Apartment residents in New South Wales are set to benefit from a groundbreaking $25 million solar initiative, aimed at helping them save up to $600 annually on energy bills.
The Albanese Labor Government, in partnership with the Minns NSW Government, has launched the Solar for Apartment Residents program—the first of its kind in the state—to expand access to rooftop solar technology.
With one in five NSW homes being apartments but only 3.5 per cent currently connected to solar, the initiative is set to bridge the gap. The scheme will provide co-funding for eligible owners’ corporations and strata managers to install shared solar systems, covering up to 50 per cent of the installation cost—up to a maximum of $150,000 per project.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese highlighted the government’s commitment to making energy more affordable and sustainable. “My government is building Australia’s future. We want to make sure all Australians have the services and infrastructure they need now and into the future,” he said.
“That’s why we are working with the Minns Government to encourage the use of solar panels and help slash the cost of people’s power bills. This is good for families and good for the environment.”
The program is funded under the federal government’s Solar Banks Scheme, designed to remove barriers to solar access nationwide. Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, emphasised that apartment dwellers have often faced difficulties in accessing solar energy.
“In the past, it’s been difficult for apartment residents to reap the benefits of cleaner, cheaper solar—but Labor is helping households overcome those barriers and powering more Australian homes with renewables.”
Administered by the NSW Government, the program will assess applications, distribute funding, and oversee project delivery. NSW Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Penny Sharpe, stressed the importance of making solar more accessible.
“Solar should be available to everyone. This program removes the barriers to renewable energy for units and apartments, making it easier and more affordable to adopt solar.”
Owners’ corporations or strata managers of buildings with 3-55 units that have not installed a solar PV system in the last 10 years are eligible to apply. Applications are open until 1 December 2025 or until funding is exhausted.
A three-level brick apartment block in Ashfield, NSW, built in the 1970s, has already demonstrated the benefits of rooftop solar. The building, home to a mix of owner-occupiers and renters—including young families, working adults, and retirees—installed a 20kW solar PV system in December 2021. The system, which includes 55 solar panels and a 20kW inverter, powers nine strata units and common property while exporting surplus electricity to the grid. It is also battery-ready, ensuring long-term energy efficiency.
The total cost of the system was $50,000, funded partly by a $5,000 special levy on each unit and the remainder from the Owners’ Corporation Capital Works Fund. Since installation, the apartment block has saved approximately $8,900 annually—around $990 per household. Under the new Solar for Apartment Residents (SoAR) program, they could have received up to $25,000 in funding, making the investment even more affordable.
With rising energy costs and increasing demand for sustainable solutions, the Solar for Apartment Residents program presents a significant opportunity for NSW apartment dwellers to cut their power bills while contributing to a greener future.
Support Our Journalism
The global Indian Diaspora and Australia’s multicultural communities need fair, non-hyphenated, and questioning journalism, packed with on-ground reporting. The Australia Today—with exceptional reporters, columnists, and editors—is doing just that. Sustaining this requires support from wonderful readers like you.
Whether you live in Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States of America, or India you can take a paid subscription by clicking Patreon
