If you are living in Western Australia (WA) and are planning to install a PV solar panel system one thing you would need to know about are the feed-in tariffs in WA. First of all, you will reduce your carbon footprint considerably. Secondly, you will save a lot of money in the long run.
Residents in WA can expect to receive a federal solar system rebate. This will often be very generous (depending on which STC zone you live in). In addition, you will get a solar feed-in tariff in WA.
Your PV solar system can produce more energy than you can use. The excess energy can be stored or fed to the grid. If you choose the latter, you will receive a payment for every kWh the system is transferring to the grid. The payment is called a feed-in tariff.
So, what is the solar feed-in tariff in Western Australia?
Information about the feed-in tariff
Before diving into the solar feed-in tariffs in WA, we are going to explain how the tariff is working. You will receive a reduction in your power costs from the power company you use based on the feed-in tariff.
So, the higher the feed-in tariff is, the more money you will save from energy transferred through the grid.
The alternative is to store the energy in a battery. That way you will have access to power if the solar panel system does not produce enough electricity. This may be the case on a cloudy and dark day.
It is also possible to combine both. You can still have a battery and at the same time transfer electricity to the grid. A system like this would be more complicated to install, though.
Local variations in WA solar feed-in tariffs
Western Australia is covering a huge area and you can expect to find different solar feed-in tariffs in WA. If you are located in Perth or other parts of the south western region Synergy is most likely your power provider.
If Synergy is your provider of electricity, you will receive the Distributed Energy Buyback Scheme (DEBS) feed-in tariff. As of 1 July 2023, this will give you a peak rate tariff of 10 cents / kWh. This is for power fed to the grid between 3 and 9 pm.
If the electricity is transferred at other times, the off-peak tariff is 2.5 cents per kWh between 9 pm and 3 pm.
Residents living in the regional parts of Western Australia where Horizon Power is your provider of electricity, will also receive a tariff. The tariff will be 10 cents per kWh between 3 and 9 pm. Between 9 and 3 pm, the feed-in tariff is set to 3 cents per kWh.
The earlier feed-in tariffs in WA were bigger
The feed-in tariff is an incentive that was initiated to reduce the payback time for businesses and households. It is designed to benefit those customers who invested in solar panel systems. Both inverters, panels and batteries used to be more expensive than they are today. Because of this, the FIT rate is also smaller.
Early adopters received a feed-in tariff of 40c per kWh. This applied to residents in WA who invested in solar systems between 1 July 2010 and 20 June 2011. If you got this deal, it will last for ten years from the installation date.
But remember, if the size of the solar panel system is expanded, the beneficial premium feed-in tariff will end.
The Renewable Energy Buyback Scheme (REBS) replaced the premium scheme before the DEBS took over in late 2020.
Is solar energy a smart investment in WA?
The feed-in tariffs in WA are not very high. It is still a good idea. however, to invest in a solar energy system. The reason for this is the fact that the price of solar panel systems has fallen dramatically in recent years.
In addition to this, you will be able to get a federal solar rebate. The size of the rebate will depend on your exact location in WA. In general, you can expect the rebate to reduce the costs by about one-third.
The federal rebate will shrink every year until 2030. It may be a good idea not to wait too long before installing a system.
Get a solar panel system and receive feed-in tariffs in WA
For people living in WA, getting a solar panel system can be a great investment. The feed-in tariffs are not as good as they used to be but you will still be able to earn some money from them.
Find a solar panel system today, and get started!