P1.11Implement a solar PV bulk buy program for homes and businesses

The Solar Savers program was launched in Boroondara on 1 January 2022 offering Boroondara residents and businesses access to good value Solar PV systems.

If you’re thinking about installing solar for your home or business, help is at hand. We have partnered with the Solar Savers program, a local government initiative led by the Eastern Alliance for Greenhouse Action. This program will help you get:

• Free and credible advice about solar energy and government rebates
• A trusted solar installer, chosen through an assessment process.

Why the Solar Saver Program?

Installers have been independently evaluated on their safety, product quality and value for money. They can give you a quote tailored to your energy usage, to give you a clear indication of how much you can expect to save before choosing to install. They can also provide you with advice on pension and healthcare card benefits, and the current government rebate and loan offers, which can help to reduce the up-front costs of solar installation.

Subsidies and Grants are also available for Households, Landlords and Businesses in the City of Boroondara:¹

• Households Solar Rebate (Victorian State Government) - rebates are available up to $1,400 and the option of an interest-free loan of up to $1,400 for eligible Victorian households.
• Household Solar Battery Rebate (Victorian State Government) - rebates of up to $2,950 are available for eligible Victorian households.
• Rental Properties (Landlords) Solar Rebate (Victorian State Government) - rebates are available up to $1,400 and the option of an interest-free loan of up to $1,400 for eligible Victorian rental properties.
• Businesses Solar Rebate and Loan (Victorian State Government) - a rebate up to $3,500 and an optional interest free loan up to $5,000 for eligible Victorian small businesses.

¹ Note: these are various Victorian State Government supported incentives, these are for guidance only, benefit for individual circumstances will vary.

Solar Installed in the City of Boroondara

There has been a total of approximately 58,000kW of solar output installed, equating to around 10,500 individual solar panels within the City of Boroondara (to December 2022). For 2022, there was a small reduction of systems installed compared to 2021, with around 1,200 solar systems installed for each year. Overall, there has been a large uptake of solar system in our community.

Chart Data Source: Australian Government, Clean Energy Regulator, Postcode data for small-scale installations - all data. Data as at 31 December 2022. Data refined to only include Solar (small-scale solar panels), and Postcodes within the City of Boroondara.

Note: this data source can have a 12 month creation period for registered persons to create their solar certificates. The 2021 and 2022 figures will continue to rise due to the 12 month creation period. This chart also includes all postcodes that fall within the City of Boroondara, as such there will be some solar systems included in this chart that fall outside the City of Boroondara.