Is the Solar Victoria rebate ending? What changes from June 2027

Short answer: yes, but not yet. On 17 October 2026, the Victorian Government announced that Solar Victoria's solar panel rebate and interest-free loan will stop taking applications on 30 June 2027.

From 1 July 2027, support for home solar moves to a new discount under the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) program. So if you're eligible, the $1,400 rebate is still there for about another eight months. Here's what we know as of 28 October 2026, what we don't know yet, and what I'd do if I were thinking about solar right now.

What was announced?

The change was part of a wider announcement about reducing government spending, published on 17 October 2026. Here's what it says about rooftop solar:

• From 30 June 2027, VEU discounts will replace Solar Victoria rebates for rooftop solar PV.
• The government says that in many cases, the value of these discounts will be more than the $1,400 rebate currently offered through the Solar Homes Program.
• The Essential Services Commission (ESC) will oversee industry standards, quality assurance and regulation in Victoria's rooftop solar industry.
• Solar Victoria will keep managing existing solar panel loans and will keep running its efficient electric hot water rebates.

The government estimates the change will save $60 million over the forward estimates by cutting back-office duplication, so that solar support runs through one program instead of two.

Solar Victoria confirms the dates

On 21 October 2026, Solar Victoria published the details. The Solar Homes solar panel rebate and interest-free loan will stop accepting applications on 30 June 2027. From 1 July 2027, a new residential solar activity in VEU will give households an upfront discount, through a market-based certificate scheme similar to the federal STCs. Solar Victoria calls the next nine months a transition period: rebates and loans stay available on the current rules until then.

What stays the same until June 2027?

Nothing changes today. Solar Victoria's solar panel rebate page (last updated 21 October 2026) still offers:

• A rebate of up to $1,400, worked out as up to 50% of the purchase cost after other discounts such as STCs, capped at $1,400.
• An optional interest-free loan of up to $1,400, repaid over four years. On a $1,400 loan, that's $29.17 a month.

Who can claim it today?

According to Solar Victoria, you need to meet all of these:

• You own and live in the home, or you own a home that's under construction.
• The combined taxable income of all owners is under $150,000 a year.
• The property is worth under $3 million.
• No solar panel system has been installed at the address in the last 10 years, and the address hasn't already had a solar panel or battery rebate under the program.
• You use an authorised solar retailer and eligible products.

There is also a similar rebate for rental properties with similar criteria. Rebates are released each month, so places are limited. Once you're approved, you get a QR code, and the system needs to be installed within 120 days. If you install before you're approved, you miss out on the rebate. Our Victorian rebates page has the full picture.

What we don't know yet

As of 28 October 2026, these questions still don't have official answers:

• How much the VEU discount for home solar will be worth, and how it will be worked out.
• Whether there will be an income limit, a property value cap or other eligibility rules like the ones Solar Homes has now.
• Whether an interest-free loan will still be offered to new customers after June 2027.
• What happens to anyone who is approved for a Solar Victoria rebate but not yet installed by 30 June 2027.

It's also worth knowing that VEU doesn't offer a discount for home rooftop solar yet. Its current solar activity is for commercial and industrial systems from 30 kW to 200 kW, installed in non-residential premises. The ESC's list of VEU program updates showed no new residential solar activity as of 28 October 2026. So the home solar discount still needs to be designed and set up. We'll update this post when the details are released.

How VEU discounts work today

VEU already offers discounts on things like heat pump hot water systems, reverse cycle air conditioning and ceiling insulation. According to the Victorian Government, the discount comes off your quote upfront, so you only pay the rest. Only accredited providers can apply it, and they handle the paperwork. The program says 2.4 million households have upgraded through it.

Solar Victoria says the new solar discount will be market-based, similar to the federal STCs. If it follows the same model as other VEU discounts, your retailer would take it off your price upfront, the same way the federal rebate for solar and batteries works today, and the amount could move with certificate prices. That's our reading of how VEU works now. The official rules for solar will confirm it.

Does the federal solar rebate change?

No. The federal solar rebate comes from Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs) and is separate from anything Victoria offers. It does get smaller each year, though. The Clean Energy Regulator's deeming period is 5 years for systems installed in 2026 and 4 years for systems installed in 2027, and the scheme ends in 2030.

As a rough guide, a 6.6 kW system in Melbourne (zone 4) earns about 39 STCs if installed in 2026, or $1,482 at $38 per STC. Installed in 2027, it's about 31 STCs, or $1,178. STC prices move, so treat these as estimates. Our federal rebates page explains more.

What about batteries?

This announcement doesn't change anything for batteries. Solar Victoria no longer offers a battery rebate or battery loan, so the only battery rebate available in Victoria is the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program.

According to the Clean Energy Regulator, batteries installed from 1 May to 31 December 2026 earn 6.8 STCs per kWh of usable capacity for the first 14 kWh, with lower rates above that. The rate drops to 5.7 for batteries installed from 1 January 2027, and to 5.2 from 1 July 2027. For example, a battery with 10 kWh of usable capacity installed this year would earn 68 STCs, or $2,584 at $38 per STC. Installed in early 2027, the same battery would earn 57 STCs, or $2,166. Our battery rebate calculator works it out for the battery you're looking at.

Should you go ahead now or wait?

Here's how I'd think about it.

• If you meet the Solar Homes rules now: the current rebate is a known amount, and applications stay open until 30 June 2027, subject to the monthly releases. Waiting means swapping a known rebate for one that hasn't been designed yet.
• If you don't qualify for Solar Homes: for example, because your household income is over $150,000 or solar was installed at your address in the last 10 years, the VEU discount might open a door later. We just don't know the rules yet.
• Either way: the federal STC discount for solar and the battery rebate both drop on 1 January 2027, and it's the installation date that counts, not the date you sign.

Honestly, I wouldn't let either deadline rush you into a system that doesn't suit your home. But if you're already thinking about solar, starting the conversation in the next few months gives you time to do it properly and still claim the rebate before it closes. Our guide to moving quickly without cutting corners covers what to check when a deadline is coming up, and how we choose our retail partners explains who you'd be dealing with.

What happens next

The government hasn't said when the VEU solar details will be published. Solar Victoria says it's working with the industry on the design and will share details as they're developed. We'll keep an eye on Solar Victoria, the ESC and the Victorian Government's energy website, and update this post as soon as the rules are out.

If you don't qualify for the Solar Victoria rebate, don't write solar off. The federal STC discount still takes a good chunk off the price, and with feed-in tariffs now close to zero, pairing your solar with a battery is where most of the savings come from these days. My guide to whether a battery is worth it in Victoria walks through the real numbers.

And if you are eligible and want to get solar in before the rebate closes, I'd love to help. Our team will check exactly what you can claim, recommend a system and electricity plan that suit how you use power, and put together a package with one of our vetted retail partners. Your retail partner contracts with you, installs the system, holds the workmanship warranty and claims the rebates. You can also see everything available on our Victorian rebates page.