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Solar rebate program

The City of Canterbury Bankstown is offering a rebate of up to $500 to residents for installing solar photovoltaic (solar PV) on residential properties in Canterbury-Bankstown

The City of Canterbury Bankstown is offering a rebate of up to $500 to residents for installing solar photovoltaic (solar PV) on residential properties in Canterbury-Bankstown. This initiative is part of Council’s target to increase rooftop solar on single unit dwellings to 50% by 2036 and to support residents choosing renewable solar energy for their homes.  

Eligibility criteria

There are no pre-approvals for the rebate required from Council. Once you have purchased the solar PV and it has been installed, you can submit an application as long as you meet the following eligibility criteria:

  • The applicant property must be located within the Canterbury-Bankstown Local Government Area.
  • The applicant property must not have an existing solar PV system installed.
  • The applicant must either be the owner or landlord of the property and the applicant can only apply for a rebate for one property.
  • The installer for the solar PV system must be accredited by Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA) and the installation must be carried out by a licensed electrician and meet all relevant installation standards. You can check for your installer's SAA accreditation here. 
  • Properties under a strata scheme are not eligible.
  • The solar PV system installed must be new and must not have been previously used*
  • To apply for the rebate, your solar PV must have been installed within the last 3 months of applying for the rebate**

*Solar PV systems installed before the launch of the Solar Rebate program on 15 June 2023 are not eligible.

**For example, if you apply for the rebate 1 July 2024, the solar PV must have been installed no earlier than 1 April 2024. Retrospective rebate applications beyond 3 months from the date of application are not available.

Need help with the process of installing solar? Check out the below step-by-step solar checklist or go to the Federal Government’s Solar Consumer Guide here.
Solar checklist
  • Does your house already have solar? You will not be eligible for our rebate or federal rebate.
  • Does your house have an old leaky roof? Does your roof need to be replaced? You must wait to replace your roof or fix any leaks before installing solar.
  • Does your house have structural issues? You must fix any structural issues before adding a weight load to your roof.
  • Are you planning on electrifying your home (upgrading your gas appliances to electric)? You may benefit more from your solar if you are using more electricity during the day. If you are at home mostly at night, you may want to consider a quote for batteries. As of November 2024, there are solar battery incentives available through the Power Demand Reduction Scheme (PDRS) only available through accredited installers in that program.
  • Do you have strong wi-fi? If there is weak signal where your inverter is installed, your installer may not be able to set up your monitoring app, which is essential to track the operation and solar production.
  • We recommend requesting a minimum of three quotes from different installation companies on the New Energy Tech Consumer Code (NETCC) list of New Energy Tech Approved Sellers. This accreditation requires solar PV and battery installation companies to adhere to an elevated consumer code of conduct that covers:
    • Sales and marketing – honest, accurate, clear and fair sales practices. No pressure-selling
    • Quotes and contracts – clear, comprehensive quotes and contracts that meet your needs with no hidden costs
    • Delivery and installation – services delivered safely on time and with clear information on activation and use
    • Warranties and support – complaints dealt with promptly, issues fixed and warranties honoured
  • Prepare to provide your electricity bills to the solar retailer or installer. 12 months’ worth of bills will give them enough data to observe your electricity consumption over all four seasons and size your system accordingly
  • You may need to provide access to your installer so that they may note things like your roof type/condition, meter board, main switch, ideal inverter location and roof access method. Ideally, they will look at the underside of your roof to check the spacings of the beams to assess if your roof can carry the weight of the solar panels. 
  • Check with your electricity retailer to see if you are eligible for a feed-in tariff if you are exporting solar to the grid. This is a deduction off your bill when you supply your extra renewable energy to the grid. Share your retailer’s feed-in tariff rate with your installer to include in your calculations for your payback period. A payback period is the amount of time it will take you to save as much money as you’ve spent on installing your solar system. Your installer will be able to calculate this for you.  Note – Feed-in tariffs may no longer be offered in the future due to expected changes in network rules. 
  • Does the installer have good customer reviews?
  • Is the installer accredited with Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA) and New Energy Tech Consumer Code (NETCC)?
  • Does your quote include an estimated solar production? How much of the estimated solar generation will your household consume and how much will be exported to the grid? Ideally, you should not be exporting more than 10-20% of the total estimated generation. Some networks in Australia do not allow export at all. There will be some changes in Ausgrid network arrangements for solar export in future. 
  • Does your quote include an estimated payback period? Less than five years is standard. The installer may be factoring in rising electricity prices, feed-in tariff, weather and maintenance costs. Make sure you check the fine print of the quote assumptions to see what they’re considering. 
  • Is the proposed inverter location exposed to the sun? Make sure the inverter is not on an outdoor north facing wall. Ideally, it is placed under shelter or inside the garage to prolong the lifespan of the inverter (they generally last 10 years). Inverters can overheat. Installers may want to install the inverter next to the connection point (your meter board) to minimise cable length and for ease of installation but it may not be the place best suited for the longevity of the electrics.  
  • Are most of your panels facing the same way? Ideally all your solar panels will face the same way and have the same slope to maximise production. Most of the time the panel layout is largely dependant on your roof design and available space. 
  • Are your panels on at least a 10-15-degree tilt? The greater the tilt the more likely they will self-drain rain and prevent water pooling which is bad for the panels. 
  • Are your panels at least three metres from a tree? Shading from a nearby tree can reduce how much power your panels produce. They also place your panels at risk of damage as branches and leaves can fall on top of your panels. 
  • At minimum, all wiring should be protected by conduit or cable trays. Ideally, exposed conduit running from the panels to the inverter is UV resistant. 
  • Your panels and inverters should be SAA certified to ensure eligibility for the federal rebate program (STCs). Solar manufacturers of panels and inverters are rated in Tiers by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF), with Tier 1 being the highest rating. Where affordable, opt for Tier 1 or 2 panels and inverters. 
  • Prepare to take the day off or work from home the day of your scheduled install.
  • Clear the area around your proposed inverter location and the area where your installer is planning on accessing your roof.
  • If you have a tiled roof, order around 10-20 spare roof tiles to have on hand in case any crack during the installation process.
  • Check the wi-fi signal strength around your inverter location. If signal is low, you may want to consider buying a wi-fi extender before your installation to improve signal strength.
  • The installer may need to shut down your power for 30 minutes to an hour for the final connection of your solar PV system to your main switch board.
  • The installer should provide you with instructions to apply for a bi-directional meter from your retailer or do so on your behalf. If they apply on your behalf you may need to provide permission to your retailer for them to do this. 
Application process

Check the eligibility criteria

Review the eligibility criteria for your current solar PV quote or before seeking a solar PV quote. All eligibility criteria must be met in order to submit a claim for the solar rebate. If the eligibility criteria has been met, you will receive a confirmation email before being paid the rebate amount in full.

To claim the rebate, provide all the required documents via Rebately below

Claim solar rebate

The rebate is available until funding has been exhausted. For any queries contact Councils Sustainability Officer.