Topic
STCs by system size, type and zone
35 pages, one place. Start with the quick answers, go deeper with the articles.
Quick answers 35
- Can you claim STCs for adding panels to an existing solar system?Yes, for the added capacity. An extension to an existing system can earn STCs on the new panels if the new panels and the inverter are approved, the i…
- Do solar bore pumps, water pumps and irrigation systems get STCs?A dedicated solar pump wired directly to its panels generally does not create STCs, but a normal solar system that feeds a switchboard which also runs…
- Can caravan, motorhome and tiny home solar earn STCs?Sometimes. The Clean Energy Regulator allows off-grid systems in transportable units such as caravans and tiny homes to count consumption inside the u…
- Do churches, schools, councils and not-for-profits get solar STCs?Yes. The STC scheme is based on the system, not the organisation, so a church, school, council or not-for-profit earns STCs on solar up to 100 kW like…
- Do DC-coupled, AC-coupled and battery-only installs earn STCs?Yes. Under the Cheaper Home Batteries Program the coupling method does not decide eligibility. A DC-coupled, AC-coupled or stand-alone battery all ear…
- Can a granny flat get its own solar STCs?Yes. A granny flat or secondary dwelling can have its own solar system that earns STCs, treated as an additional system at the same address, as long a…
- Do ground mount, tracking, flat roof and tilt frame solar systems get STCs?Yes. How panels are mounted (ground, tracker, flat roof or tilt frame) does not change STC eligibility or the number of certificates. The usual tests …
- What is the maximum solar system size for STCs?Under the long-standing rule, a solar system of up to 100 kW can create STCs; larger systems earn LGCs. For systems installed from 1 October 2026, the…
- How do STCs work for solar on a new build or new home?A solar system on a new build earns STCs on the same formula as any other, but it is claimed as a new installation and must be installed by an accredi…
- Do you get STCs again when replacing solar panels or an old system?It depends on how much you replace. A full replacement with new approved components, with the old system decommissioned, can qualify as a replacement …
- Can you claim STCs when replacing or upgrading a solar inverter?Not for the inverter on its own. An inverter swap does not create new generation capacity, so there are no new STCs. If you add panels as part of the …
- Can you get battery STCs when retrofitting a battery to existing solar?Yes. The Cheaper Home Batteries Program works with new or existing solar, so a retrofit battery can earn STCs if it is a CEC-approved, VPP-capable bat…
- Do farms, dairies, vineyards and remote sites get solar STCs?Yes. Farm, dairy, vineyard, homestead and camp solar can earn STCs up to 100 kW, and from 1 October 2026 systems above 100 kW and up to 1 MW can earn …
- Can you claim STCs on second-hand or refurbished solar panels?Generally no. STCs are for new, Clean Energy Council approved components. Panels that have already been installed, or that previously received STCs, a…
- Can you get STCs for a second solar system on the same property or roof?Yes. A second system at the same address, including on the same roof, can earn STCs as an additional system if it uses new approved components, is ins…
- Do sheds and detached garages qualify for solar STCs?Often yes. A solar system on a shed or detached garage can earn STCs when it is a genuine small generation unit with approved products and an accredit…
- Can you claim solar STCs on a heritage-listed home?Yes. A heritage listing does not make a system ineligible for STCs, but it can restrict where panels go and require council or heritage approval befor…
- Do mobile homes, cabins and caravan parks get solar STCs?Solar on a transportable home, cabin or caravan park can earn STCs if the system is permanently installed at a fixed site by an accredited installer u…
- What is the STC rebate worth for a 3 kW to 100 kW solar system?At roughly $38 to $40 per STC, a 3 kW system in zone 3 is worth about $760 to $800, a 5 kW about $1,290 to $1,360 and a 6.6 kW about $1,710 to $1,800.…
- Who claims the STCs for solar on a rental or investment property?The STCs belong to the owner of the solar system, which in a rental is normally the landlord. A tenant can only claim them if the landlord agrees in w…
- Do you get STCs when solar is replaced after hail damage or insurance?Usually not for a like-for-like panel swap, because panels that previously received STCs are not eligible again. If the whole system is destroyed and …
- Who gets the STCs for solar on a strata building or apartment block?For solar on strata common property, the owners corporation (body corporate) owns the system and so owns the STCs, usually assigning them to a registe…
- How does the SRES 1 MW expansion affect trader pricing and installer cash flow?A 500 kW system can create about 3,455 STCs in zone 3, worth over $130,000 at current spot. That makes settlement terms and the buyer's balance sheet …
- How will the SRES 1 MW expansion affect LGCs?Systems of 100 kW to 1 MW installed from 1 October 2026 create STCs, not LGCs, so some new mid-scale solar that would have registered as a power stati…
- What do installers need to know about the SRES expansion to 1 MW?From 1 October 2026, solar systems above 100 kW and up to 1 MW create STCs at install with a fixed five-year deeming period, instead of LGCs. Below 10…
- What is my STC zone?Australia is split into four solar zones by postcode. Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Gold Coast, Newcastle, Wollongong, Cairns and Towns…
- What are the STC zone ratings and do they change by year?The four zone ratings are 1.622 (zone 1), 1.536 (zone 2), 1.382 (zone 3) and 1.185 (zone 4). The ratings are fixed in the regulations. What changes by…
- STC zones map: which zone is my postcode in?Australia is split into four solar zones by postcode, rated 1.622 (zone 1), 1.536 (zone 2), 1.382 (zone 3) and 1.185 (zone 4). The rating is a multipl…
- How many STCs does a 200 kW, 250 kW, 500 kW or 1 MW system create?Using the zone ratings and a fixed five-year deeming period, a 200 kW system in zone 3 is about 1,382 STCs, 250 kW about 1,727, 500 kW about 3,455 and…
- Are STCs available for off-grid solar and stand-alone power systems?Yes. An off-grid solar system (a stand-alone power system, or SAPS) can create STCs on the same formula as a grid-connected one, provided it is under …
- How many STCs do you get for a solar system by size?For a 2026 install in zone 3 (Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide) you get about 6.9 STCs per kW: 20 for 3 kW, 34 for 5 kW, 45 for 6.6 kW, 69 for 10 kW …
- How do STCs work for commercial solar under 100 kW?Commercial solar up to 100 kW earns small-scale technology certificates in the same way as a home system: kW multiplied by the zone rating and the dee…
- Are STCs based on panel size or inverter size?STCs are based on the total rated capacity of the solar panels, not the inverter. The panels can be oversized up to 133 per cent of the inverter's AC …
- Can you get solar STCs when adding solar to an existing battery?Yes. A new solar system added to a property that already has a battery earns solar STCs on the usual formula. The existing battery earns nothing furth…
- Which STC zone is Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth or Hobart in?Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra are zone 3 (rating 1.382). Melbourne and Hobart are zone 4 (1.185), Darwin is zone 2 (1.536) and Alice …
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