Melbourne apartment block installs discounted solar, as hundreds more line up for rebate

An apartment building in the inner Melbourne suburb of Northcote has become the first of thousands across Victoria to install a discounted rooftop PV system as part of the state and federal government-backed Solar for Apartments rebate.

The block of flats received $39,200 to install a solar system that will be shared between 14 apartments and save its residents an estimated $500 a year on electricity costs.

Solar Victoria said this week it has received 438 applications from owners’ corporations in the first round, seeking to install a total of 12,000 kilowatts of solar panels on the shared rooftops of more than 5,000 apartments.

Uptake of solar on apartments has been much lower than for standalone residential homes due to the complexity and costs associated with installing solar on an apartment building and sharing out the savings to residents.

Solar for Apartments has been designed to fix these issues by reducing upfront costs and streamlining the installation process. It offers rebates of up to $2,800 per apartment, or up to $140,000 per building for up to 50 apartments.

Applications for the first round of the program opened in the middle of February, backed by the federal and Victorian Labor governments to the tune of $16 million.

Renters are also expected to benefit from the scheme, with around 65 per cent of Victorian apartment residents being renters.

“We want to make it cheaper and easier for apartment residents to install solar on their rooftop so they too can take advantage of cleaner, cheaper solar to provide cost-of-living relief,” said federal energy minister Chris Bowen, on Wednesday.

“In the past it’s been difficult for apartment residents to reap the benefits of cleaner, cheaper solar- this program will help overcome those barriers and power more Australian homes with renewables.”

Victorian energy minister Lily D’Ambrosio was in Northcote on Wednesday to oversee the inaugural installation.

Applications for round two of the Solar for Apartments program will open in August 2024. For more information, visit solar.vic.gov.au/apartments.