Australian election pledge includes interest-free loans for rooftop solar and battery storage

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Image: Michael Coghlan.

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) branch of the country’s Labor Party will offer zero-interest loans for rooftop solar panels, household battery storage and hot water heat pumps if re-elected in an upcoming election.

ACT Labor said the AU$150 million (US$106.8 million) commitment will create and protect hundreds of jobs in the renewable energy sector.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

The policy will offer interest-free loans of between AU$2,000 (US$1,424) and AU$15,000 (US$10,679) to help with the upfront costs of installations.

Andrew Barr, ACT Labor leader and chief minister of the Australian Capital Territory, which consists of the city of Canberra and the surrounding area, said a re-elected ACT Labor government will work to offer the first loans in Q1 2021.

“Now more than ever, we need a government that Canberrans can trust to protect local jobs and support our economy,” he said.

The election pledge has been welcomed by the Climate Council, an Australian climate change communications organisation. “If introduced, this commitment would serve as a win-win-win for the ACT, by setting up new jobs for the future, lowering power bills, whilst also reducing pollution,” said CEO Amanda McKenzie.

The announcement comes two weeks after economic modelling commissioned by the Climate Council found that Australia has the potential to create up to 15,000 jobs in large-scale renewable energy, including 1,000 in the ACT.

Last October, the ACT government announced the final infrastructure was in place to achieve its goal for 100% renewable electricity in 2020 after the Hornsdale 3 wind farm in South Australia began its contract. The facility represents the last of ten large-scale renewable energy generators across Australia that are helping to power the ACT on clean energy.

“This is a huge achievement in consolidating the ACT’s reputation as Australia’s renewable energy capital and is a significant milestone in achieving our ultimate goal of zero net emissions by 2045,” said ACT Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability Shane Rattenbury at the time.

The election for the 25-seat ACT legislature takes place on 17 October. In the 2016 vote, Labor secured 12 seats, the Liberals won 11 seats, while the Greens were voted into two seats. Following the election, Labor formed a minority government with the Greens, with Shane Rattenbury given his cabinet position.

Read Next

October 7, 2025
Rystad Energy has said that Queensland’s utility-solar assets were the best-performing solar PV power plants in September 2025.
October 7, 2025
The government of Victoria, Australia, has launched the an incentive scheme to encourage businesses to install rooftop solar installations.
Premium
October 2, 2025
Australia's solar sector delivered a strong September performance in the National Electricity Market (NEM) as the country entered spring, with combined solar PV generation reaching 3,933GWh - a 17.83% increase from August's 3,338GWh.
October 2, 2025
FRV Australia has announced the completion of its largest solar project to date, the 300MW Walla Walla Solar Farm in New South Wales.
October 1, 2025
Engie Australia's 250MW Goorambat East Solar Farm has registered with AEMO, marking the project’s readiness for the commissioning phase.
September 30, 2025
SynergyRED, a wholly owned subsidiary of Synergy, has submitted a development application for a 2GW hybrid renewable energy project in Western Australia's Mid-West Region.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
October 21, 2025
New York, USA
Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK