How state support differs from federal
The federal schemes are automatic and installer-managed: your accredited installer assigns the certificates and deducts the value. There is nothing for you to apply for.
Queensland programs have worked the other way. They generally require you to apply, often before you sign an installation contract, and they usually carry eligibility conditions — household income limits, owner-occupier requirements, or caps on the number of approvals.
This is the single most common way people lose money. Sign the contract first and you may permanently disqualify yourself from a state rebate you would otherwise have received. Always confirm the current application sequence before committing.
What Queensland has offered
Queensland support has come in rounds rather than as a standing program. The Battery Booster offered income-tested rebates on home batteries, and earlier rounds included interest-free loans for solar and storage and appliance rebates for energy-efficient upgrades. Rounds have opened and closed as funding was allocated.
These change more often than the federal schemes. We deliberately do not publish specific dollar figures here that could be out of date by the time you read it — check qld.gov.au, or ask us and we will check on the day.
The Solar Bonus Scheme
Some Queensland households are still on the Solar Bonus Scheme, which pays 44 cents per kilowatt-hour exported — far above anything available now. It closed to new applicants in 2012 and ends on 1 July 2028.
Changing a system on the scheme can end that tariff permanently. Increasing inverter capacity or panels beyond what is allowed is the usual trigger. If you are on it, check the terms before changing anything — in some cases the right advice is to leave the existing system exactly as it is until 2028, or install a separate system alongside it.
What to check before you sign anything
- Whether the program requires approval before you sign an installation contract.
- Household income thresholds, and how they are assessed.
- Whether the property must be owner-occupied, and for how long.
- Whether a previous rebate on the same property excludes you.
- Whether the installer or retailer must be on an approved list.
- Whether the change affects an existing Solar Bonus Scheme tariff.
Ask us to check
Because these programs move, we check current eligibility as part of quoting rather than relying on what was true last quarter. If a state program applies to you, we will tell you what to apply for and in what order.