Solar feed-in tariff
ACT homes and business’ can export excess energy from their own solar system into the main energy grid. Payment for this energy is known as a feed-in tariff (FiT) and is provided by energy retailers.
Feed-in tariffs and payments
When you use your own rooftop solar system to power your home or business you may not need all the energy you use throughout the day. Solar production also peaks during the middle of the day when the sun is the most intense. This does not always align with peak energy usage so excess solar generation will often need to be exported. For example, during periods when you are not home or when your business is closed but the sun is still shining. Several factors determine the maximum amount you can export. Make sure you talk to your solar installer and energy provider about your specific system.
A FiT is a payment paid to you for this excess energy that is then distributed to other homes or businesses through the main energy grid. This is also sometimes known as a 'buy-back rate' and is most often provided as a credit on your power bill from your energy retailer.
Depending on your retailer and individual electricity billing arrangement you may not always receive a FiT. Exported energy from your solar system will still be re-distributed to other homes and businesses in the ACT. This helps ensure we run off clean energy during the daytime.
How to get a feed-in tariff
Any ACT household or business with a rooftop solar system may be eligible for a FiT. This is organised directly through your energy retailer. These tariffs are voluntary, and the rates are not regulated in the ACT.
Rates may vary significantly between retailers. It is worth comparing a few FiT offers to see where you can get the best price. It is still important to consider the price you purchase electricity at in addition to what you sell it at.
Visit the Energy Made Easy website for electricity retailers operating in the ACT.
Benefit to homes and business
Receiving a credit for excess solar energy can reduce your overall energy bill. It can also offset costs in more intense seasons, such as heating your home in winter. You may generate more electricity than you use during summer and spring and get a credit on your electricity bill. This credit can then be used to offset higher costs in winter when reduced solar generation may not cover your energy costs from heating.
Our solar calculator can help you estimate annual energy savings costs to your home by installing a solar system, including the FiT.
Smaller-scale rooftop solar systems can play an important part in managing peak electricity loads on the energy network. Find out more about the ACT’s pathway to electrification.
Legacy small and medium-scale feed-in tariff scheme
In 2009, the ACT Government established a scheme for payments to ACT households and businesses generating renewable electricity. This was established under the Electricity Feed-in (Renewable Energy Premium) Act 2008 (the Act). This is referred to as the Small and Medium Feed-in Tariff Scheme.
This scheme is administered by the ACT electricity and gas distributor, Evoenergy. Participants in the scheme can contact Evoenergy on 13 23 86 or email the Evoenergy Embedded Generation team at embeddedgeneration@evoenergy.com.au.
Evoenergy can answer questions about your electricity connection agreements and when the scheme feed-in tariff ends. Find the right contact details on the Evoenergy website.
Electricity retailers provide the feed-in tariff to the account holder for the electricity bill. You can confirm your feed-tariff by contacting your retailer.
The contract for medium scale installations is available on the ActewAGL website. Under the Act some businesses with solar generation between 30 and 200kW negotiated a contract with ActewAGL and this contract sets out the feed-in tariff for those businesses.
If your feed-in tariff is provided by ActewAGL you can contact them for further details on 13 14 93.
The scheme was closed to new entrants on 13 July 2011. Successful applicants received a FiT payment for 20 years from the date their system was connected to the electricity network.
A new owner or tenant of a property with an existing eligible installation should be entitled to a FiT for the remaining portion of the original contract. New owners or tenants must confirm this arrangement with their electricity retailer. It’s important to confirm with your provider that any alterations or maintenance work on the legacy system won’t violate the terms of the contract.
If you currently receive a legacy FiT payment for an old solar system, you may still be able to install a new, separate solar system. You will not be able to access the legacy FiT rate for the new, separate system.
Scheme review and audit
The scheme was reviewed in 2023 and an audit of the scheme was conducted in 2019. A review of the scheme was also conducted prior to the audit.
- ACT 2023 Small and Medium-scale Feed-in Tariff Scheme Review Report [3.5 MB]
- ACT 2018 Small and Medium-scale Feed-in Tariff Scheme Review Report [1.4 MB]
- ACT 2019 Small and Medium-scale Feed-in Tariff Scheme Data Audit Report [356.3 KB]
- Internal Audit of the Small and Medium Feed-in Tariff Scheme Reporting Data - Final Report - 2019 [356.3 KB]
- ACT Government Response - October 2019 [292.4 KB]
- Small and Medium Feed-in Tariff Review and Audit factsheet [850.6 KB]
Annual Feed-in Tariff Report
As required under section 11A of the Act, a report is published every year on the costs, capacity and numbers of supported rooftop solar systems supported by the feed-in-tariff:
- the number of compliant renewable energy generators;
- the total capacity of compliant renewable energy generators; and
- the cost passed on to electricity users.
In the 2023-24 financial year, there were 9,918 compliant generators operating under the scheme with a total capacity of 34.72MW. These systems generated a total of 44,111 megawatt hours (MWh) of renewable electricity in 2023-24.
The costs to ACT electricity consumers in 2023-24 was $13.67 million.
In the Retail Electricity Price Recalibration 2023 24, the Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission allowed a scheme cost pass through of $5.38/MWh, this equates to $34.97 a year for an average household consuming 6,500 kilowatt hours of electricity.
The above data, in addition to data from previous years, is summarised in the below table.
| 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of FiT Scheme generators | 10,170 | 10,153 | 9,979 | 9,876 | 9,954 | 9,918 |
| Installed capacity (MW) | 35 | 34.96 | 34.99 | 34.39 | 34.6 | 34.74 |
| Total FiT paid ($M) | $ 15.61 | $ 15.41 | $ 14.78 | $ 13.70 | $ 14.45 | $ 13.67 |
| Cost ($/MWh)[1] | $ 6.16 | $ 6.07 | $ 5.34 | $ 5.78 | $ 5.76 | $ 5.38 |
| Average annual cost to household[2] | $ 40.04 | $ 39.46 | $ 34.71 | $ 37.57 | $ 37.44 | $ 34.97 |
Previous years reporting
Should you require further data on the ACT's Small and Medium Feed-in Tariff Scheme and rooftop solar in 2023-24 please contact EPSDDEnergyPolicy@act.gov.au
For detailed information on previous years see the reports listed below.
- 2022-23 annual Feed-in Tariff report [2.8 MB]
- 2021-22 annual Feed-in Tariff report [1.7 MB]
- 2020-21 annual Feed-in Tariff report [2.3 MB]
- 2019-20 annual Feed-in Tariff report [2.6 MB]
- 2018-19 annual Feed-in Tariff report [3.4 MB]
- 2017-18 annual Feed-in Tariff report [504.0 KB]
- 2016-17 annual Feed-in Tariff report [4.7 MB]
- 2015-16 annual Feed-in Tariff report [735.9 KB]
- 2014-15 annual Feed-in Tariff report [271.3 KB]
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Acknowledgement of Country
We acknowledge the Ngunnawal people as traditional custodians of the ACT and recognise any other people or families with connection to the lands of the ACT and region. We acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and the contribution they make to the life of this city and this region.