Up to $12,500 is available from Solar Communities Program to install small-scale renewable energy systems including solar photovoltaic panels, storage batteries and solar hot water systems.
Solar Communities Program
The Solar Communities Program will provide $2.2 million in grants to community organisations in eligible regions to undertake small-scale renewable energy generation and energy storage projects, including purchase and installation of solar photovoltaic systems, battery storage for solar photovoltaic systems and solar hot water systems.
Objective
The objective of the program is to:
- support community groups to undertake small-scale renewable energy generation and energy storage projects
The intended outcomes of the program are to:
- build awareness of the financial and environmental benefits of small-scale renewable energy generation and energy storage projects
Funding
The grant amount will be up to 100 per cent of eligible project expenditure.
- The minimum grant amount is $2,500
- The maximum grant amount is $12,500.
If your total budget costs are greater than the maximum grant amount of $12,500, you will have to
meet the additional project costs yourself
Eligible Projects
To be eligible your project must:
- include eligible activities and eligible expenditure
- have at least $2,500 in eligible expenditure.
Solar Communities Program cannot fund a project if it receives funding from another Commonwealth, State or Territory government grant. You can apply for a grant for your project under more than one Commonwealth, State or Territory program, but if your application is successful, you must choose either the Solar Communities Program grant or the other government grant. This restriction does not affect grants for separate, unrelated projects that you may be undertaking.
Eligible activities must include the purchase, installation and final inspection of one or more of the following:
- solar photovoltaic panels
- batteries connected to a solar photovoltaic system
- solar hot water systems.
It is your responsibility to ensure your chosen installer is appropriately qualified, insured and licensed to undertake the work.
Eligible Applicants
To be eligible you must be:
- a community organisation that is a legal entity, able to enter into a grant agreement with the Commonwealth
For the purpose of this program, a community organisation is any organisation engaged in community-based activities operating under Australian law and not established for making a profit. This definition can include not-for-profit entities pursuing a range of ‘for-profit’ commercial activities. The key activities of the organisation should include a group of people who meet regularly for a common interest such as:
- community sporting clubs
- Scout or Guide groups
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community group
- surf lifesaving clubs
- community owned kindergartens
- welfare centres
- Men’s Sheds
- community centres
- women’s associations
- country fire authorities
- community owned child care centres
In addition to the eligibility criteria above, you must also:
- be located in an eligible region, listed in appendix A
- have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
- provide a letter of consent from the building owner/manager, if you are not the building owner/manager (see template at appendix C)
- ensure you use an appropriately licensed and accredited installer as set out in Section 5
- provide the relevant mandatory attachments.
Timing
Applications close 7 June 2018.
More Information
- Source
- Guidelines
