New Commercial Solar Rebate: SRES Expanded to 1MW
20% Off Commercial Solar Installs — Systems Now Eligible Up To 1MW
On 5 August 2026, Federal Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen announced an expansion of the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) — raising the eligible system size from 100kW to 1MW. For farms, agribusinesses and commercial operators across the Central West and Orana, this is the biggest change to solar economics for larger sheds, sites and properties since the scheme began.
Until now, properties wanting a solar system larger than 100kW had to go through the more complex Large-scale Renewable Energy Target (LRET) process, with none of the upfront point-of-sale discount homeowners are used to. From 1 October 2026 (subject to the necessary regulations being finalised), farms and businesses installing systems up to 1MW will get the same style of upfront discount — worth around 20% off installation costs.
At NSW Country Solar, we help properties throughout Wellington, Dubbo, Orange, Bathurst, Mudgee, Parkes, Cobar and Bourke design and install commercial and agricultural-scale solar systems built for regional conditions.
Program Highlights
- Previous System Cap 100kW
- New System Cap 1MW (10x larger)
- Estimated Discount Around 20% off installation costs
- Example Saving $68,000 off a 250kW system, $136,000 off a 500kW system
- Estimated Bill Savings ~$50,000/year on a 250kW system, ~$175,000/year on an 850kW system
- Commencement Date 1 October 2026 (subject to final regulations)
- Administered By Clean Energy Regulator, via the existing SRES/STC scheme
- Eligible Entities Farms, agribusinesses, commercial and industrial operators, schools, hospitals and community organisations
Commercial & Agricultural Solar Through NSW Country Solar
Mid-Scale Commercial Solar (100kW–1MW)
Sized for grain stores, cotton gins, cold storage, irrigation pump stations, machinery sheds and processing facilities — the exact “missing middle” the SRES expansion is designed to unlock.
Battery Storage for Business
Pair your system with battery storage to shift more of your load to daylight hours, manage peak demand charges, and keep critical equipment running through outages.
Farm & Agribusiness Solar
From shearing sheds to broadacre irrigation, we design systems around your property’s actual energy demand — not a one-size-fits-all commercial template.
Grid Connection Support
The expansion also comes with a push for faster network connection approvals for mid-scale systems. We manage the connection application process with your local distributor from day one.
Estimated Savings by System Size
- 250kW (medium enterprise, e.g. retailer) ~$68,000 ~$50,000/year (approx. 345 MWh generated)
- 500kW ~$136,000 Scales with generation and site load
- 850kW (industrial energy user) Proportionally larger ~$175,000/year (approx. 1,173 MWh generated)
These figures are the Federal Government’s own worked examples and are indicative only, your actual discount and savings depend on your system size, site conditions, energy usage and the STC price at time of installation.
We’ll model your exact numbers as part of your free consultation.
Why Central West Farms & Businesses Should Act Early
Regional properties often carry exactly the kind of load this expansion is aimed at, irrigation pumps, cold storage, grain handling, workshops and processing equipment that draw far more power than a typical home, but previously sat above the old 100kW cap with no point-of-sale discount available.
With the scheme commencing 1 October 2026, there’s a practical window to plan now: site assessment, system design and grid connection applications all take time, and getting ahead of the queue matters most for larger, more complex installations.
NSW Country Solar makes the process straightforward:
- Request a free site assessment and energy audit.
- We design a system sized to your property’s real load — not just your roof space.
- We manage your grid connection application with your local network distributor.
- We confirm SRES eligibility and handle the certificate paperwork.
- Once approved, we complete the installation and commissioning.
Is My Property Eligible?
The expanded SRES is likely to suit your property if:
- Your proposed solar system is between 100kW and 1MW.
- You operate a farm, agribusiness, commercial or industrial site, school, hospital or community facility in NSW.
- Your property has sufficient roof space, ground space or shed structures to support a mid-scale system.
- Your site can support the required grid connection capacity — we assess this as part of your free consultation.
The scheme is separate from state-run rebates, and is expected to be budget neutral, delivered through the same Small-scale Technology Certificate (STC) mechanism that’s been discounting solar since 2011 — so there’s no new bureaucracy to navigate. If you run a farm, agribusiness or commercial operation across Wellington, Dubbo, Orange, Bathurst, Mudgee, Parkes, Cobar or Bourke, NSW Country Solar can model what the expanded scheme means for your specific site.
