Q&A

Rebate & Funding

1. Do the funded systems include batteries?

Not currently — there's a separate rebate available for household batteries through the federal government. Battery storage will be considered as part of the ZapCat feasibility study.

2. If you have a small existing solar system but could fit many more panels, can you still get the rebate?

No — the rebate is only available for new systems, not upgrades to an existing one. That said, increasing the size of your system can still have a decent payback period on its own, particularly if paired with other energy upgrades. We'd recommend booking a virtual consultation to look at this in detail for your building.

3. Can you estimate how much solar can be produced versus the need before you commit?

Answer: Yes — this is covered in the free opportunity assessment step. Before anyone commits, we look at your roof, your bills and some photos to give you a sense of likely cost, savings, payback and feasibility. It's not a formal quote, but a conversation-starter you can use to take other owners along on the journey.

Consultations & Eligibility

1. Any chance of a free consultation for attendees outside Maribyrnong?

Yes, potentially. Please join the waitlist — there are opportunities to discuss expanding the program with other funders, and we don't expect it will take long before access opens up more broadly. We'll be in touch quickly once there's an opportunity.

Shared Solar Systems

1. Have there been many cases where a medium or high-rise building with fewer than 50 lots has been provided with a shared solar array under this system?

Based on a rough calculation, there are roughly 2,500 lots across the 144 buildings that have taken up the rebate so far, which works out to an average building size of around 15–20 lots. We don't yet have a clear figure on how many buildings have gone through the process at the full 50-lot size — we've flagged this as a question to take back to Solar Victoria and will follow up.

2. Are there case studies of medium-rise and high-rise apartment developments that have successfully applied for the rebate and received a shared solar array?

There's currently a real shortage of published case studies from Solar Victoria on the Solar for Apartments program. We've asked Solar Victoria to approach more buildings so additional case studies can be written up, since we know demand for real examples is high. There are more examples available in Sydney, though the rebate and regulatory context there is different, so we can share those with the caveat that they're not a perfect comparison.

3. Is there much correlation between number of apartments and height of the development?

Limited correlation — building height and lot numbers don't track closely together. What matters more for feasibility is the building's configuration (e.g. whether meters are grouped together and cable runs are straightforward) rather than its size or height.

4. Were the two examples given (Footscray and Brunswick) shared systems?

Only one was. The Footscray building (35 units) used a SolShare shared solar system. The Brunswick example (18 units) was solar powering a common-area hot water heat pump, not a shared array across units.

5. With a shared system, if one lot uses less than their allocation, where does the spare energy go? Does it go to the grid?

Think of it like everyone having an equal-size cup that fills with energy over the course of a month. Your cup fills when you're using electricity, since that's when solar is most valuable. If you're not home or not using much power, your neighbour's cup fills instead. Any energy nobody uses gets exported to the grid, but export payments are low, so self-consumption is always more valuable than exporting.

6. With shared systems, can lot owners opt to pay a different proportional cost of the system and therefore receive a higher share of energy via the splitter?

Not with the SolShare technology.

7. Can an individual lot owner opt out of participating in a shared system, or if the special resolution is passed, are they obliged to be involved?

Lot owners can opt out, but only from the start of the process — buildings need a minimum of five lots to agree to participate in order to be eligible.

8. How do you split the cost if the use is equal?

The splitter technology allocates energy fairly and equitably across units using automated algorithms, so that as much solar as possible goes to each unit's own usage and only the minimum is exported to the grid.

Owners Corporation Process

Note: Owners corporations are sometimes referred to as body corporates, an older termonolody.

1. Is there ever an issue with the Body Corporate approving a solar setup on an apartment complex?

It can fall down, but usually only when someone goes off on their own, gets quotes without bringing others along, and then shows up at the AGM demanding a decision on the spot. The whole point of the step-by-step process is to avoid that: bringing owners along gradually, sharing information as it comes in, so there's no last-minute fear or confusion. It's not guaranteed — an owners corporation is still a democracy — but taking everyone on the journey gives you a much higher chance of getting it through, and many buildings do.

2. When you say “everyone” needs to agree, does that mean 100% of owners, or is there a minimum required for it to go ahead?

Not 100%. A special resolution needs 75% of votes to pass and is immediately binding. If it falls short of 75% but gets at least 50%, with no more than 25% voting against, it automatically becomes an interim special resolution, which takes effect 29 days later unless someone formally objects. This interim mechanism protects against apathy or disengagement rather than genuine opposition.

3. (Context) Our apartment building went through the process last year and the installer then said it would cost $20,000 or more, so everyone pulled out — they hadn’t done a site visit before promising it would be no cost to owners.

This kind of cost blowout usually comes down to one of two things: the installer not having enough apartment-specific experience and underestimating the job, or the installer not being used to long strata sales cycles (which can take a year or more) and not putting in enough effort upfront because they don't know how serious the building is. Following the step-by-step process — engaging installers at the right point, once the owners corporation is genuinely on board — gives installers the confidence to quote properly the first time. Unexpected costs like switchboard upgrades are also common and can range from a few hundred dollars per unit to tens of thousands for the whole building, but for most buildings this doesn't tip the numbers over into unviable.

Embedded Networks

1. What if you have an embedded network and the provider isn't interested?

Unfortunately, buildings on an embedded network aren't eligible for the Solar Victoria rebate, though that doesn't stop you getting solar separately — it will require a working relationship with the embedded network provider to install it. This is a tricky, building-specific problem, so we've suggested taking it offline for a one-on-one conversation. There are also consultations underway with the Victorian Government on embedded networks, and we're considering running a dedicated webinar and/or peer support group on this topic given how often it comes up.

2. Is there any chance government will push embedded network suppliers into doing more to support sustainability of apartment buildings?

This ties into a broader advocacy conversation that's been happening as part of the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into renewable energy for apartments, including discussions with the Brotherhood of St Lawrence and other providers about embedded networks and electrification. Ensuring strata residents aren't left behind in the energy transition is a significant part of our advocacy work, though there's no firm commitment or timeline to share yet.

EV Charging

1. How does EV charging work? Who pays for the infrastructure and charging costs?

This will be covered in a dedicated future webinar, and a guidebook is also being developed by DEECA (the Victorian Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action) on EV charging in strata.

Other / General

1. Can you please explain the 4 data points on the solar slide?

The chart shows solar generated, solar delivered, solar consumed and solar exported over a set period (roughly 6–9 months for the example building). Solar consumed is the energy used on-site; solar exported is what's sent back to the grid when it isn't needed at the time it's generated. The goal is to maximise self-consumption (the amount used on-site) because avoiding buying grid electricity at 25–30 cents/kWh is worth far more than the few cents/kWh paid for exported solar.

2. (FYI, not a question) There is a Vic Gov consultation open now on whether to reduce permit requirements for solar in heritage overlay areas — worth flagging to attendees as it's open for feedback.

Thanks for flagging — noted as a useful tip to share with attendees.