Victoria drives business and community group rooftop solar uptake with discounts

The Victorian government will wipe up to $25,000 off upfront installation costs for a 100 kW rooftop solar system, and up to $34,300 off a 200 kW system to reduce cost burden from transmission network upgrades, and lower consumer energy bills.

October 3, 2025 Ev Foley

Image: Calix

The Victorian government will wipe up to $25,000 (USD 16,481) off upfront installation costs for a 100 kW rooftop solar system, and up to $34,300 off a 200 kW system, for commercial and industrial businesses, and community organisations.

In an effort to lower consumer costs and reduce the need for transmission network upgrades, the rebates can be added the federal government rebate for business solar systems in the 30 to 200 kW size bracket, which can reduce costs by up to $50,000.

Combined with the new Victorian Energy Upgrade (VEU) discounts, businesses can qualify for up to 35% of the cost to install rooftop solar.

Hospitals, local government buildings, aquatic centres, aged care facilities and factories can benefit from the schemes, helping them save money on energy bills, and potentially reinvest back into community.

Victorian Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio said more solar helps drive down costs for every Victorian by easing pressure on the grid.

“We’re making it easier for Victorian businesses to get solar, because when they save on energy, they can invest more into their communities, growing their business and creating more jobs,” D’Ambrosio said.

The Clean Energy Council welcomed the initiative saying the scheme targets around 57,000 high-energy-use sites – factories, warehouses, food processors – responsible for nearly a third of Victoria’s energy consumption.

Clean Energy Council General Manager – Distributed Energy Con Hristodoulidis said of the 4.2 million households and small businesses that have already embraced rooftop solar, 800,000 of those are from Victoria.

“The commercial and industrial sector- the lifeblood of Victoria’s economy – have been the missing middle, with this new initiative set to be a game-changer, filling the gap between household solar and utility-scale renewables,” Hristodoulidis said.

“Large rooftops- like those on warehouses and supermarkets – are perfect real estate for solar. These incentives unlock untapped potential for renewable energy generation and reduce the payback period for businesses investing in rooftop solar. Not only does this make good business sense, but driving down commercial energy bills helps to ease cost of living pressures for consumers.”

Victoria-headquartered electricity retailer Flow Power Chief Revenue Officer Jacob Mahoney said for businesses like Yarra Valley located Rochford Wines, solar has delivered $22,000 in annual energy bill savings after installing a 99 kW solar PV system, which powers their energy-intensive operation across three vineyards, multiple restaurants, bars and cellars onsite.

“This program finally opens the door for large energy users to benefit from solar rebates and will be welcome news for our commercial and industrial customers in Victoria who have previously been ineligible to benefit from existing solar rebate schemes,” Mahoney said.

“We’re hopeful that this rebate program combined with bill savings provided by solar installations allow more businesses to pair rooftop PV with battery storage for greater resilience, lower bills and a clearer route to time matched renewables.”

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