Only accredited businesses and their representatives can offer battery installations under the PDRS. IPART accredits businesses to create certificates from battery installations under the PDRS.

An accredited business may offer battery installs under the PDRS or it may contract the work to third party installers, such as electricians. Accredited businesses and their representatives are not employees or representatives of the NSW Government.

A list of accredited businesses and the activities they are accredited to deliver is available on IPART’s website: Who can help with energy upgrades. We recommend you shop around for a product/service that best meets your needs. Accredited businesses can provide more information on the specific products and services they deliver and the locations they service.

No, the PDRS is a certificate trading scheme that does not give direct rebates. Instead, accredited businesses may create certificates for the peak demand reduction that arises from the work they deliver. They can then sell those certificates and may use some of the revenue they get from that sale to offer their customers batteries at a lower price.

The accredited business or installer will tell you what your installation will cost. The scheme makes it possible for you to get a battery at a lower price. As explained above, you need to pay a minimum amount of $200 towards the cost of the installation. For batteries you are likely to need to pay significantly more than the minimum amount. We recommend shopping around to get the best deal possible.

The minimum payment may cover the costs of products, installation, site assessment or other related works carried out at your property. The accredited business or its representatives should not complete the installation unless you have paid the minimum amount. The minimum payment cannot be reimbursed to you in any form.

By signing a nomination form you give the accredited business the right to create certificates from your installation. They can then sell these certificates, which allows them to offer the battery at a lower price. They can’t create certificates without this form.

Only one accredited business can be nominated for a particular installation and the nomination must be made before the battery is installed.

Make sure you know who your accredited business is and have their details handy. You should take all due care to ensure the installation being done at your property meets your needs. Treat the installation the same way you would approach working with any other contractor who has access to your property.

If you are not happy with the quality of work, or require more information, speak to your accredited business or installer first.

If you’re unable to resolve the problem, NSW Fair Trading or Building Commission NSW may be able to assist. NSW Fair Trading investigates unfair business practices and ensures that products sold in NSW are safe and meet regulations and safety standards. More information about your rights as a consumer, tips for resolving consumer disputes, and how you can make a complaint is available at www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au.

Building Commission NSW licenses tradespeople such as electricians and plumbers and is responsible for the regulation of laws that apply to them. The Building Commission may be able to assist if you have concerns about the work of licensed tradespeople or unlicensed work.

If you are concerned the accredited business or its representative has not complied with PDRS requirements or they’re not responding to your enquiries, you can contact us at ESS.Compliance@ipart.nsw.gov.au.

First, you should contact the accredited business for more information on the products and services they offer including associated costs.

Visit NSW Climate and Action for more information about installing a battery under the PDRS and installation resources.

See IPART’s Energy Sustainability Schemes for:

• general details about the scheme
• information for households and small businesses
• answers to frequently asked questions.

Note: IPART accredits businesses to create certificates. We don’t license tradespersons or regulate safety or consumer rights, which are Building Commission NSW and NSW Fair Trading functions.

A feed-in tariff is a payment that is made to you by your electricity retailer for the excess energy that your grid connect solar power system generates and feeds back into the grid. The amount you will be paid will depend on the rate that is set by your electricity retailer, which can vary between states and territories in Australia. In general, you can expect to receive around 6-10c per kilowatt hour (kWh) of excess energy that you feed back into the grid.

It is best to have a professional assess whether your building is suitable for a solar power system. Factors to consider include the age and condition of your roof, the orientation and angle of your roof, and the amount of shading on your roof.

Solar power systems typically have a lifespan of around 25-30 years. However, this can vary depending on the quality of the system and how well it is maintained.

Birds can damage solar panels if they build nests on them or if they defecate on the panels. The acid in bird droppings can actually etch the surface of solar panels and reduce their efficiency. If you live in an area where birds are a problem, you can install a wire mesh over your solar panels to keep them away.

There is no direct answer to this question, however, some studies have shown that homes fitted with solar panels sell faster and for a higher price than homes without solar panels. The most probable reasoning is that solar panels are viewed as a valuable amenity.

There are four key solar incentives available to all NSW residents:

• 1. The NSW solar panel rebate
• 2. The solar battery rebate for NSW residents
• 3. The NSW VPP battery rebate
• 4. Ongoing incentives in the form of feed-in tariffs

In addition to these solar rebates, there are a number of energy saving offers available with the NSW government for eligible residents, these include:

• NSW Low-Income electricity bill rebate
• Local government solar rebates e.g. Randwick Council
• NSW government energy saving upgrades rebates

In this article, we explain each of the rebates available with the NSW government in detail below, starting with the STC panel rebate.

The solar panel rebate available in NSW is the federal government’s Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme, often referred to as the STC rebate. It reduces the upfront purchase cost of solar panels.

The government rebate varies according to the size of the system you install and your location in New South Wales. It can save you as much as up to 30% off the cost of a new system.

When you install a new solar panel system in NSW, you qualify for the federal STC rebate provided you meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Your solar panels are installed by a Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA) accredited installer
• Your solar panels appear on the CEC’s approved modules list

The NSW solar panel rebate can save you between $2,100 – $2,600 off the price of a standard size solar system (6kW – 8kW).

The value of the solar panel rebate varies depending on where you live in NSW and the size of the system you install. The state of NSW is split into zones for the purpose of allowing rebate certificates. The more sunshine hours your zone receives, the more certificates you receive. The greater New South Wales population falls into rebate Zone 2.

The certificates are then traded at market price, typically between $37 – $40 (per certificate), the sum of which makes up your rebate. While this process may seem complicated, it is typically all handled by your installer.

The table below shows the rebate amount you will receive according to the system size you install in Zone 2, assuming a certificate value of $40:

The solar panel rebate in NSW can reduce the cost of new system by up to 30%. The table below shows the impact the rebate has on the gross cost of the panels:

You can calculate the exact amount of your NSW incentive using our free STC rebate calculator.

Tip: Most advertised and quoted prices for solar panels already factor in the rebate. When you request a quote from an installer, get them to itemise the rebate amount.