How solar STC rebates work for WA homes and businesses

If you have looked into solar in Western Australia, you have probably seen the word rebate thrown around. Most of the time that means STCs, or Small scale Technology Certificates. Here is what they actually are, in plain English, and how they lower the price you pay.

What is an STC

An STC is a certificate created under the federal Small scale Renewable Energy Scheme. When you install an eligible solar system, it is entitled to a number of certificates based on how much clean energy it is expected to generate over its lifetime.

Those certificates have a dollar value. In practice you almost never handle them yourself. Instead your installer applies the value as an up front discount on the system price.

How the number of certificates is worked out

Three things drive how many STCs a system creates:

System size. A bigger system generates more energy, so it earns more certificates.
Your location. Australia is split into climate zones, and most of WA sits in high sunshine zones, which means more expected generation per kilowatt.
The deeming period. Certificates are calculated on the years remaining until the scheme winds down, so the value gradually steps down over time.

What it means for your quote

At West State we handle the STC process for you. That means:

We calculate the certificates your system is entitled to.
We apply their value as a discount, so the figure on your written quote is already net of the rebate.
You do not chase paperwork or wait for a separate payment.

Are batteries included

Solar panels are the main source of STCs. Batteries have their own separate rebates, the federal Cheaper Home Batteries program and the WA Residential Battery Scheme. When you ask us for a quote we tell you exactly which incentives apply to your system, rather than quoting a generic number.

The bottom line

The STC rebate is real, it is federal, and for most WA properties it meaningfully reduces the up front cost of going solar. The exact amount depends on your system size, your location and the year you install, which is why our quotes show the real, current figure for your situation.

Want the numbers for your roof? Get a free quote and we will size a system and show you the rebate applied.