Queensland Government Solar Bonus Scheme

Information below has been sourced from the following site

The Queensland Government is changing the eligibility criteria for the Solar Bonus Scheme from 7 June 2011 to ensure the Scheme remains cost-effective for all Queenslanders.

What are the changes?

The size of eligible solar PV systems will be limited to 5 kilowatt capacity
A limit of one Scheme application per premises will apply.
All other eligibility criteria and Scheme benefits remain unchanged.

The Queensland Government Solar Bonus Scheme (the Scheme) pays households and other small customers for the surplus electricity generated from roof-top solar photovoltaic (PV) panel systems, which is exported to the Queensland electricity grid. The Scheme is designed to make solar power more affordable for Queenslanders, stimulate the solar power industry and encourage energy efficiency.

The Scheme rewards customers whenever they generate more electricity than they are using - not just the balance at the end of the quarter, but whenever generation exceeds consumption during the day.

The Scheme commenced on 1 July 2008 and is designed to boost the state's use of renewable energy, encourage energy efficiency and stimulate the solar power industry in Queensland.

Customers wishing to reap the benefits of the Scheme will need a solar PV system installed on their premises and have it connected to the electricity grid. Eligible customers will have the option to join the Scheme when the system is installed.

How much are Solar Bonus customers paid?

Customers participating in the Scheme will be paid 44 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) for surplus electricity fed into the grid—more than double the current general domestic use tariff of 21.35c/kWh (Tariff 11 inc GST as at 1 July 2010).

The average customer operating a 1.5 kilowatt (kW) solar system could save over $450 per year on their electricity bill just by using less electricity from the grid. Solar Bonus Scheme customers also receive payments for exporting excess electricity back to the grid, meaning that these savings could be higher.

Read more about the Solar Bonus Scheme

QLD Government web links
Installing PV Systems
Queensland renewabel energy resource maps
Solar bonsus scheme (feed-in tariff)

Solar Bonus Scheme for NSW

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NSW Government Announces Closure of the Sola Bonus Scheme

The NSW Government has today moved to ease the cost burden of the Solar Bonus Scheme by announcing the Scheme's permanent closure to new applicants.

NSW Minister for Resources and Energy, Chris Hartcher said the Government was closing the Scheme to new applicants effective midnight 28 April 2011 and will introduce legislation to Parliament as soon as possible to support these changes.

"This is a Scheme that from the outset has been characterised by policy failure and an extraordinary level of mismanagement," Mr Hartcher said.
"We believe this to be a fair and responsible measure to reduce the burden imposed on NSW taxpayers."

The total cost of the Solar Bonus Scheme is expected to reach up to $1.9 billion.

Mr Hartcher said the Government would honour applications received by network businesses before the hold was imposed.

"Applications received prior to the 29 April 2011 but yet to be connected to the Scheme will be progressed and considered under the eligibility criteria."

For further information view the NSW Govt Press Release >

For further information vistit the NSW Govt website >

The key features of NSW Solar Bonus Scheme include:

It commenced on 1 January 2010 and will operate for 7 years.

It credits eligible customers with a gross meter with a 'gross' feed-in tariff rate of 20 cents per kilowatt hour for all the electricity that their eligible solar photovoltaic (PV) system or wind turbine generates.

Certain customers who meet all requirements for eligibility under the NSW Solar Bonus Scheme (other than having gross meters installed) and who prefer to install or remain on net metering, may choose to receive net credits for their generation.

Small electricity customers (those with an annual electricity consumption of up to 160 megawatt hours) are eligible to participate in the Scheme.

Only customers with solar photovoltaic (PV) panels and wind turbines (up to 10 kilowatts in capacity) that connect to the electricity network through an inverter (up to 10 kilowatts in capacity) are eligible to participate in the Scheme.

Solar PV systems installed and connected after 1 January 2010 must be installed by a person, who at the time of the installation had a Grid-connect Design & Install accreditation from the Clean Energy Council to be eligible for the Solar Bonus Scheme.

Each eligible small electricity customer is entitled to receive the Solar Bonus Scheme credit for one eligible renewable energy generator (solar photovoltaic system or wind turbine) only.

The Scheme will be reviewed in 2012 by the Minister for Energy, or when the installed capacity of renewable energy generators participating in the Scheme reaches 50 megawatts, whichever occurs first.

More information is available in the Solar Bonus Scheme Questions and Answers.

Read more about the NSW Solar Bonus Scheme

VIC Premium feed-in tariff for solar

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Victoria has two programs that allow consumers to be credited for renewable electricity they feed into the state's grid – a Premium Feed-in Tariff for solar and a Standard Feed-in Tariff for a wider range of other small-scale renewable energy systems.

Feed-in tariffs reward people who are producing their own renewable energy by allowing them to receive a standard rate or premium rate for power they feed into the grid.

Premium Feed-in Tariff

Victoria's premium feed-in tariff offers Victorians with small-scale solar PV systems of up to five kilowatts in size a guaranteed minimum credit of at least 60 cents per kilowatt hour for excess electricity fed back into the grid at any time of the day or year.
All Victorian electricity retailers with more than 5,000 customers must offer the Premium Feed-in Tariff for solar, but they may offer different packages and terms and conditions. Check the details of any individual offers before signing up.
Read more about the Premium Feed-in Tariff

Standard Feed-in Tariff

Victoria's standard feed-in tariff is available to households, community organisations and small businesses generating clean electricity from wind, solar, hydro and biomass sources with a generation capacity of up to 100 kilowatts.

The standard feed-in tariff allows eligible customers to sign up and receive a "one-for-one" payment rate for any excess electricity they feed back into the state's electricity grid.

All electricity retailers with more than 5,000 customers must offer the Standard Feed-in tariff, but they may offer different packages and terms and conditions. Check the details of any individual offers before signing up.
Find the answers to standard feed-in tariff frequently asked questions

Read more about Premium feed-in tarrif for solar

Tasmanian Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs)

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Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs)

Renewable energy systems don't contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. So as a reward for not using fossil fuels, when you install a renewable energy system you qualify for Renewable Energy Certificates that you can keep or sell to others.

Australia has been mapped by postcode for the available sunlight in each location, and Tasmania is Zone 4 with a Zone Rating of 1.185. One REC equals one Megawatt hour (MWh) of electricity generated from the renewable energy system.

RECs have a dollar value and are traded in a similar fashion to the stockmarket. RECs can be paid to you by your system installer as a Point of Sale Discount or a monetary payment.

Example of how many RECs I can get for a PV installation.

The number of RECs created depends on the size and type of your PV installation and the geographical location.

You have 2 options for redeeming your renewable system RECs:Creating RECs in blocks of 5 years for the life of the system
Creating RECs as 1 * 15 year block single transaction.
The single transaction is attractive to most people as it can be given as a discount to the total system cost by the retailer.

The calculations for a 1kW system as a single one-off transaction are as follows:

The number of RECs in Tasmania will be:
15yrs * 1kW * 1.185 Zone Rating = 18 RECS
At a trading price of $43 (this amount will vary depending on the current trading price), the amount you can receive is $43 * 18 = $774

With a 2kW system you will create 36 RECs at a possible redemption amount of $1,529.

Read more about the RECs

South Australia's Solar Feed-In Scheme

Information below has been sourced from the following site

The Electricity (Feed-In Scheme-Solar Systems) Amendment Act 2008 was the first solar feed-in law in Australia and pays a premium guaranteed tariff of 44 cents per unit of electricity (kilowatt-hour, kWh), to households and small customers who feed solar electricity into the grid.

The law, which sits within the Electricity Act 1996, came into effect on 1 July 2008 and will extend for 20 years.

On the 31st of August 2010, the Premier and Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change, the Hon Mike Rann, announced the Government's decision to make a number of changes to the scheme as a result of the 10MW Review.

The Electricity (Miscellaneous) Amendment Bill 2011 to amend the scheme was tabled in Parliament on 6 April 2011.

The intended changes to the scheme aim to increase the benefits to solar customers while limiting the total cost of the scheme to all customers in the state.

At a glance, the Government has introduced legislation to:

• increase the bonus, from 44 cents to 54 cents per kilowatt hour;

• obligate retailers who choose to contract with solar customers to pay a minimum rate for the power that they receive from the owners of solar panels;

• limit eligibility for payment of the bonus to the first 45 kilowatt hours exported to the grid per day;

• limit eligibility to one generator per customer;

• specifically exclude generators operated primarily for the purpose of generating a profit from the scheme; and

• close the scheme to new entrants on 1 October 2011.

Subject to the passing of the legislation, all customers that received permission to connect for their solar system from ETSA Utilities after the announcement on the 31st of August 2010 will be subject to the new eligibility criteria.

Further further information please follow the links below:

Media Press Release "Improving South Australia's Feed-In Scheme", 6 April 2011

Frequently Asked Questions (PDF 310kb), April 2011

Feed-in Tariff for Renewable Energy Systems

Information below has been sourced from the following site

The Western Australian residential net feed-in tariff scheme (the scheme) commenced on 1 August 2010. The scheme provides eligible residential system owners with a subsidy rate of 40 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh)* for energy exported to the electricity grid.

System owners receive feed-in tariff payments for 10 years or until the property is sold or leased in which case the new owners or tenants receive the payments for the remaining duration. Payments are made as a credit on the electricity account. If the bill is in credit by more than $100 a cheque can be requested.

The scheme is funded by the State Government and administered by Synergy and Horizon Power. The scheme is reviewed every 3 years or 10MW of new generation to assess the ongoing level of support required. It is proposed that any changes to the scheme will only affect new recipients.

More information

System owners
Purchasing and Installing a photovoltaic (PV) system
Publications and documents
Useful links

Eligibility criteria

Applicant eligibility:

The scheme is open to residential applicants only (on A1, A2 or Smart Power tariffs).
The applicant must be the electricity account holder.
The applicant must be eligible for and participate in the Renewable Energy Buyback Scheme offered through their electricity retailer.
An applicant can claim the feed-in tariff at one property at any one time. Systems owned on second properties may be able to receive REBS. For installations on second properties please contact your electricity retailer.
A residential customer must own the system located at the premises.

System eligibility:

The scheme includes grid-connected photovoltaic, wind and micro-hydro energy technologies. Emerging technologies will be considered upon review.

• The entire system must be new at the time of installation. Second hand systems will not be eligible.

• System size is determined by the maximum size of the inverter and must be consistent with each retailers' REBS requirements as follows:
> 5kW for Synergy customers; and
> up to 10kW per phase (30kW in total) for Horizon Power customers. In some Horizon Power areas connection is limited to 5kW. Contact Horizon Power for further information.

• Tenanted properties where the homeowner also owns the system may be eligible. In this situation the tenant will receive the feed-in tariff benefits. Systems which are owned by a third party (ie leased systems from businesses) are not eligible.

• Systems installed from 1 August 2010 must be designed and installed by a Clean Energy Council accredited designer and installer.

NT Rebates and grants

Information below has been sourced from the following site

Grid Connected Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Systems

Installing a PV system is a method of generating your own electricity by harnessing solar energy via panels placed on the roof of your house.

Power and Water can buy all the electricity that your PV system generates if you are connected to the grid. This means your power bills will simply be the difference between the electricity you have used and the electricity your PV system has generated and fed back into the grid. If you use less electricity than your PV system generates, you will receive money instead of a bill.

Currently Power and Water is offering 15.52 cents per kWh generated by residential customers. A customised rate will be negotiated for PV solar systems greater than 10 kVA.

Installing a PV system is a big investment, but it has a number of benefits.
You will:
• be producing clean, renewable energy
• reduce your power bills
• reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Read more about NT Rebates and Grants