Agricultural and remote sites are not treated differently by the STC scheme. What changes is scale, because farm systems often exceed what a house needs, and the location, because many are off-grid.
Up to 100 kW
Any eligible system under 100 kW earns STCs: kW x zone rating x deeming period. A 40 kW dairy shed system in zone 3, installed in 2026, creates 40 x 1.382 x 5 = 276 STCs. At the roughly $38 to $40 spot range at the time of writing, that is in the order of $10,500 to $11,000 in certificate value. In zone 4 the same system earns 237.
Above 100 kW: a change this month
The scheme now reaches mid-scale solar. Systems above 100 kW and up to 1 MW installed from 1 October 2026 create STCs with a fixed five-year deeming period (the CER says applications open mid to late November 2026). Below 100 kW nothing changes; above 1 MW stays with LGCs. Large vineyards, cool rooms and processing sheds that were once LGC projects may now choose STCs. The full rules are on the mid-scale solar page and in commercial solar over 100 kW.
Remote homesteads and camps
If the site is off the grid, the system needs SAA-accredited design and installation. See off-grid solar STCs for the requirements. A remote homestead is a straightforward case. A mining camp system must still be a generation unit at the premises with approved products; if it is very large, check which side of 100 kW and 1 MW it falls.
Pumps and irrigation
Pumps are a special case: a direct-drive solar pump generally does not qualify, while a conventional system feeding a switchboard can. See the solar pump page.
What farm rebates exist
The federal scheme gives STCs, nothing more. Any other grant, whether a state agricultural energy program or an energy efficiency fund, runs separately and changes often. Do not quote one without checking the department’s current page.
What this means for installers
Large rural jobs have bigger audit exposure because the certificate value is bigger. Photograph each array, label the inverters and record serial numbers by string. The photo requirements guide and how STC audits work cover the evidence.
See STC trading and current rates when you are ready to monetise the certificates.