NSW Solar Banks rebates of up to 50% in strata to reduce cost-of-living
15/6/2026
28th February 2025 saw the launch of $25m by Anthony Albanese and Chris Minns of Solar for Apartments (SoAR) rebates. These are for solar systems which feed solar power into individual apartments to reduce cost-of-living pressures....
15/6/2026
28th February 2025 saw the launch of $25m by Anthony Albanese and Chris Minns of Solar for Apartments (SoAR) rebates. These are for solar systems which feed solar power into individual apartments to reduce cost-of-living pressures....
Wattblock customer 6 Albert St Newtown was first recipient of a NSW Solar for Apartment Residents (SoAR) rebate of $54,000 for 22 lots
The press release with quotes on NSW SoAR from Anthony Albanese, Chris Bowen and Penny Sharpe can be found here.
Watch the announcement on Channel 9 news here.
Duplexes which are technically strata buildings will not be able to participate in the SoAR rebates. It's too easy for duplexes to install solar themselves with little to no red-tape. This program will be for apartment buildings with between 3 and 55 lots.
Some other eligibility criteria include:
-Installs must be completed by April 2027 for successful applicants.
-50% co-funding capped at $150,000 per apartment block, unless you are in a "Solar Boost" suburb where you can get 80% up to $200,000
-Applications close 4th December 2026 or when funding runs out
-Mustn't have any solar system installed in the last 10 years (i.e. individual townhouses, but common area is probably OK)
-Payback needs to be under 10 years
-Common area meter can be connected but can't be over 40% of total solar generated (i.e. 60% of solar has to flow into individual apartments)
-Cost has to be borne by ALL owners in the building (on unit entitlements basis) so can't be for a subset of owners
-Essential meterboard upgrades can be included
-Waterproofing work directly under the solar system can be included
-Only for strata buildings, not for company title
-Can't be financed via a power purchase agreement, has to be an upfront capex payment for the solar system
-Not more than 30% of the solar generated can feed into the grid as export
-Doesn't include batteries but you can apply for NSW Peak Demand Reduction Scheme for batteries which you want to incorporate
-Requires 2 competing quotations from solar installers
-Needs a letter from an embedded network provider (if connecting a single solar system to the embedded network and making use of the embedded network operator's billing system to apportion the solar savings)
-Strata schemes need to demonstrate the effectiveness of the system, that it is value for money, method is sound and the strata scheme is capable to complete the project.
Standalone common area solar systems which power house services such as lifts, lighting, ventilation systems etc will be eligible to be installed alongside solar sharing systems feeding the apartments, as long as the generation from the common area system is not more than 40% of total solar generation at the site.
The target of the program is to reduce the cost of living in up to 10,000 residential lots in NSW, which have traditionally been locked out of solar.
That means you have three choices as a strata scheme.
If you are a Class 1A or Class 2 townhouse complex with 3 to 55 lots, then you can get a quote to install individual solar systems for each townhouse as a bulk install by the same installer. You will have to get ALL owners agreeing to install at the same time.
The second choice is to use Allume Energy's "Solshare" system. Each Allume Energy Solshare can connect to up to 15 single phase individual lot meters to a shared solar system (or 14 individual lot meters and a single phase common area meter or 12 individual lot meters and a three phase common area meter). If you have more lots, then you need to buy more Solshares. In NSW, there are deployments of up to 4 x Solshares for a single apartment block. If your strata building is a medium rise or a high rise and has more than 55 lots it is not eligible for Solar Banks/SoAR funding. If you want to see examples of NSW strata buildings using Allume Energy Solshare, you can review this blog here.
The third choice is for the 1% of NSW strata buildings which have embedded networks. If a new solar system is connected to the parent/gate meter and the embedded network operator apportions solar savings to individual apartments, then that is a model which is eligible for co-funding.
Connecting solar to NSW apartment blocks is a bit more involved than Victorian apartment blocks. That is because Victoria did a statewide smart meter upgrade and all the apartment blocks are already upgraded to smart meters. In NSW, it has been apartment owner requested smart meter upgrades to this point in time. NSW Solar Banks/SoAR funding will cover essential upgrades to meter panels, that might be required, as a precursor project to installing solar which feeds into the individual apartments but this cost cannot exceed 10% of the entire project cost. It will also cover waterproofing works directly under the solar systems.
In the ACT, a solar finance company called Brighte (backed by billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes) is providing administration of the Solar Banks program and also arranging a 50% loan to strata schemes which are eligible for the 50% rebate. This allows Owners Corporations to avail themselves of a $0 dollar down solar solution for their apartment block. NSW Strata financier, Lannock, has announced that it is working with the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) to develop a strata loan which can complement the SoAR grant. The article is here. However, at June 2026 we understand that a low interest loan rate has not been published.
NSW has an advantage over Victoria in that in 2021, the NSW government passed the Sustainability Infrastructure Amendment to the NSW Strata Schemes Management act. This reduced the voting threshold for installing solar from a 75% threshold special resolution to a 50% threshold, via a sustainability infrastructure resolution. Watch a video on this here.
In NSW the number of strata buildings which have already received a solar feasibility study inclusive of solar sharing, but haven't yet installed solar sharing, is greater than the number of stratas which will be given grant funding in the first round of NSW Solar Banks/SoAR. However, don't fear that the funds will run out. At June 2026, only $7.6m of the $25m funding available was deployed. You can track the progress here.
Wattblock has been running solar tenders for shared solar systems using Allume Energy's Solshare over the past 9 years. We are well positioned to assist simple to complex strata schemes "go-to-market" and find the best solar installer on a fee-for-advice basis. We don't receive any kickbacks or commissions from any solar installers, solar equipment providers or energy retailers and we don't provide any kickbacks to any strata managers. We don't receive any annuity income on solar finance opportunities from any strata lenders.
However, if you want to find your own solar installer for the NSW Solar Banks/SoAR program, you can try out Electrify Strata Installer Directory which is here. Type "Allume" into the Google search toolbar at the top of the map to find strata experienced solar installers who are accredited to install Allume Energy Solshare. Our list of Top 40 solar installers for strata is here.
Additional resources which may assist you on your NSW Solar Banks for strata journey are:
A map of NSW apartment buildings with Solar Sharing installed is here.
Solar Readiness for Strata online training course here.
40 videos on solar for strata here.
Find all government rebates and incentives available to NSW strata schemes here. This includes a separate battery rebate from the Federal Government under the Cheaper Home Batteries program
20 videos of strata committee members talking about electrifying their strata buildings here.
Examples of Wattblock customers in NSW which have installed Allume Energy Solshare are here.
Connect with over 300 strata electrification "champions" on the Electrify Strata Whatsapp community here. We have setup a separate group in the Whatsapp community to discuss NSW Solar for Apartments (SoAR) grants.
Wattblock's "cheat sheet" for filling out the Solar for Apartment Residents Stage 2 application form is here.
A map of 80 suburbs where residential strata schemes have already received SoAR grants is here.
To go to the NSW government page and start your application, click here. Ask your strata manager for the last annual financial statement and your strata insurance policy (which must show public liability insurance on it), as you will need these documents to make it through the expression of interest stage. The Stage 1 applications are closing at 4th December 2026.
Brent Clark
Contributor, Strata Energy News
However, if you want to find your own solar installer for the NSW Solar Banks/SoAR program, you can try out Electrify Strata Installer Directory which is here. Type "Allume" into the Google search toolbar at the top of the map to find strata experienced solar installers who are accredited to install Allume Energy Solshare. Our list of Top 40 solar installers for strata is here.
Additional resources which may assist you on your NSW Solar Banks for strata journey are:
A map of NSW apartment buildings with Solar Sharing installed is here.
Solar Readiness for Strata online training course here.
40 videos on solar for strata here.
Find all government rebates and incentives available to NSW strata schemes here. This includes a separate battery rebate from the Federal Government under the Cheaper Home Batteries program
20 videos of strata committee members talking about electrifying their strata buildings here.
Examples of Wattblock customers in NSW which have installed Allume Energy Solshare are here.
Connect with over 300 strata electrification "champions" on the Electrify Strata Whatsapp community here. We have setup a separate group in the Whatsapp community to discuss NSW Solar for Apartments (SoAR) grants.
Wattblock's "cheat sheet" for filling out the Solar for Apartment Residents Stage 2 application form is here.
A map of 80 suburbs where residential strata schemes have already received SoAR grants is here.
To go to the NSW government page and start your application, click here. Ask your strata manager for the last annual financial statement and your strata insurance policy (which must show public liability insurance on it), as you will need these documents to make it through the expression of interest stage. The Stage 1 applications are closing at 4th December 2026.
Brent Clark
Contributor, Strata Energy News