What on earth are STCs — and how do they save you money?
If you’ve ever looked into getting solar, you’ve probably heard the term STCs thrown around. Sounds technical, right?
Let’s break it down — in plain English.
First things first: what is an STC?
STC stands for Small-scale Technology Certificate. Think of them like vouchers the government gives you for installing clean energy tech — like solar panels and batteries.
Every solar system earns a bunch of these STCs based on how much clean energy it’s expected to generate over its lifetime. The more sunlight your system can soak up, the more certificates you get.
Then — here’s the cool part — you can trade these STCs for a discount on your system, right at the time of purchase. Your installer (like us!) handles it all in the background, so you don’t have to mess around with forms or selling certificates. Just a nice upfront saving.
So how much are we talking?
It depends on:
The size of your solar system
Where you live (hello, sunshine zones 🌞)
How many years are left in the STC program (it winds down by 2030)
But to give you a ballpark, most Aussie households save $2,000 to $3,000 off the price of a solar system thanks to STCs. You can calculate your STCs here
Let’s crunch some numbers for a 7kWh Solar System in Monkira Queensland.
This system size suits many Aussie homes. It is also located in Zone 1 which receives more sunlight on average per year. Solar systems installed there are expected to generate more clean energy — and earn more STCs per kW as a result.
Based on this information, this system might get up to 68 STCs.
So 68 divided by 7 = 9.7 STCs per kW
Each STC is worth around $37, after you take out administration costs.
STC Incentive = 68 x 37 = $2,516
Not bad for something most people don’t even know exists!
STCs are a one-time saving, applied at the time of installation. No ongoing rebates or claims to make later. Just a solid discount off your quote.
Here’s how it works:
Your installer calculates the number of STCs your system qualifies for
They apply the value as a discount on your quote
They claim and sell the STCs on your behalf after install
Easy peasy.
The Cheaper Home Batteries Program
The new Cheaper Home Batteries Program will provide STCs for the first 50 kWh of usable capacity of a battery system. The battery discount would be represented as 9.3 STCs per kWh of usable capacity, equivalent to around $372 per kWh.
Let’s say you’re installing a battery system with a 10 kWh of usable capacity, priced at $10,000. You’re eligible for:
10 x 9.3 = 93 STCs (Each STC is valued at roughly $37)
Discount from STCs (93 STCs × $37) = $3,441 off
Final cost after rebates = $6,559
It's the government’s way of rewarding you for using clean energy.
Also important: STCs reduce year by year until the scheme ends in 2030. So the sooner you act, the better the value.
Ready to see what you could save? Get a Wattle Powr quote and let’s power up your home!
