Strata managers slam $2.3bn solar energy snub

I was just listening to your podcast.  At the point where you and Sue discussed this topic, you said solar PANELS.  The rebate is for BATTERIES only (as stated in your post here).  Yes, strata schemes are excluded.

However, there is a programme for solar panels.  Earlier this year, NSW Government launched a programme called Solar for Apartment Residents Grants programme (SoAR)  SoAR pays up to 50% of the cost of a solar energy installation (batteries NOT included).

So it is not entirely correct to say that apartment residents get no assistance for solar panels.  It is the batteries, for which they are excluded.

If you don’t have a battery:  solar panels and an inverter will receive energy from the sun and convert it into energy for the home.  Any unused solar energy is sold to the grid (at a very cheap rate).  When the sun goes down, the householder will be drawing energy from the grid.

A battery can be added at a later date.  This might be a better idea because you might find there is very little unused solar energy to store in a battery.

If you do have a battery:  any unused solar energy will be stored in the battery.  The householder can use that energy after the sun goes down.

Villas and townhouses are not eligible for SoAR

There is a catch to the SoAR programme.  NSW government’s eligibility rules state that you have to be a class 2 building.  My strata plan is a class 1a (rowhouse, townhouse, villa etc.)  I wrote to the SoAR people and asked if this was a mistake on their part.  They said that if two or more homes share the same underground carpark area, then it would be a class 2 building.  Most villa and townhouse developments are not built like this.  The only things we share are the outdoor parking, gardens and letterboxes … and a roof.  We’re going to miss out on both SoAR and the battery rebate.