The Victorian Government announced an expansion of the jointly funded Solar for Apartments program on 27 October 2026, aimed at bringing more apartment, unit and townhouse developments into the scheme.

The existing headline funding remains substantial: successful applicants can access up to $2,800 per apartment, capped at $140,000 per building. Applications are currently open until June 2027.

What changed in the 27 October announcement?

  • Building size: the government says developments of up to 150 lots will have access, up from the previous 50-lot standard limit.
  • Property value: the existing median property-value limit will be removed.
  • Common property: Owners Corporations will be able to allocate up to 20% of generated solar energy to common property.

The government also said more than 150 rooftop-solar installations have been completed through the program, with almost half on rental properties, and more than 2,800 residents are already benefiting.

How much funding is available?

The program offers rebates of up to $2,800 per apartment and $140,000 per property. The 27 October announcement says successful applicants are receiving support covering an average of 76% of installation costs.

That 76% figure is an average across funded projects, not an entitlement for every building. The actual proportion depends on the eligible project cost and the number of participating apartments.

Our Solar for Apartments Victoria guide explains the Owners Corporation process, system options and current eligibility rules in more detail.

Has Solar Victoria's detailed eligibility page been updated yet?

Not fully when checked on 28 October.

Solar Victoria's detailed Solar for Apartments page still displayed the older standard rules: tier three or tier four Owners Corporations with 3 to 50 occupiable lots, a median capital-improved residential-lot-value limit of $950,000, and an exemption path for some larger or taller buildings.

The 27 October government announcement is newer and explicitly says access is expanding to developments of up to 150 lots and that the property-value limit will be removed.

Until the detailed application rules and portal reflect the expansion, an Owners Corporation near the old thresholds should confirm its eligibility directly with Solar Victoria rather than relying on either page in isolation.

Why does the 20% common-property allocation matter?

Apartment solar has to solve a different problem from a detached house: a single rooftop may need to benefit many individual meters as well as shared building loads.

The announced ability to allocate up to 20% of generated solar energy to common property could help offset electricity used by lifts, corridor lighting, ventilation, gates, pumps and other shared services while still directing most of the benefit to participating apartments.

The detailed program page had not yet adopted that 20% wording when checked, so the final implementation details should be confirmed before designing the sharing arrangement.

What should an Owners Corporation do now?

If a building was previously considered too large or failed the property-value test, the 27 October announcement is a reason to revisit eligibility.

  1. Check the latest Solar Victoria program page and application portal.
  2. For buildings above the old 50-lot threshold, confirm the current pathway directly with Solar Victoria.
  3. Ask prospective retailers to model residential-lot and common-property benefits separately.
  4. Obtain DNSP pre-approval before treating export assumptions as final.
  5. Compare the complete system, sharing technology, ongoing fees, warranties and maintenance responsibilities before the OC resolution.

For network constraints, see the Victorian solar export-limit guide. For the full committee process, use the apartment solar guide.

Sources and further reading

Sources checked: 28 October 2026

These are the references used for the factual claims above. Check live eligibility, tariffs, network rules and product terms before acting on anything time-sensitive.