State Feed-in Tariff Schemes
| State | Status of Feed In Tariff | Max Size | Rate | Contract | Gross/Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QLD | Commenced July 2008 | 5 kW | 44+c/kWh | 2028 | Net |
| NSW | Commenced January 1 , 2010 | Suspended | ?+c/kWh | 7 yrs | Gross |
| ACT | Commenced March 1, 2009 | Suspended for Residential |
'NET' 1for1 with ActewAGL or 34c/kWh for large installations 30kW-200kW |
20 yrs. | Gross / Net |
| VIC |
Commenced November 1, 2009 |
Up to 5 kW |
60+c/kWh < 5kW 1for1 > 5kW |
15 yrs. | Net |
| SA | Commenced July 1, 2008 | 10 kW | 54c+/kWh | 2028 | Net |
| WA | Commenced August 1, 2010. capped at 150MW | 5 or 30 kW |
20c/kWh + 7c/kWh from Synergy or 19c/kWh from Horizon |
10 yrs. | Net |
| NT | Commenced 2011 | tbc | 1for1 | tba | Gross |
| TAS | Commenced 2011 | tbc | 20c/kWh. | tba | Net |
All States except NSW and ACT have set a 'Net Feed-in Tariff' (NFiT) arrangement. Any electricity generated by your system above your premises' daily electricity consumption is sold back to the utility company at a premium rate that is substantially higher than the rate conventional electricity is purchased.
If the generation of excess electricity is limited due to weather conditions, the solar system still produces electricity which still results in reduced outgoings for that period. The amount of savings or earnings greatly depends on your location, the size of your business and the size of your installed solar system.
The 'Gross Feed-in Tariff' (GFiT) arrangement is based on the total electricity produced from your Austwide Solar system rather than payments based only on electricity you don't use. 'Gross feed-in tariffs' are available in NSW and ACT only. Basically, any renewable electricity produced by your Austwide Solar system will be bought by your energy retailer at the set feed-in price or above and electricity consumed at your premises will be separately charged at the standard price.
Feed-in Tariff Specifics
State Feed-in Tariff Schemes
Queensland
The Queensland 'Solar Bonus Scheme' is a particular type of NFiT where the retailer applies a fixed rate of $0.44+ per kilowatt-hour for the excess energy fed back into the grid. In this case there is no need for a formal Power Purchase Agreement with your electricity retailer. In some instances the retailer may pay more than the fixed premium rate if there is competition between the electricity retailers for your renewable energy supply.
QLD Feed in Tariff
The 'Solar Bonus Scheme' is only available for energy generated from grid-connected solar systems and no other renewable energy technology is eligible. Therefore, in Queensland, the 'Solar Bonus Scheme' is the most commonly used 'Feed-in Tariff' available for solar system owners due to the generous government incentives, ease of solar system installation and reliability of the technology.
The QLD 'Solar Bonus Scheme' is legislated and in force until 2028 and applies to residential, commercial and community buildings using less than 100 MWh of energy per year. To be eligible you must install a solar system which is below 5 KV.A.
To be eligible to receive the QLD Solar Bonus, customers must:
- consume no more than 100 MWh of electricity a year (the average household uses 8 – 10 MWh a year); and
- purchase and install a new solar power system (not solar hot water system) or operate an existing system that is connected to the Queensland electricity grid; and
- generate surplus electricity that is fed into the Queensland electricity grid; and
- ensure an agreement in place with relevant electricity distributor (Ergon Energy or Energex) to have adequate metering installed.
For more information on the QLD 'Solar Bonus Scheme' and specific information on electricity retailers in QLD talk to us at Austwide Solar.
New South Wales
The NSW 'Solar Bonus Scheme' has been amended as of 28 October 2010 and now applies a gross feed in tariff of $0.20 per kilowatt-hour and sets the maximum system size at 10kW. The NSW scheme is scheduled to end in 2017. Periodic reviews of the system will take place and the recent change does not affect your entitlements to the Solar Credits Program.
NSW Feed in Tariff
To be eligible to receive the NSW Solar Bonus customers must be:
- Small electricity customers - those with an annual electricity consumption of up to 160 megawatt hours.
- Only customers with solar power systems and wind turbines (up to 10 kilowatts in capacity) that connect to the electricity network through an inverter (up to 10 kilowatts in capacity) are eligible.
For more on the NSW 'Solar Bonus Scheme' and specific information on electricity retailers in NSW talk to us at Austwide Solar.
Victoria
Under the Victorian program, residential and businesses that consume less than 100 MW/h of electricity and install a system no greater than 5kW will be credited a minimum $0.60 per kilowatt-hour for every unused kilowatt hour of power fed back into the state electricity grid. The VIC scheme is scheduled to end in 2025 and some electricity retailers may offer cash payments of a higher amount during this period.
VIC Feed in Tariff
In Victoria, electricity distributors Powercor and Citipower introduced their own FiT terminilogy - 'Premium Feed-in Tariffs' and 'Standard Feed-in Tariffs'. Solar systems larger than 5 kilowatts in size and other renewable energy systems up to 100 kilowatts in size will not generally be granted the premium rate but remain eligible for the standard feed-in tariff.
When evaluating the benefits of the Premium or Standard Feed-in Tariff options that have been imposed by the two Victorian distributors, the general rules are:
- 'Standard Feed-in Tariff' suits those with more than one meter and where electricity is used during daylight hours to operate appliances such as dual element electric hot water systems, slab-heating or air conditioners.
- 'Premium Feed-in Tariff' suits those with one meter only; or two meters with one applying to a single element hot water system.
New customers will be able to take advantage of the feed-in tariff until the total capacity of systems participating reaches 100 megawatts.
For more on the solar program and specific information on electricity retailers in Victoria talk to us at Austwide Solar.
South Australia
Qualifying South Australian residents and businesses will receive $0.54 per kilowatt-hour for renewable energy fed into the grid through a 'Net Feed-in Tariff' regardless of the electricity company that provides power to their premises.
The South Australian program is schedule to end in 2028. Review of the scheme may recommend that the scheme be closed to new systems once a certain cost for operating the scheme is reached; for example in Victoria the premium feed-in scheme closes to new systems once the state has 100MW of capacity in total.
SA Feed in Tariff
In South Australia the solar system must:
- be operated by a small customer defined as consuming less than 160 megawatt/hours of electricity per annum; and
- be grid-connected to a distribution network which supplies electricity to 10,000 or more domestic customers (e.g. ETSA Utilities); and
- be connected to the grid via a 'bidirectional' or 'import/export' meter; and
- fit the definition of a small PV generator meaning a PV system with capacity up to 10kVA for a single phase connection and up to 30kVA for a three phase connection.
For more on the solar program and specific information on electricity retailers in South Australia talk to us at Austwide Solar.
Australian Capital Territory
The ACT Feed-in Tariff Scheme is based on 'Gross' generation so you are paid for each unit of electricity that you generate and not just excess electricity. All other States except NSW only pay you for any energy left after deducting your own consumption.
The Scheme is available to all ACT electricity customers (except non-educational Government agencies) with generation facilities of no greater capacity than 30kW. All schools and educational institutions both public and private are eligible to access the Scheme. If you are renting, you will need the permission of the property owner before you can install renewable generation equipment.
The South Australian tariff was suspended from June 1, 2011 due to the scheme reaching it's set cap. The residential FiT is no longer available for new solar installations, however, ActewAGL are offering a 'NET' metered 1for1 payment where every kWh generated will offset a kWh of imported electricity - any excess fed into the grid will be credited with the prevailing retail rate of electricity.
For large commerical solar installations between 30kW-200kW a 34c/kWh FiT is offered and this scheme has a cap of 15MW.
For more on the solar program and specific information on electricity retailers in the Australian Capital Territory talk to us at Austwide Solar.
ACT Feed in Tariff
Western Australia
After previously announcing a rate of $0.60 per kilowatt hour based on a ‘Gross’ model, the Western Australian government rescinded the rates and conditions and decided on a ‘Net’ feed in tariff model. Net electricity exported to the grid will be bought at $0.20 per kilowatt-hour. This rate is in addition to substantial buyback schemes offered through Synergy and Horizon Power that range between 7c/kWh to 19c/kWh on top of the 20c/kWh .
WA Feed in Tariff
The residential ‘Net Feed-in Tariff’ scheme was legislated in Western Australia on 1 August, 2010 and has undergobe several amendments since. The tariff will be paid per unit of net electricity exported to the electricity grid from eligible systems and scheme participants will receive the premium rate for 10 years. The scheme is open to residential applicants only and Includes photovoltaic, wind and micro-hydro energy technologies. Emerging technologies may be included upon review in the future. The system must be owned by the homeowner and also be eligible for and participate in the Renewable Energy Buyback ‘Solar Credit’ Scheme.
Scheme Design Parameters
- System size is limited to 5kW for Synergy customers and 10kW per phase (30kW in total) for Horizon Power customers. These eligibility thresholds are determined by the size of the inverter.
- The scheme will be reviewed every 3 years or 100MW of new generation to assess the ongoing level of support required in light of changing economics and technologies.
For more on the solar program and specific information on electricity retailers in Western Australia talk to us at Austwide Solar.
Northern Territory
For new connections, the Northern Territory feed in tariff is now 1for1 payment, where every kWh generated will offset a kWh of imported electricity - any excess fed into the grid will be credited with the prevailing retail rate of electricity.
- residential customers: 19.23 c/kWh
- commercial: 22.37 c/kWh
- commercial time-of-use customers: peak 28.63 c/kWh and off-peak 16.12 c/kWh
Customers under the ‘Alice Solar City’ initiative receive 51.28 c/kWh, still capped at $5/day, but that rate is only for existing customers as the cap has been reached, so is no longer available to new customers.
NT Feed in Tariff
For more specific information on options for Austwide Solar power systems in the Northern Territory talk to us at Austwide Solar.
Tasmania
There is still ongoing discussion as to the final parameters for a ‘Feed-in Tariff’ for solar power generators in Tasmania. Submissions were generally supportive of a ‘Feed-in Tariff’ for solar photovoltaic generators as well as for other technologies such as wind and micro-hydro generation systems. However there was a range of opinion with regard to two issues:
- tariff system design
- the degree to which a ‘Feed-in Tariff’ meets the objectives
In order for a decision on the best approach for Tasmania, the stated policy objectives will be assessed by the State government in the near-term. A realistic evaluation of what an acceptable minimum standard with regard to price will be analysed and decided.
The current ‘Feed-in Tariff’ rate for Tasmania is set at the relevant retail tariff on a ‘Net’ metering basis. This tariff offering by Aurora Energy is $0.20 per kilowatt hour.
TAS Feed in Tariff
For more on the solar program and specific information on electricity retailers in Tasmania talk to us at Austwide Solar.
