Solar rebate in SA
2026

With rebates available for both solar panels and batteries, installing a system in 2026 is a great way to combat South Australia's high electricity prices. Both federal incentives decrease in value at the end of the year.

Currently, the solar rebate in SA can reduce the upfront purchase cost of solar panels by as much as 25%. While the battery rebate can also deliver savings of around 25%.

In addition to these two rebates, there are solar and sustainability incentives available to residents of Adelaide, Magill and Edwardstown.

Our guide covers each South Australian incentive in detail.

How to claim the solar panel rebate in SA

The solar panel rebate available in SA is the federal government’s incentive available as part of the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme. The rebate is particularly attractive for residents of South Australia due to the state’s comparatively high number of sunshine hours.

How it works

Your solar installer will handle the processing of the rebate for you. All you need to do is select a good installer, decide on the size of the system you want, and they will take care of the rest. You only pay your installer the net cost of the system (the gross price less the rebate).

What happens behind the scenes is a little more technical. The government will apply a certain amount of Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs) based on your system size and the amount of sunshine your location receives. Each certificate is worth between $37 - $40. The price fluctuates depending on market demand.

Eligibility criteria to claim the rebate

There is some criteria you need to meet to claim the solar rebate in SA. The incentive is available for any purchase of new solar panels provided:

• Your system is designed and installed by a Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA) installer
• Your chosen panels and inverter are on the CEC’s list of approved components
• The system is under 100kW in size

How much will the rebate save you in SA?

The federal solar rebate in SA can reduce the cost of solar panel installation by up to 25%. The exact rebate value varies depending on your system size and your location within South Australia.

The table below shows the rebate savings for: 6.6kW, 8kW and 10kW systems:

SA STC solar rebate value

To get a detailed estimate of your rebate, you can use our solar rebate calculator.

If you want to see how the rebate impacts your savings and payback results for your property, you can use our solar panel calculator.

Solar battery rebate in SA

In addition to the Australian solar panel rebate, the federal government also provides a battery rebate. The battery storage rebate can deliver savings of around $2,516 for a 10 kWh battery and $3,367 for a 13.5 kWh unit. The rebate will decrease from January 1 2027.

The table below shows the approximate rebate value for popular battery models:

Example of combined rebate savings in SA

Buying a battery with solar panels, means that you can claim both federal rebates in the one purchase. The table below shows how both the solar panel and home battery rebates can reduce the installation cost of a hybrid system:

For more information, you can read our guide to getting the home battery rebate.

Solar feed-in tariffs in SA

A solar feed-in tariff is another incentive that you can receive once you have installed a solar system.

When your solar system produces excess energy, it is exported to the grid. For every kWh exported, you can receive a payment called a feed-in tariff. In South Australia, rates typically range from 2c to 10c.

You can read more about how feed-in tariffs work here.

Comparing feed-in rates in SA

In South Australia, feed-in tariff rates are set by electricity retailers. The SA state government does not set a minimum rate, but retailers still set plans in comparison to the Default Market Offer (DMO).

Finding the best feed-in tariff rates in SA is important to delivering maximum savings from your solar system. However, you need to compare rates over the long-term and, be wary of special 12 month ‘sign-up’ rates.

While feed-in tariffs are a nice added bonus, self-consuming your solar energy to power your appliances directly, rather than exporting excess energy to the grid, will deliver greater savings.

Solar and battery incentives available in Adelaide

Homeowners and business in the City of Adelaide local government area can benefit from a range of solar and sustainability initiatives designed to cut emissions and increase household savings.

Funding is exhausted for the 2025 / 26 financial year but is expected to reopen come July 1 2026.

Solar PV incentive

The City of Adelaide is offering concession card holders, tenants and strata managed residential properties access to 20% discounts off the upfront cost of new solar panel installations in Adelaide. Here’s what you can expect to save for different system sizes:

• 20% up to $1,000 (1.5kW - 10kW systems)
• 20% up to $2,500 (10kW - 20kW systems)
• 20% up to $5,000 (20kW+ systems)

Commercial solar rebate

A small rebate is available to businesses that install solar panels:

• 20% up to $1,250 (10kW to 20kW systems)
• 20% up to $2,500 (20+kW systems)

A 50% battery rebate up to $1,000 is available to Adelaide businesses that install a new battery.

Other sustainability incentives

• Appliance electrification: Receive 50% up to $2000 when you replace gas or woodburning appliances with electric or solar-powered ones.
• Electric vehicle charging stations: Install an electric bicycle charging station to receive up to $250, a one-way EV charging station to receive up to $1,000, or a ‘smart’ EV charging station to receive up to $2,000 from the installation costs.

To view the complete list of incentives, visit the City of Adelaide website.

SA Community battery schemes

Eligible residents of Magill and Edwardstown in South Australia, may be able to benefit from reduced electricity bills thanks to the recent installation of large community batteries.

The South Australian government is delivering 18 batteries as part of its ‘emPowering SA’ program. The batteries will store excess renewable energy for eligible residents to use at night. The program is available to Housing SA tenants who are unable to install solar panels or batteries.

It is anticipated the batteries will deliver annual savings of around $575 per household, or around 25% off Default Market Offer electricity prices.

Former South Australian incentives

SA Home Battery Scheme is now closed

The SA battery rebate, also known as the Home Battery Scheme, is no longer available.

The battery rebate proved to be very popular, and saw 39,000 homes in South Australia receive a discount of up to $4,000 on the upfront cost of a new battery. Some 12,000 of the 39,000 rebate recipients also participated in an organised scheme where stored solar energy gets sent from their battery to the grid in times of peak demand.

It is not clear if the South Australian government will offer the incentive again.

South Australia EV rebate

The SA government has now closed its electric vehicle (EV) incentives. It's not clear if they will reintroduce them in the future.

Incentives included:

• An EV rebate up to the value of $3,000
• A 3-year exemption on their registration fees

Electricity bill rebate SA

A $150 electricity rebate was paid to all South Australian households in 2025 / 26 as part of the Australian government’s ‘Energy Bill Relief’ scheme. The final credits were applied in $75 amounts in the September and December quarters in 2025.

The electricity rebate is not available in 2026.