Topic
Homeowner questions about STCs and rebates
82 pages, one place. Start with the quick answers, go deeper with the articles.
In depth 8
- Best solar panels in Australia: how to choose wellWhat makes a solar panel good for an Australian roof: efficiency, temperature behaviour, warranty, approvals and installer support, and how to weigh t…
- How much do solar panels cost in Australia?What a home solar system costs by size, how the STC discount works, what pushes a quote up or down, and how to check you are being quoted fairly.
- Keep your STCs or assign them to the installer?Keeping your STCs means paying more upfront and doing the paperwork. We run the numbers on a 6.6 kW system to show when it pays and when it does not.
- Solar panel prices in Australia in 2026: what has changedA 2026 snapshot of solar pricing: per-watt ranges, the shorter STC deeming period, bundling with batteries, and how to benchmark a quote against the m…
- How the solar rebate works, from quote to cashThe federal solar rebate is not a payment to you. It is a discount made from STCs. Here is the full path from quote to registry to trader, with a real…
- Is solar worth it in Australia in 2026?A payback check for 2026: a worked 6.6 kW example, the effect of the shrinking STC discount, self-consumption, export rates and when solar does not st…
- STC scam: the red flags and how to check an offerSTCs are a real federal scheme, but sales tactics around them are not always honest. A field guide to the red flags, with the numbers to test any offe…
- Who gets the STCs? Owners, tenants and buildersThe owner of the system at installation holds the right to create STCs. How that works for tenants, landlords, strata, businesses and leased systems.
Quick answers 74
- Anyone else waiting on STCs from their trader? Why they get stuck in pendingSTCs stuck in pending are usually waiting on one of four things: trader validation, a missing or mismatched document, a registry or CER queue, or a ho…
- How do I find a good STC trader, who pays best and who pays fastest?A good STC trader publishes its rate, settles on stated terms, charges no hidden fees and has a track record you can check. Judge on the rate net of f…
- Can I assign STCs to a third party or a different company than the installer?In principle the assignment can name any registered person or agent, not only the installer. In practice the installer's price assumes they receive th…
- What does assigning STCs mean?Assigning STCs means you sign over to your installer the right to create and sell the certificates for your system. In return, the installer reduces y…
- What does assigning STCs mean for me, and who owns them afterwards?Assigning your STCs means signing over your right to create and own the certificates, usually to the installer or their agent, in return for a discoun…
- Can I cancel or revoke an STC assignment?You can ask to withdraw an STC assignment before certificates are created, but the installer will normally expect the discount back. Once the STCs are…
- What does it cost to register and create STCs?A registered person REC Registry account has a one-off fee of about $20, and creating STCs costs about 47 cents each for solar, after the first 250 fr…
- How to claim the solar rebate in AustraliaIn Australia you claim the federal solar rebate by assigning your STCs to an accredited installer when you buy. There is no application to government.…
- How can I check if my installer claimed my STCs?Ask your installer or agent for written confirmation of the STC creation, including the number of certificates and the creation date. The REC Registry…
- Can I get STCs for a battery if I already have solar?Yes. Under the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program a battery of 5 to 100 kWh usable earns STCs on up to 50 kWh, with new or existing solar. It must…
- What did the Greenbot collapse mean for customers' STCs?Greenbot was permanently suspended as a registered agent in 2024, and its installer clients moved mainly to Formbay and One Stop Warehouse. If your in…
- What happens to STCs in 2030 when the scheme ends?The Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme ends on 31 December 2030. The deeming period shortens each year, 5 years for 2026 installs, 4 for 2027 and dow…
- What happens to your STCs if your solar installer goes bust?If you have paid the discounted price and the system is installed, the installer going bust usually does not change what you owe. The risk is unclaime…
- Is my installer ripping me off on the STC discount?Your STC discount is probably fair if the STC count matches the calculator and the value per STC is within a few dollars of the market, about $38 to $…
- What if I don't sign, or lose, my STC assignment form?If the form is never signed, your installer cannot create the STCs, so they may try to recover the discount from you under the contract. If you lose i…
- Why does my installer want me to sign the STC form?The STC assignment form transfers your right to create certificates to your installer or their agent, which is how they fund the discount on your quot…
- What happens to my STCs if my solar installer goes bust?If you signed the STCs over and paid the discounted price, your discount is usually already in your price. If STCs were never created, the right may s…
- Do installers keep the STC discount?Not as profit. The customer should see the STC value taken off the price, and the installer recovers that amount by selling the certificates. Any marg…
- Do installers pay GST on STCs?STCs are a taxable supply, so an installer registered for GST adds GST to the sale price and remits it to the ATO. In practice the buyer usually issue…
- Can I keep my STCs?Yes. You can decline to assign your STCs and keep the right to create them, but you then pay the full system price upfront and must create and sell th…
- How long do STCs take to get paid, stage by stage?From a clean, complete claim, payment can take from 24 hours to several weeks depending on your trader's terms. Most of the variation sits in your own…
- How long does it take to claim and register STCs?Lodging a claim takes minutes if your photos, statement and assignment form are ready. The CER then validates the claim and registers the certificates…
- How long does it take to get paid for STCs?It depends on the buyer. Many traders pay in 5 to 20 business days after a claim is lodged; the registry step itself is usually quick. A trader that s…
- If I move house, can I take my solar panels and STCs?You can take your panels with you if the sale contract excludes them, but a relocated system is second-hand and does not earn new STCs. The STCs from …
- How much is the solar rebate for 6.6 kW?In 2026 a 6.6 kW system earns between 39 and 53 STCs depending on your zone. At roughly $38 to $40 each, that is a discount of about $1,500 to $2,100.…
- How much is one STC worth today?At the time of writing, one STC has been worth roughly $38 to $40 on the spot market, and the STC Clearing House pays a fixed $40. What an installer i…
- How much STC discount should I get, and how do I check it?Multiply system size in kW by your zone rating and the deeming years (5 for 2026), round down, then multiply by the value per STC, roughly $38 to $40 …
- How much will STCs fall next year, and by 2030?The number of STCs a new solar system creates falls by one-fifth in 2027, because the deeming period drops from 5 years to 4. It keeps falling to 3 ye…
- Do I pay tax on the solar rebate or declare STCs?For a household that assigns its STCs to the installer for a lower price, the ATO has generally treated that as a price reduction rather than income y…
- Do I qualify for the solar rebate?Most households do. You qualify for the federal STC discount if your solar system is new, uses approved panels and inverter, is under 100 kW, and is i…
- How to report a solar scam, and what Scamwatch doesReport solar and rebate scams to Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au, run by the ACCC. If you lost money or gave away details, contact your bank first, then…
- Do I get STCs for a second, upgraded or replacement solar system?It depends on whether the work is new, additional or a replacement. Additional capacity and genuine replacements can be eligible in some circumstances…
- How do I read the STC line on a solar quote or invoice?A good quote shows the number of STCs, the dollar value per STC and the total deducted from your price. Individual STC serial numbers sit in the REC R…
- Can I sell my own STCs?Yes. If you have not assigned your STCs, you can create them in the Clean Energy Regulator registry and sell them to a trader or through the clearing …
- Can I sell my own STCs, and would I get a higher discount by keeping them?Yes, you can keep your STCs and sell them yourself, but you must pay the full price up front and handle registration, creation and sale. It only beats…
- Selling a house with solar: what happens to the STCs?Nothing happens to your STCs when you sell, because they were created and normally sold when the system was installed. The buyer gets a working system…
- Should I assign my STCs to the installer, and what if I refuse?For most households, yes: assigning your STCs to the installer is how you receive the discount on the quote, and it spares you the paperwork and the w…
- Should I wait for solar prices or STCs to drop before buying?Generally no. The STC discount is set by a deeming period that falls by one year each January, so waiting cuts the discount by roughly a fifth to a th…
- How do solar companies make money from STCs?Installers give the customer an upfront discount equal to the STC value, then sell the certificates. The profit is the difference between the price th…
- My solar installer disappeared after taking a deposit: what now?Gather your quote, receipts and messages, then contact your bank or card provider about a chargeback, your state fair trading office, and Scamwatch or…
- How do you avoid STC fraud when buying solar?Check your installer's accreditation, never sign anything blank, and make sure the STC discount on your quote matches your actual system. Walk away fr…
- How long does it take to receive the solar panel rebate?Most households receive the rebate immediately as a discount on the system price. The STC claim behind it takes the installer from a few days to sever…
- Solar rebate calculator: work out your STCs in two minutesTo calculate your solar rebate, multiply system size in kW by your postcode zone rating and by the deeming years remaining (5 for 2026), round down to…
- Solar rebate calculator Australia: what the numbers useAn Australian solar rebate calculator uses your postcode zone, system size, install year and the current STC price. The federal figure is the same nat…
- Solar rebate: how to claim it, step by stepYou do not lodge the claim yourself. You pick an accredited installer, sign an STC assignment form, and the installer creates and sells the certificat…
- Is the solar rebate paid to me or to the installer?In almost every residential job the STC proceeds go to the installer or its registered agent, and you receive their value as a discount on the price. …
- Is the solar rebate paid upfront?In practice, yes. The federal solar rebate is delivered as STCs, and most installers deduct their value from your quote upfront, then claim them later…
- Solar rebate scams: phone call, text, email, door knock and free panelsSolar rebate scams arrive by phone, text, email and at the door, and all follow one script: an unsolicited approach, a rebate you must claim now, and …
- Is the solar rebate taxable?For a household that assigns STCs to the installer in exchange for a lower price, the discount is generally not treated as assessable income. Business…
- How does the solar rebate work in Australia?The federal "rebate" is a point-of-sale discount made of small-scale technology certificates (STCs). Your installer creates them for your system, sell…
- STC deeming period by year: 2026 to 2030 tableFor small-scale solar the deeming period is 5 years for systems installed in 2026, 4 years in 2027, 3 in 2028, 2 in 2029 and 1 in 2030. The scheme end…
- How does the STC discount and GST show on an invoice?GST is calculated on the full system price before the STC discount is deducted, so the GST shown can look higher than 10% of what you actually pay. Th…
- Is the STC a discount, a rebate or cash, and do I get cash for my STCs?An STC is a tradable certificate, not a cash payment from the government. Most homeowners receive its value as an up-front discount on the quote by as…
- STC discount on a solar quote, explainedThe STC discount on a quote is the value of the certificates your system earns, taken off the price upfront. You can check it by multiplying system si…
- Is the STC discount upfront, and what is point of sale?In most Australian solar sales the STC discount is taken off the price at the point of sale, because you assign your certificates to the installer. It…
- How is the STC formula calculated?STCs equal system kW, multiplied by the postcode's zone rating, multiplied by the deeming period in years, rounded down to a whole number. For 6.6 kW …
- What STC price do installers use, and why is it below spot?Installers usually value STCs at the rate their certificate trader pays, which is a little under the spot market price. At the time of writing spot ha…
- Is the STC solar rebate a scam? How to tell it is legitimateThe STC rebate is real. It is created under the federal Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme and arrives as a discount on your system, not as a payment…
- Is the solar STC rebate a scam?No. STCs are a legitimate federal scheme run by the Clean Energy Regulator. The scams are in the sales tactics around them, such as fake "free solar" …
- What is an STC on my solar quote?An STC on your solar quote is a small-scale technology certificate: the federal rebate for your system, created by your installer. The installer sells…
- What is the STC value per kW in 2026?In 2026 each kW creates the zone rating times five STCs: about 6.9 in zone 3, 5.9 in zone 4. At roughly $38 to $40 an STC, that is about $260 to $275 …
- How do installers claim STCs?An accredited installer completes the job, collects photos, serials and a signed assignment form, then lodges the claim in the REC Registry directly o…
- How do STCs work with no-interest loans and pay later plans?The STC discount comes off the price first, and a no-interest loan or pay later plan then finances what is left. Several government loan schemes have …
- How are STCs paid to installers?The customer assigns their right to the STCs to the installer as an upfront discount. The installer then sells the certificates to a trader or agent, …
- How do STCs work with solar finance, green loans and home equity?The STC discount reduces the system price at the point of sale, and your finance, whether a green loan, personal loan or home equity, covers the balan…
- Can I combine STCs with state solar and battery rebates?STCs are a federal discount, and in most cases you can combine them with state incentives, but each state scheme has its own eligibility rules, caps a…
- STCs stuck at the CER or not showing in the REC Registry: what is going on?STCs can sit with the CER because the claim is under validation or has been selected for an evidence check, and they may not show in the registry if t…
- I bought a house with solar: who owns the STCs, can I claim?STCs are created once, when the system is installed, and the previous owner usually assigned them for a discount. As the buyer you do not own or claim…
- My trader is asking for more photos or rejected my STC photos. Now what?Traders reject photos because they cannot show what the CER needs: serials, location, correct components or the finished install. Ask exactly which sh…
- My trader says my STCs failed. What do I do?Ask for the exact failure reason, fix the underlying data or evidence, then resubmit. Most failures are mismatched details, missing serials or photo p…
- Who is eligible for STCs?STCs are created for eligible systems, not people. The system must be new, approved, under 100 kW and installed by an accredited installer, and the cl…
- Who owns the STCs on my solar system?The system owner, normally you, holds the right to create the STCs. Most owners assign that right to their installer, who creates and sells the certif…
- Will solar be cheaper or dearer after 2030?Without STCs the discount is gone, so the net price should be higher by the discount's value unless hardware and installation costs fall by at least a…
- Is it worth registering STCs yourself?Only at volume or if you want full control. Self-registering means a registry account, creation fees and compliance work, and the saving is a margin o…
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