From today, thousands of farmers, community organisations and small businesses across Australia, could save around 20 per cent on the installation costs of larger rooftop solar systems with the Albanese Government's expanded Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) now law.
Mid-scale solar systems installed from today are eligible for support under the SRES where they meet scheme requirements. The expansion increases the maximum eligible solar system size from 100 kilowatts to 1 megawatt.
The SRES has already supported over 4.5 million households and small businesses install solar.
This expansion will help businesses, farms and community facilities install larger solar systems, putting more commercial roof space to work cutting energy bills. It will also help businesses switch equipment and operations to electricity and reduce exposure to international energy price shocks.
To be eligible for the SRES, mid-scale solar PV systems will need to meet installer and product accreditation requirements and comply with state, territory and Commonwealth planning requirements, electrical safety regulations and network connection agreements.
Details on eligibility are provided by the Clean Energy Regulator which administers the SRES.
Lower energy costs can help manufacturers, farmers, retailers and transport and logistics businesses become more competitive.
To complement the SRES expansion, the department is preparing a rule change request for the Australian Energy Market Commission aimed at making it easier for businesses to connect larger solar systems to the electricity network.
