Suspension of the Western Australia Solar Feed-in Tariff scheme

WA says goodbye to the solar feed-in tariff

The Western Australia State Government today announced the Western Australia solar residential net Feed-in Tariff (FiT) scheme has now reached its quota and has been suspended from 8.00 am on 1 August 2011.

The Western Australia solar net FiT scheme offered residential customers who had installed a renewable energy system a subsidy paid per unit of electricity exported to the electricity network from eligible systems.

Applications for the net FiT already received or postmarked before 8.00 am 1 August will be accepted; however new applications will not be processed until further notice.

Existing Western Australia Solar FiT customers will not be affected by the closure of the scheme and will continue to receive the subsidy for the remainder of their 10-year payment period.

Customers who wish to install a renewable energy system can still benefit from Horizon Power’s Renewable Energy Buyback Scheme, which allows eligible customers to install small-scale renewable energy systems and sell excess electricity they produce back to Horizon Power.

For more information about the suspension of the net FiT, please contact the Public Utilities Office. For more information about REBS, please click here.

WA’s Energy Minister Peter Collier broke the news about the change, stating that the feed-in tariff quota had been exceeded and the scheme must come to an end.

The Author

Darryn Van Hout

I developed an interest in the Australian energy and construction sectors more than a decade ago and have since closely followed the trends, technologies and developments shaping both industries. My involvement in the Australian solar market began in 2008, and over the years I have built strong connections with professionals, businesses and organisations across the construction, solar and renewable energy sectors in Australia and internationally. These connections include solar panel and inverter manufacturers, electrical and construction industry professionals, software developers creating tools to quote, monitor and manage solar power systems, and media organisations that closely follow developments across energy, construction and renewable technologies. Today, I continue to contribute as an industry advocate, author and commentator, sharing practical insights and information to help Australian consumers and businesses better understand solar power, energy technologies, construction-related developments and the changing Australian energy landscape.