Topic
STC prices, market and policy
105 pages, one place. Start with the quick answers, go deeper with the articles.
In depth 30
- Bowen battery rebate changes explained for 2026The Cheaper Home Batteries Program changes under Minister Bowen explained: budget growth, the tiered factor since 1 May 2026, and the 2027 steps.
- How to calculate battery STCs: tiers, factor and examplesBattery STCs depend on usable kWh, a factor of 6.8 at the time of writing, 5.7 from 1 January 2027 and 5.2 from 1 July 2027, applied in three tiers.
- How to calculate STCs for solar: a four-step methodCalculate solar STCs in four steps: confirm kW, find the zone, apply the deeming year, round down. Includes a spreadsheet formula, worked examples and…
- CER new rules for solar installers in 2026What changed for solar and battery installers in 2026: tighter battery evidence, mid-scale solar entering the SRES, and the audit habits that keep cla…
- What changed on 1 July 2026 for energy rebatesA clear look at what did and did not change on 1 July 2026: Solar Victoria's income cap, NSW scheme updates, and why the battery factor stayed at 6.8.
- How to claim STCs: creating certificates in the registryHow to claim STCs for a solar job: who can create them, the registered person versus agent choice, the claim fields, evidence, assignment and the 12-m…
- Clean Energy Regulator announcements 2026: STC watchThe Clean Energy Regulator announcements that matter to STC traders in 2026, from the 11.67% percentage to battery evidence rules and mid-scale solar.
- Energy rebates ending in Australia in 2026: the listWhich Australian energy rebates have closed, are stepping down or have an end date in 2026 and 2027, from state battery loans to the federal battery f…
- Federal budget 2026: what it means for installersThe 2026 federal budget and the schemes around it: mid-scale solar into STCs, a bigger battery program and a faster-falling factor. What changes for y…
- Federal Budget 2026: Solar and Battery MeasuresWhat the May 2026 federal Budget did and did not change for solar, batteries and certificates: no new rooftop rebates, inspection funding and the date…
- Future of the STC market after 2030 for tradersWhat happens to STCs after the scheme ends on 31 December 2030: volume decline, the final surrender, batteries, mid-scale solar and what traders shoul…
- Home electrification policy in Australia, 2026 guideA map of the 2026 home electrification policy landscape for installers: federal batteries, state programs, hot water, and where certificates fit in th…
- New solar rules 1 January 2027: what changes for installersWhat changes on 1 January 2027 for solar and battery installers: deeming period down to four years, battery factor to 5.7, and the mid-scale expansion…
- New solar rules in Australia for 2027: dates to knowThe solar and battery changes already set for 2027: deeming drops to 4 years, battery factor steps to 5.7 then 5.2, and mid-scale solar bedding in.
- Pull-forward demand: December 2026 for solar installersHow the 1 January 2027 deeming and battery factor steps will pull jobs into December 2026, what it does to your calendar, and how to plan crews and ca…
- Renewable Energy Target 2030 explained: LRET and SRESWhat the Renewable Energy Target is, how its two halves work, the 33,000 GWh target, the percentages liable entities face and what replaces it after 2…
- How to sell STCs: four routes and how to chooseFour ways to sell STCs: clearing house, trader or agent, selling direct and holding. Compare price, speed and risk, then follow six steps to sell your…
- Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme wind-down explainedHow the SRES winds down to 31 December 2030: the deeming ratchet, the liability percentage, supply risk, the mid-scale extension and what it means for…
- Solar installer demand in 2027: an evidence-based outlookWhat the CER projections, deeming schedule and battery program imply for installer demand in 2027, with scenarios and planning advice rather than fals…
- Solar rebate 2028, 2029 and 2030: the schedule in numbersThe small-scale solar rebate year by year from 2026 to 2030: deeming steps, STC counts for typical systems in zones 3 and 4, battery factor steps and …
- STC price forecast: what could move the price to 2030No one can promise an STC price, but the drivers are known: the $40 ceiling, the percentage, deeming, batteries and the 2030 end date. Three scenarios…
- STC price forecast 2027: scenarios, not predictionsWhat could move the STC price in 2027: the $40 ceiling, deeming-period cuts, battery supply and retailer demand. Three scenarios with per-job dollar e…
- STC price history: from a volatile start to the $40 ceilingHow the STC price has behaved since the scheme began, why it settled just under the $40 clearing house ceiling, and what the pattern means for your qu…
- STC price history 2019 to 2026: year by yearA year-by-year look at the STC market from 2019 to 2026: the deeming period falling, the $40 ceiling holding, and what a standard job paid at each sta…
- STC pricing explained: spot, forward, fees and lockWhat is inside an STC rate: the ceiling, spot and forward, fees, rate lock, timing and GST. How to turn a rate card into the dollars that reach your a…
- STC process step by step: install to cash in ten stepsThe full STC process in ten steps from quote to payment, with the owner of each step, typical timing, the failure point and the cash impact of each de…
- STC trading for new installers: your first 30 daysA step-by-step start for new solar installers: accreditation, ABN and GST, choosing a trader, your first claim and what to expect on payment timing.
- How does STC trading work? A claim's journey to cashFollow one claim through a certificate trader: onboarding, pre-check, rate lock, lodgement, sale to a liable entity and settlement, with timings and w…
- What is an STC worth in 2026?The $40 clearing house ceiling, why traders pay below it, spot versus forward pricing, and how to compare STC rate cards on fees, timing and rate lock…
- Is solar worth installing without the rebate?A worked payback for rooftop solar with and without STCs, using clear assumptions, so you can answer the customer who says the rebate is shrinking.
Quick answers 75
- Will the battery rebate rates change again, and is there a review?Yes, on a schedule: the factor is 6.8 for May to December 2026, then 5.7 from 1 January 2027 and 5.2 from 1 July 2027. Policy can change as well, so w…
- How do I calculate battery STCs for a home battery?Battery STCs are calculated as usable kWh (5 to 100 kWh, with up to 50 kWh eligible) multiplied by the STC factor: 6.8 for 2026 installs, stepping dow…
- How do you get the best STC price?The best STC price is the best net result, not the biggest headline number. Compare the published rate, the lock point, any fees and the settlement ti…
- How is the battery rebate funded after the 4.9 billion budget top-up?The federal budget for the Cheaper Home Batteries Program has been reported as expanded from $2.3 billion to $7.2 billion, a lift of about $4.9 billio…
- How do you buy STCs from the Clearing House?Anyone with a registered person or registered agent account in the REC Registry and Clearing House access can buy STCs from the transfer list at $40 e…
- What is the CER compliance push on installers and new STC rules in 2026?In 2026 the Clean Energy Regulator ramped up battery inspections, suspended installers who failed fit and proper person checks and tightened evidence:…
- How does the Cheaper Home Batteries Program affect STC prices?The Cheaper Home Batteries Program, from 1 July 2025, creates STCs for eligible batteries, which adds supply to a market that was already capped at $4…
- What is the current STC price in Australia?Australia has one national STC market. At the time of writing certificates trade at roughly $38 to $40, with a $40 Clearing House ceiling. The price d…
- Where can I find the daily or weekly STC spot price in Australia?Daily STC spot prices are quoted by certificate brokers and some trader websites, and weekly or quarterly averages appear in broker updates and Clean …
- What drives STC prices? Supply and demand explainedSTC prices are driven by how many certificates installers create (supply), how many retailers must surrender (demand, set by the small-scale technolog…
- What is the status of the Energy Bill Relief Fund in 2026?The federal Energy Bill Relief Fund, which put automatic credits on household and small business bills, ended on 31 December 2025. No universal federa…
- How fast can you get paid for STCs?The fastest realistic STC payment is within 24 hours of sign-off, which established Energy Merchants partners receive. A new partner's first claim tak…
- How do you get STC payments faster?Lodge complete claims on the day of install, use a trader with a stated settlement time and a pre-check, and avoid common triggers for delay such as u…
- How do new-home gas bans and electrification policy affect installers?Restrictions on gas connections for new homes, notably in Victoria and the ACT, mean more all-electric builds that need heat pump hot water, induction…
- What happens to STC traders after the scheme ends in 2030?The Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme ends on 31 December 2030, so new solar installs stop earning STCs after that, though claims for earlier instal…
- How do you calculate STCs for a heat pump?A heat pump's STC count is based on the registered model's rated energy output, the climate zone for the postcode and the deeming period. Use the regi…
- What are the highest and lowest STC prices ever?The practical high is $40 ex GST, the Clearing House price that caps the market. Spot prices have come close, such as $39.40 in September 2013. The re…
- Who pays installers the highest STC price?No trader can sustainably pay above the $40 Clearing House ceiling, and spot has been roughly $38 to $40. The highest real price is the best net resul…
- Was Labor's battery rebate promise delivered, and what do the other parties say?Yes. Labor's election promise became the Cheaper Home Batteries Program, which started on 1 July 2025 and has since been expanded and re-tiered. The C…
- How long does STC payment take after installation?After installation, STC payment takes as long as your trader's terms allow once a complete claim is lodged. That can be a day or several weeks. Faster…
- How long do STCs take to be paid?STC payment takes anywhere from one day to 30 days or more, depending on the trader's terms. The registry step itself is fast; the delay is usually in…
- How many STCs does a 6.6 kW system create?For a 2026 install, a 6.6 kW system creates about 53 STCs in zone 1, 50 in zone 2, 45 in zone 3 and 39 in zone 4. The formula is kW times zone rating …
- What do I need to start trading STCs?To start trading STCs you need an ABN and GST position, accreditation to install, bank details, a way to capture photos and signed assignment forms, a…
- What if the REC Registry is down or changes in 2026?The REC Registry is run by the Clean Energy Regulator, which posts maintenance and change notices on its website. We have not verified any specific 20…
- Has the 33,000 GWh RET target been met, and what about 82% by 2030?Yes, the 33,000 GWh large-scale target has been met and LGC supply now exceeds it. The 82% by 2030 goal is a separate federal target for renewables in…
- What is the Renewable Energy Target and who funds it?The Renewable Energy Target is a federal scheme that makes electricity retailers buy certificates, LGCs for large-scale generation and STCs for small-…
- How many Australians have rooftop solar and batteries in 2026?As reported, more than 4.3 million Australian rooftops have solar, and the Cheaper Home Batteries Program passed 500,000 batteries in just over a year…
- Is same day STC payment possible?Same day STC payment is uncommon because the claim has to be verified and the certificates transferred first. Next day is the realistic fast standard,…
- How do I sell STCs as an installer?To sell STCs, get the customer's signed assignment, document the install with photos, lodge a complete claim with a trader, and receive payment at the…
- How do I sell my STCs for the best price?Sell STCs for the best price by lodging complete, compliant claims, choosing a trader with a published and locked rate and no fees, and prioritising f…
- How do you sell STCs through the Clearing House, and what does it cost?You need Clearing House access on your REC Registry account, then list validated STCs onto the transfer list. They sell at $40 ex GST, first in, first…
- Who sets the STC price?Nobody sets the STC spot price; it is the result of trades between sellers and buyers. The only fixed number is the $40 ex GST Clearing House price in…
- What is the small-scale technology percentage (STP)?The small-scale technology percentage (STP) is the share of the electricity that liable entities, mainly retailers, buy that must be covered by STCs e…
- How much less is the solar rebate in 2027 with a 4-year deeming period?From 1 January 2027 the deeming period drops from 5 years to 4, so a small-scale solar system earns 20% fewer STCs. A 6.6 kW system in a zone 3 city g…
- Will there be a solar or battery rebate after 2030?The small-scale STC scheme is legislated to end on 31 December 2030 and the battery factor steps down towards that date. No extension has been legisla…
- Is the solar rebate ending, and what happens to STCs after 2030?The solar rebate is not ending yet, but it shrinks every 1 January and the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme finishes on 31 December 2030. After tha…
- How does the Solar Sharer Offer change the case for home batteries?Free midday power lowers the value of exporting solar and raises the value of a battery that charges for free and discharges in the evening. It does n…
- When does the Solar Sharer offer start and what does it mean?The Solar Sharer Offer applies from 1 July 2026 in the Default Market Offer regions of New South Wales, South Australia and South East Queensland. Ret…
- How do I find my solar STC zone by postcode?Australia is divided into four STC zones by postcode, rated 1.622, 1.536, 1.382 and 1.185. The rating is multiplied by system kW and deeming years, so…
- How do you calculate how many STCs a solar system earns?Multiply the system size in kW by the postcode zone rating and the number of deeming years, then round down. A 6.6 kW system in zone 3 in 2026 earns a…
- What does an STC calculator show for 2026 installs?For 2026 installs the deeming period is 5 years. A 6.6 kW system earns about 53 STCs in zone 1, 50 in zone 2, 45 in zone 3 and 39 in zone 4, using the…
- What will an STC calculator show for 2027 installs?From 1 January 2027 the deeming period is 4 years, so a rooftop system earns a fifth fewer STCs than in 2026. A 6.6 kW system in zone 3 earns about 36…
- How do I use an STC calculator for a solar installation?To calculate solar STCs, find the postcode zone rating, multiply it by the system's kW and the deeming years for the install year, and round down. The…
- What does a surplus or deficit mean at the STC Clearing House?A surplus means more STCs are waiting on the Clearing House transfer list than buyers are purchasing, so sellers queue. A deficit is the reverse: buye…
- How long does the STC Clearing House take to pay?There is no guaranteed time. STCs on the Clearing House transfer list sell first in, first out as buyers purchase, so the wait depends on how many cer…
- What causes STC payment delays?The main causes of STC payment delay are incomplete or unclear claim documents, registry validation or audit flags, mismatched installer or bank detai…
- STC payment terms: is 20 days really worse than 1 day?Twenty day terms mean roughly three weeks of certificate value sits unpaid. For a crew lodging ten claims a week, that can be tens of thousands of dol…
- Can you get STC payment within 24 hours?Yes. Energy Merchants settles STCs within 24 hours of sign-off for established partners, with a first claim clearing in 48 to 72 hours while details a…
- What is STC pre-approval?STC pre-approval is a review of a claim's photos, forms and data before it is lodged in the registry, so errors can be fixed first. The term is used i…
- What is the price of an STC?An STC is a tradeable certificate whose price is set by the market, capped at $40 by the Clearing House. In 2026 spot has been roughly $38 to $40, and…
- What was the average STC price in 2025, and where did it end the year?STCs traded close to the $40 Clearing House ceiling through 2025, for example $39.95 in late May. A precise annual average depends on the data source,…
- Why is the STC price below $40?$40 is the price at which the Clearing House will sell certificates, so it is a ceiling, not a floor. Spot sits a little under it because buyers disco…
- Why is the STC price capped at $40, and is it fixed?The $40 figure is the Clearing House price, set in regulation at $40 ex GST per certificate. It caps what liable buyers pay for an STC and gives selle…
- Will the STC price change in 2027, and what about Nov to Jan?Nobody can publish a reliable STC price forecast, but the ceiling is $40 because the clearing house buys at that level, and the spot market has been r…
- Why did STC prices fall in early 2024?STC spot slipped by roughly 80 cents between November 2023 and February 2024, mainly because certificate creation grew faster than demand, helped by s…
- STC price forecast for 2028, 2029 and 2030: what can we say?No reliable price forecast exists for 2028 to 2030. What we can say is that the $40 Clearing House ceiling limits upside, certificate volumes per syst…
- Is the STC price going up or down in 2026?At the time of writing STC spot has been roughly $38 to $40 in 2026, trading in a tight band under the $40 ceiling. Battery certificates add supply, w…
- Is the STC price $40 including GST or excluding GST?The $40 Clearing House price is excluding GST. If you are registered for GST, 10 per cent is added on top, so the buyer pays $44 and you remit the $4 …
- STC price history: how much were STCs worth from 2019 to 2026?From 2019 to 2026 the STC spot price has mostly stayed in the high $30s, capped by the $40 Clearing House ceiling, with brief dips below. At the time …
- What STC price do installers actually get?Installers receive their trader's buy rate, which is below the spot market of roughly $38 to $40. What you actually get depends on four things: the he…
- What is the STC price this month (October 2026)?At the time of writing, the STC spot market has been roughly $38 to $40, and the Clean Energy Regulator's clearing house ceiling is $40. The price an …
- What is the STC price today?At the time of writing, STCs have been trading at roughly $38 to $40 each, with the Clearing House ceiling at $40. The price you actually receive depe…
- STC price vs LGC, VEEC and ESC prices: how do they compare?At the time of writing STCs trade roughly $38 to $40, LGCs roughly $6 to $9, and VEECs roughly $85 to $95. NSW ESCs and PRCs have their own markets. E…
- Where can installers see today's STC rates?Look for a trader that publishes its STC buy rate daily on a public page, with the lock point and fees stated. Spot has been roughly $38 to $40 at the…
- What is the STC spot price and how is it set?The STC spot price is the going market rate for certificates traded for near-immediate delivery. In 2026 it has been roughly $38 to $40, capped by the…
- Why is the STC spot price below the $40 clearing house price?The clearing house offers $40 per STC, but selling to it means joining a queue and waiting, so the market discounts spot by a small amount, roughly $3…
- STC spot price vs Clearing House price: what is the difference?The Clearing House price is a fixed $40 set in law, available to buyers through a regulator-run queue. The STC spot price is what certificates actuall…
- What is the STC submission process?The STC submission process is: quote and assign, install and photograph, lodge the claim with your trader, compliance check, certificate creation in t…
- STC trading price vs the clearing house: which is better?The clearing house sells STCs at a fixed $40 but there is no guaranteed timing, because sales are made from a queue. Traders pay a little below $40, a…
- What is the STC value of a 6.6 kW solar system?A 6.6 kW system installed in 2026 in zone 3 earns about 45 STCs, worth roughly $1,700 to $1,800 at $38 to $40 each. Zone 1 gets about 53 STCs, and zon…
- What does the STC zone map of Australia look like?Australia is divided into four STC zones. Zone 1 is the sunniest, covering the north and centre, zone 4 the least sunny, covering Tasmania and parts o…
- How do you find the STC zone rating for a postcode?The STC zone for a system is set by the postcode of the install, using the Clean Energy Regulator's postcode zone table. Zone 1 has a rating of 1.622,…
- How do you trade STCs?STCs are created in the Clean Energy Regulator's registry from eligible installations and sold to buyers, mainly energy retailers. Most installers sel…
- Why has my STC payment not arrived?Check three things in order: whether the claim was lodged and cleared in the registry, what settlement time your trader promised, and whether your ban…
- Will STC prices fall as the scheme ends, or after 2027?Not necessarily. As the deeming period shortens, fewer certificates are created per system, which can support price, but demand falls too and battery …
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