The Solar for Apartments Program is jointly funded by the Victorian and Commonwealth Governments to support apartment households to benefit from lower energy bills through installing solar.

This landmark partnership is administered by Solar Victoria and will help existing Victorian apartment buildings move towards electrification and will provide more opportunities for low-and middle-income apartment households to access the benefits of green energy technology.

This program will reduce the cost of installing solar PV on apartment buildings, by providing successful applicants grants of up to $2,800 per apartment. The maximum grant amount is $140,000 for buildings of up to 50 apartments.

By adopting solar, an average apartment household can save up to $500 a year on their electricity bills.

Who can apply?

Grants will be provided to Victorian Owners Corporations (OCs) with up to 50 occupiable lots, or apartments. OC’s will be required to sign a funding agreement. However, applications can be started by apartment residents, strata managers or OCs.

To be eligible, an OC must:

• be a Victorian ‘tier three Owners Corporation’ or ‘tier four Owners Corporation’, as defined by the Owners Corporations Act 2006 (Vic) (these are OCs that consist of 3 to 50 occupiable lots and are not a ‘services only Owners Corporation’); and
• have not previously received a grant under this Program.

To be eligible, your building must:

• be no more than 8 storeys tall
• be a completed development at the time of application
• be a Class 2 domestic building under the National Construction Code
  
• have a median capital improved apartment value that does not exceed $950,000
• have not had a solar (PV) system installed in the last ten years
• be located in the State of Victoria.
• not be a retirement village, commercial building or owned by a local council, property developer or community housing organisation
• not be connected to an embedded network for its electricity supply.

See the Victorian Building Authority’s website for more information.

The OC may apply for funding to install solar PV for residential lots not already connected to an existing system.

If your building meets the eligibility criteria, you can begin your application.

• Email: apartments@team.solar.vic.gov.au