May 21, 2007

Canberra, Australia: Australia's PV Program Rebate Level Increases

Householders, schools and community organizations planning to take advantage of the Australian Government’s new $150 million solar power rebate can apply immediately for the increased rebate.

Speaking at the Sir Moses Montefiore Jewish Home in Randwick, Sydney, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Malcolm Turnbull, said the photovoltaic rebate, which was doubled in this year’s Budget, was effective from 9 May 2007.

In a $150 million package for solar announced in the Budget recently, the rebate for solar panels on homes provided through the Government’s Photovoltaic Rebate Program (PVRP) will increase from the current $4 per watt, up to a maximum of $4,000, to $8 per watt, up to a maximum of $8,000. The Australian Government has invested around $52 million in the PVRP, which is part of a broader commitment of more than $340 million for solar technology in Australia.

“Over the next five years, the number of solar panels on Australian homes will more than double, and householders and communities will have a greater opportunity to take an active role in reducing their greenhouse gas emissions.”

A new competitive grants element of the programme announced in the Budget enables schools and community groups to apply for a grant of up to 50 per cent of the cost of a solar power system, with an upper limit of two kilowatts.

Under the Australian Government’s Photovoltaic Rebate Program, which commenced in 2000, cash rebates are available to householders, owners of community use buildings, display home builders and housing estate developers who install grid-connected or stand-alone photovoltaic systems.

By June this year, around 10,000 domestic systems will have been installed under the programme, and around 14,000 more will be funded under this new measure.