Three Solar Programs With Deadlines You Need to Know About

The Solar for Apartment Residents (SoAR) grant program closes at 5:00 PM on 30 March 2026. That is this Sunday. And here is the remarkable thing: of the $25 million budget (jointly funded by the Australian and NSW governments), only $6.1 million has been allocated to 138 recipients. Less than a quarter of the money has been claimed.

Each project can receive up to $150,000 to install shared rooftop solar on multi-unit dwellings in NSW. That is significant money. The whole point is to give apartment residents access to solar when they cannot install their own panels. Think strata buildings where the roof belongs to everyone and no one at the same time.

The reason so much funding remains is the usual strata challenge: getting an owners corporation to agree on anything requires patience, persistence, and a lot of meetings. Solar is a no-brainer financially for most apartment buildings, but the decision-making process is slow. By the time a strata committee gets to “yes”, the application deadline has often passed.

If you live in a NSW apartment building and your strata committee has been talking about solar, the window is almost closed. The application process is through the NSW Government grants portal. Even if you cannot get a full application together before Sunday, it is worth contacting the program administrators to understand your options. Nearly $19 million in grants is sitting there. That is a lot of free money going unclaimed.

Queensland's Supercharged Solar for Renters program has quietly become one of the more successful solar equity initiatives in the country. Launched in December 2025 with a $26.3 million budget, it offers landlords up to $3,500 to install solar on rental properties. More than 250 applications have been conditionally approved, and the first installations are already complete.

The program targets a real gap: about 30% of Australian households rent, and renters almost never get the benefit of rooftop solar. They pay higher electricity bills without the offset that solar provides to owner-occupiers. This program tries to fix the split incentive problem where the landlord pays for the installation but the tenant gets the bill savings.

Eligibility covers landlords with detached dwellings, townhouses, and duplexes rented for $1,000 per week or less. The program expects to help about 6,500 households save around $700 per year on electricity. At those numbers, the landlord gets a small capital improvement to their property, the tenant saves hundreds a year, and the grid gets more distributed generation. Everyone wins.

If you are a landlord in Queensland with a rental property that does not have solar, this is worth looking at. The application is through the Queensland Government website. And if you are a renter, it might be worth sending the link to your landlord. The rebate does the heavy lifting on convincing them.

The Solar Sharer offer starts on 1 July 2026 in New South Wales, South East Queensland, and South Australia. Energy retailers in these regions must offer plans that include at least three hours of free solar-derived electricity in the middle of the day. In NSW and SEQ, that window is 11 AM to 2 PM.

The allowance is up to 24 kWh of free electricity per day during the free window. For context, the average Australian household uses about 16 to 20 kWh per day total, so 24 kWh over three hours is generous. It is available to all eligible households, not just those with solar panels. The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) will oversee the program through the Default Market Offer framework.

Now for the catches. You need a smart meter installed. Retailers must offer Solar Sharer plans, but you have to actively opt in, it is not automatic. And the AER will be watching to make sure retailers do not inflate their standard rates to offset the free power cost.

Victoria and Western Australia are being consulted about joining by 2027.

If you are on a NSW strata committee: the SoAR deadline is Sunday 30 March. There is $19 million in unclaimed grants. Act now if you possibly can.

If you are a QLD landlord with a rental that does not have solar: the Supercharged Solar for Renters program will pay most of the install cost. The budget is $26.3 million and it is still open.

If you are in NSW, SEQ, or SA without solar panels: make sure you have a smart meter before July, and look at the Solar Sharer plans when they launch. Free electricity from 11 AM to 2 PM is worth taking advantage of.

If you already have solar... you are probably already ahead of all three of these programs. But that does not mean there is nothing to do. The battery rebate drops on 1 May, the state rebate landscape keeps shifting, and the market is moving fast. Staying informed is half the job.