The deadline for South Australia residents to secure the state’s 16c per kilowatt-hour (kWh) solar feed-in tariff rate is 30 September 2013, leaving a window of about 6 months remaining to apply for the scheme. SA’s transitional feed-in tariff is the most generous incentive of its kind in Australia that is still open to new applications.
South Australia’s transitional feed-in tariff: The most generous rates offered in Australia
As noted previously, South Australia is arguably Australia’s renewable energy leader. 20% of the electricity in SA is generated from wind turbines, and 1 in every 5 homes in the state has installed solar panels on its roof. These impressive figures have been achieved thanks to the state’s strong and steady-handed support for renewable energy sources, which has helped to make them worthwhile investments. Solar panels have become a particularly popular way for homes and businesses to save money on their power bills.
While the South Australian transitional feed-in tariff is nominally 16c/kWh, in reality homes and businesses that make the transition to solar will be eligible to receive significantly more than this. This is because the incentive is comprised of 2 parts: the base 16c/kWh rate (to be paid continuously until 30 Sept 2016), plus a mandatory retailer contribution which is increased annually. This additional amount is 9.8c/kWh until 30 June 2013, and will increase to 11.2c/kWh from 1 July 2013. The rate is set to increase further after this period, but the exact rate is still to be determined.
In total, this means that households and businesses who install an eligible solar system in South Australia will receive a combined payment of 25.8c/kWh until 30 June 2013, and then 27.2c/kWh for the 2013-2014 financial year. There is nothing comparable to this rate still on offer in other states or territories in Australia.
After the transitional feed-in tariff scheme ends in 2016, homes will still receive the retailer contribution, which will have risen further by that time.
SA transitional feed-in tariff eligibility requirements
In order to receive the transitional feed-in tariff, homes and businesses must:
-Have received approved permission to connect their system to the grid by 30 September 2013
-Have made an appointment to have an import/export (net) metering arrangement installed within 120 days of 1 October 2013
Other conditions:
-The 16c/kWh rate will apply only to the first 45kWh exported to the grid per day
-Feed-in tariff eligibility is applicable to only 1 system per customer–a second system may be installed, but the feed-in tariff will not apply
-The main purpose of the system must not be for exporting power to the grid for payment
Read more: SA government–Solar feed-in tariff (SA government website)
(Thinking about going solar in SA? Request a free, instant Solar Quote Comparison by filling out the form to the right of this page.)
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