Overview

The Queensland Solar Bonus Scheme rewards eligible households and other small electricity customers that install solar power (photovoltaic—PV) renewable energy systems by paying them for the excess electricity they generate.

The scheme has a net feed-in tariff. This means that at any point in time you're paid for the electricity you feed back into the grid that's surplus to the electricity you use. 

The scheme will be reviewed by 1 July 2013, and is scheduled to end on 1 July 2014.

Key eligibility

To be eligible for the feed-in tariff, you must:

• consume less than 100 megawatt hours of electricity a year
• purchase and install a new solar power system or operate an existing system that is connected to the Queensland electricity grid
• generate surplus electricity that is fed into the Queensland electricity grid
• have an agreement in place with your electricity distributor (Ergon Energy, ENERGEX or Country Energy) and have appropriate metering installed
• have a solar PV system with a capacity that does not exceed 5 kilowatts
• hold an electricity account with an electricity retailer
• submit only one application per eligible premises.

Homeowners, landlords, renters and small businesses are eligible to apply. Renters should check with their landlord before installing solar power systems. A number of other conditions apply. Check your eligibility on the Queensland Government Office of Clean Energy website.

Items covered

Your electricity bill will be credited at a rate of 8 cents per kilowatt hour for surplus electricity fed into the grid. When your meter is read, the amount of surplus electricity exported to the grid and the amount imported from the grid will be passed onto your electricity retailer. Any surplus will be credited to the electricity account for the property where the system is installed.

You could also be eligible for financial assistance to help with the cost of installing a small-scale solar system under the Australian Government's Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES).

Next steps

Make sure that you understand the full program information before you purchase a solar power system.

For further information, you can call the Department of Energy and Water Supply on 13 43 87. You can also email oceinfor@deedi.qld.gov.au

Feed-in credits or payments you receive may have implications if you receive any Centrelink or other benefit payments, they may also be considered as assessable income by the Australian Taxation Office.

Solar Bonus Scheme

www.cleanenergy.qld.gov.au/demand-side/solar-bonus-scheme.htm