The Victorian and federal governments are expanding the Solar for Apartments program, opening the initiative to significantly more apartment residents and renters across Victoria to help lower household electricity bills.
The program, which covers an average of 76 per cent of upfront installation costs, enables eligible residents to save up to AU$500 annually on energy expenses. Under the funding framework, successful applicants can access rebates of up to AU$2,800 per apartment, capped at AU$140,000 per building.
Major eligibility updates will broaden the scheme’s reach to encompass more units, townhouses, and larger residential complexes. The lot limit for participating developments has been tripled from 50 to 150 lots, allowing larger apartment blocks to apply.
Additionally, the removal of the median property value restriction ensures buildings right across Victoria can now participate regardless of location or property valuation.
Owners corporations will also gain greater flexibility, with the ability to direct up to 20 per cent of the generated solar energy towards powering common areas, driving down shared operational costs for residents.
“Solar means lower power bills – apartment residents and renters deserve to share in those savings,” said Minister for Energy and Resources Jaclyn Symes.
“We’re opening the program to more buildings, that means more solar on more rooftops and lower power bills for more Victorians.”
To date, more than 150 rooftop solar systems have been completed under the scheme across Victoria, with almost half fitted on rental properties. Over 2,800 residents are currently benefiting from lower electricity bills, while a further 726 residents are expected to gain access as 17 additional installations progress.
Federal Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy Josh Wilson added that housing type should not dictate access to renewable energy benefits.
“Through our partnership with Victoria, we’re helping more apartment residents access rooftop solar today while working together on reforms to safely unlock balcony solar and plug-in batteries for the future.”
Applications for the program remain open until June 2027. Concurrently, the federal and state governments are collaborating with other jurisdictions to safely introduce plug-in solar technologies and balcony battery systems to further reduce energy costs for apartment residents.