Be Wary Of Solar Rebate “Eligibility Quizzes” 

You don’t need to jump through hoops or give away personal information to find out if you qualify for the federal “solar rebate”. It’s really simple.

The solar industry is very competitive, which leads to all sorts of “creative” approaches to grabbing folks’ attention. Here’s part of an ad to demonstrate:

Above it was a pic of SA Premier Steven Marshall with some solar panels in the background. It looks like they were in a bit of a rush in whacking this together as it mentions it’s available in SA, and then below, QLD. In another version of the ad, it just shows Premier Marshall and the panel pic, and the wording “New Government Rebate For SA”.

When you click through to the site, there’s a “quiz” to see if you qualify. This quiz has you entering personal details including your name, address, email address and phone number – just to determine “eligibility”. At the end of this process, all I got was a message stating “a local solar specialist may reach out to you to confirm some details”. I assume this actually means to sell me a system. So, after all that, I didn’t find out if I, SpongeBob SquarePants, was eligible.

But here’s the thing anyway – there is no “new” federal rebate for $3,700 for solar power systems per se – in SA, QLD, NSW (the latter also mentioned on the landing pages) or anywhere else for that matter. What is available is what is popularly known as the “solar rebate” (actually an up-front discount) that has been around for years, and the subsidy can knock thousands off the cost of installing solar panels.

The Solar Rebate And Eligibility – What You Need To Know

Forget the quizzes that have you entering your personal details winding up in the hands of mysterious parties – you can learn everything you need to know about the solar rebate without giving away that information.

The basics:

• This subsidy is available across Australia¹.
• The amount varies depending on the size of the system, when and where it is installed.
• The prices you see advertised around the place for systems will have the subsidy already factored in.
• Eligible systems need to be less than 100kW capacity – the average residential rooftop can host far, far less than that.
• The system must be designed and installed by a Clean Energy Council accredited professional.
• The solar panels and inverters used must be approved for use by the Clean Energy Council.

And in a nutshell, that’s about it – but for further information (again, without needing to divulge your personal details), see our Australian solar rebate guide.

If you’re not very familiar with the technology and what you should be looking for in a system and a good installer, it’s a really good idea to learn more before seeking quotes. SolarQuotes also offers its plain-English “101 Guides” series on understanding solar, buying solar (viewed more than 1.1 million times) and owning a system – yet again, without having to enter personal details.

And if after that (or at any time along the way), you’re ready to take the next step and get quotes for a solar power system, SQ is ready to assist. We’ve helped more than 549,000 Australians do so since 2009.

We’ll match your requirements with up to 3 heavily pre-vetted installers in the SolarQuotes network who you’ll be able to learn more about in our installer reviews section, which hosts carefully-screened reviews submitted by Australians who have utilised these businesses.

Beyond that, the SQ team will be there if you need them on your continuing journey towards tiny electricity bills.

Whether you choose to get quotes through SolarQuotes or any other service, going solar in Australia doesn’t need to involve any sort of mystery. Everything from go to whoa should be very clear and up-front, including the parties involved. It helps set the scene for winners all-round.