWh earn the full rate, 14 to 28 kWh earn 60% of it, 28 to 50 kWh earn 15%, and nothing past 50 kWh earns anything.
A battery with 10 kWh of usable capacity installed before the end of 2026 earns 68 STCs, worth between $2,244 and $2,720. The same battery installed in early 2027 earns 57 STCs, which is $363 to $440 less.
The installation date sets the rate
The rate that applies is the one in force on the day your battery is installed, not the day you sign. If you are weighing it up late in the year, it is worth knowing the rate steps down on 1 January and 1 July.
Who is eligible?
- Your battery must be installed by an installer accredited by Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA) with a battery endorsement.
- The battery must be on the Clean Energy Council's approved battery list. A new inverter must be on its approved inverter list.
- The battery must be installed with solar, either an existing system or one installed at the same time.
- Grid-connected batteries must be capable of joining a virtual power plant. You don't have to join one.
- The battery must be between 5 and 100 kWh of nominal capacity. The certificates are worked out on the first 50 kWh of usable capacity.
- Only one battery system per home can claim the discount.
Queensland state battery rebates
Queensland's Battery Booster program has closed, and there is currently no separate state battery rebate. The federal discount above is the one that applies.
Check Your Eligibility
Some incentives are means-tested or have specific eligibility criteria. We can help you navigate what you qualify for during your consultation. Just ask.
The STC Phase-Down Schedule
The STC scheme reduces each year on 1 January. The number of certificates you receive shrinks as the scheme approaches its end at the close of 2030, so a system installed sooner receives a larger rebate.
| Year installed | 6.6kW in Brisbane | 13kW in Brisbane |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 45 STCs: $1,485 to $1,800 | 89 STCs: $2,937 to $3,560 |
| 2027 | 36 STCs: $1,188 to $1,440 | 71 STCs: $2,343 to $2,840 |
| 2028 | 27 STCs: $891 to $1,080 | 53 STCs: $1,749 to $2,120 |
| 2029 | 18 STCs: $594 to $720 | 35 STCs: $1,155 to $1,400 |
| 2030 | 9 STCs: $297 to $360 | 17 STCs: $561 to $680 |
| 2031 | Nil (scheme ended) | Nil (scheme ended) |
The certificate counts are fixed by the government's formula. The dollar values use today's certificate prices, $33 to $40 each, and the value on the day depends on the certificate market and your installer.
Don't Wait Too Long
Each year you delay costs you in two ways: a smaller rebate and another year of paying full-price electricity. The financial case for acting now is compelling.
How UV Power Handles Rebates
We handle all STC paperwork and registration on your behalf. The rebate is applied as an upfront discount: you never need to claim it separately or deal with the Clean Energy Regulator yourself. The price we quote is always the final price after STCs have been applied. If you're adding storage, see the solar batteries we install in Brisbane.
Official sources
Checked on 27 October 2026. Rebates change, so these are the pages to check on the day.
- Clean Energy Regulator: how STCs are calculated, solar batteries and the STC factors, rooftop solar and certificate prices and the postcode zone ratings.
- Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW): the Cheaper Home Batteries Program and its STC Clearing House price.
- Queensland Government: Supercharged Solar for Renters and the home energy savings programs.
- Queensland Competition Authority: solar feed-in tariffs in South East Queensland, 2024-25.
- Clean Energy Council: the approved product lists for panels, inverters and batteries.
- Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA): check an installer's accreditation.
- Clean Energy Finance Corporation: the Household Energy Upgrades Fund.
