Solar Homes and Communities Plan (formerly Photovoltaic Rebate Program)

The Solar Homes and Communities Plan is a AUD 150m extension of the Photovoltaic Rebate Programme (AUD 52m), which commenced in the year 2000. The current programme will terminate at the end of the 2009/10 financial year. The programme provides rebates for household photovoltaic system installations and grants for community and iconic buildings. Over the period of time the rebate programme has been in operation, the level of the household rebate has changed several times and currently stands at AUD 8 per watt, upto a maximum of 1kW for households. The most recent change to the size of the rebate came in July 2007, where the rebate doubled from AUD 4/watt. The community and iconic buildings grants are upto 50% of the value of a 2kW system installation. In the 2008/09 budget, a household income means test was introduced. Only households with a taxable income of less than AUD 100,000 in the year prior to application are now eligible for the rebate. The Solar Homes and Communities Plan ended in June 2009 and will be replaced by the Solar Credits Inititative under the expanded Renewable Energy Target Scheme.

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