City Of Parramatta Home Solar Rebate Bonus

If you live in the City of Parramatta local government area and are thinking about installing solar panels on your home, now could be a really good time to as Council is offering an added incentive to residents.

Part of Council’s Sustainability Rebates and Small Grants program aiming to boost renewables and improve environmental outcomes in the community, the rebate is worth up to $500.

To be eligible for the rebate, systems must be greater than 3kW and installed by a Clean Energy Council accredited installer. The applicant – who must be the owner of the property –  needs to obtain pre-approval for the rebate from Council before the installation commences, and the system needs to be installed within 60 days of the pre-approval.

Looking over the detailed terms and conditions here, it mostly seems pretty straightforward. Something that isn’t clear is the “up to $500” – i.e., what size system qualifies for the full $500. As for how many rebates are up for grabs, that’s also not clear – Council says the incentive is only available for a limited time and there is limited funding.

So, get cracking, get a quote – SolarQuotes has some great Sydney solar installers in its network – and get started on your application.

The Power Of Solar Energy In Parramatta

Whether you can score the incentive from Council or not, solar panels remain a great investment. For example, a 6.6kW solar system installed in Paramatta subsidised with the Australian “solar rebate” available to just about everyone can achieve simple payback in just over 5 years. And with the City’s incentive added, even faster. To get a better idea of savings and payback in your situation, try SQ’s solar calculator.

This initiative is part of the Council’s efforts to slash community emissions by 60% and meet 50% of electricity demand with renewable energy by 2038.

Currently, there’s not a great deal of residential and small-scale commercial solar power in the local government area compared to many other jurisdictions. Just in Parramatta’s postcode area (2150), only a few hundred small-scale systems have been installed to date.

Approximately 18% of compatible dwellings across Council’s area have had installations, compared to around 27% across the state – and an estimated 38.4% of the population live in flats or apartments compared to 19.9% in New South Wales.

Council’s Renewable Energy Efforts

The City has been no slouch on the renewables front in terms of its own operations. It committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2022 and Council’s electricity supply will soon be 100 per cent renewables through a Southern Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (SSROC) brokered deal involving 25 local governments.

Under the Power Purchase Agreement, worth approximately $180 million, renewable energy will be sourced from solar farms at Moree, Hillston and Nevertire in NSW from July 2022 through to 2026; with an option to extend the arrangement to 2030.

City of Parramatta Council has also installed solar panels on a number of its assets with a collective capacity of 371kW. Other emissions reduction efforts included a smart and LED street-lighting upgrade project Council states was the largest ever seen in New South Wales.