For years, Queensland’s 44 cent solar feed-in tariff has been one of the best electricity deals in Australia.
Eligible homeowners have been paid 44 cents for every kilowatt-hour of solar power exported to the grid.
But that deal now has an expiry date. And while 2028 might still feel a long way away, there is another deadline quietly moving closer.
The federal battery rebates are already reducing every 6mths and the solar rebates every 12mths.
That creates an important decision for thousands of Queensland solar owners:
Do you hold onto the 44c feed-in tariff until the final day, or could acting earlier leave you better off overall?
The answer is not the same for every home.
But waiting until 2028 to investigate your options could cost you thousands of dollars in solar + battery support.
The short answer
Queensland’s 44c feed-in tariff is legislated to expire on 1 July 2028. Eligible Solar Bonus Scheme customers can continue receiving the 44c rate until then, provided they continue meeting the scheme rules.
You should not cancel the tariff or change your solar system without first having the numbers checked.
However, you also should not assume that waiting until 2028 will automatically produce the best financial result.
The smartest approach is to compare:
- The remaining value of your 44c tariff
- The battery and solar discounts available now
- The cost of grid electricity used at night
- The condition and capacity of your existing system
- The value of blackout protection
- The rebate value you could lose by delaying installation
That is the comparison this guide will help you understand.
What is the Queensland 44c Solar Bonus Scheme?
The Queensland Solar Bonus Scheme was introduced in 2008 to encourage homeowners to install rooftop solar. Eligible customers who joined before the scheme closed to new applicants receive 44 cents per kilowatt-hour for eligible solar electricity exported to the grid.
At the time, most home solar systems were small. Battery storage was expensive, and most households had no practical way to keep their excess daytime solar. Exporting that energy to the grid made sense, and the 44c tariff rewarded homeowners for doing exactly that.
For many households, it has worked extremely well. Some have received substantial annual bill credits or solar refunds for more than a decade.
But the energy market of 2026 looks very different from the energy market of 2008. Solar systems are larger. Home batteries are more capable. Household electricity use has increased. And many North Queensland homes now run large air conditioners, pools, home offices and other equipment well into the evening.
The old strategy was: generate solar, export it and get paid.
The new strategy is: generate more solar, store it and use it when grid electricity is expensive.
That shift becomes particularly important when the 44c tariff ends.
What happens when the 44c feed-in tariff ends?
On 1 July 2028, eligible customers will stop receiving the legislated 44c Solar Bonus Scheme payment. They will instead need to access whatever feed-in tariff or electricity offer is available at that time.
No one can say with certainty what the regional feed-in tariff will be in 2028. It is reviewed and set each year.
However, the difference between the legacy tariff and current standard rates is already significant.
From 1 July 2026, Ergon Energy Retail’s standard regional Queensland feed-in tariff is 6.006 cents per kilowatt-hour.
The legacy Solar Bonus Scheme rate remains 44 cents per kilowatt-hour.
That does not mean the 2028 rate will be exactly 6.006 cents, it is more likely that it will be less as the trend has seen feed-in tariffs decreasing each year.
This is very important because it shows why the end of the 44c scheme will significantly change the economics of many older solar systems.
A household that has built its energy strategy around exporting solar will suddenly need to think differently or see their monthly household expenses sky-rocket
The Real Risk Is Reaching 2028 Without a Plan
Keeping the 44c tariff may still be the right decision for some households. The mistake is reaching 2028 without a plan.
Imagine two clocks running at the same time.
Clock 1: your 44c tariff
Counts down the remaining months of your Solar Bonus Scheme payment. Waiting preserves more time here, possibly earning you more.
Clock 2: the federal solar + battery rebates
Already dropping each 6mths, and the value keeps falling until the scheme ends in 2030. Waiting makes value disappear here.
Waiting preserves more time on the first clock. But it also makes the value disappear from the second.
Your real decision is not simply “Should I keep my 44c tariff?”
It is “At what point does the value of upgrading become greater than the value of continuing to wait?”
That is a much better question.
Why waiting until 2028 could reduce your solar and battery discounts
The Australian Government’s Cheaper Home Batteries Program provides an upfront discount for eligible battery systems installed with new or existing solar. It is commonly called a rebate, although it is technically delivered through small-scale technology certificates, or STCs.
The program currently supports eligible batteries between 5kWh and 100kWh in nominal capacity. STCs can be created for up to the first 50kWh of usable battery capacity.
Most importantly, the published STC factor reduces over time. For eligible installations, the factor is:
| Installed and certified | STC factor |
|---|---|
| May–December 2026 | 6.8 |
| January–June 2027 | 5.7 |
| July–December 2027 | 5.2 |
| January–June 2028 | 4.6 |
| July–December 2028 | 4.1 |
The factor continues stepping down until the scheme ends in 2030. The amount of support also tapers according to battery size:
- The first 14kWh receives 100% of the applicable factor
- Capacity above 14kWh and up to 28kWh receives 60%
- Capacity above 28kWh and up to 50kWh receives 15%
This means two identical batteries installed in different years may receive different levels of government-supported discount. The relevant factor is based on when the battery is installed and certified, not when you first request a quote.
How much battery support could you lose by waiting?
The following examples compare the published May–December 2026 factor of 6.8 with the July–December 2028 factor of 4.1. They use the STC Clearing House price of $40 per certificate to show the indicative gross certificate value.
Your actual invoice discount may differ because STCs can trade at different prices, and retailers or agents may charge administration fees.
| Usable battery capacity | Indicative reduction in gross STC value by waiting until July–December 2028 |
|---|---|
| 10kWh | Approximately $1,080 less |
| 20kWh | Approximately $1,880 less |
| 30kWh | Approximately $2,440 less |
| 50kWh | Approximately $2,760 less |
These figures relate to battery STCs alone. A household installing or upgrading solar will also be affected by the separate reduction in solar STC support over time.
This is why “I’ll deal with it in 2028” may be more expensive than it sounds. The tariff does not gradually reduce, but the available battery support does.
Calculate what waiting could cost your home
Every household has a different system, export profile and battery requirement. Use the calculator below to estimate how the available battery discount could change based on your preferred battery capacity and installation timing.
44c Tariff and Battery Rebate Calculator
Use the calculator to compare:
- Estimated battery support available now
- Estimated support at a later installation date
- The indicative rebate value lost by waiting
- The remaining value of your 44c export income
- Whether your home needs a personalised assessment
Calculator results are estimates only. Your actual eligibility, STC value, system design, electricity usage and financial outcome must be confirmed before installation.
But wouldn't leaving the 44c tariff early cost me money?
It could. That is why no reputable solar company should tell every 44c customer to abandon the scheme immediately.
Your remaining tariff has a measurable value.
For example, a home exporting an average of 10kWh per day would export approximately 3,650kWh each year.
At 44 cents, that export is worth approximately $1,606 per year. At the current regional rate of 6.006 cents, the same export would be worth approximately $219 per year.
In that simplified example, the old tariff provides approximately $1,387 more annual export value than the current standard regional rate.
That remaining value needs to be compared against:
- The solar + battery rebates available now
- The rebates lost by waiting
- The additional grid electricity the household buys at night
- The performance of the old solar system
- The cost of future system replacement
- The value of increasing solar generation
- The value of backup power during outages
This is not a decision that should be made using one number. It needs a complete household energy comparison, which is why we conduct in-depth energy consultations with our clients.
Two homes can reach completely different answers
Consider two North Queensland homes. Both are on the 44c tariff. Both have older solar. But their best decisions may be entirely different.
Home one: the strong exporter
This home uses little electricity during the day or night. Its existing solar system still performs well and exports a large proportion of its generation. The owner receives a lot of solar credits each year.
For this household, preserving the tariff may still produce the best short-term financial result.
A rushed upgrade could sacrifice more tariff income than it gains in battery savings.
Home two: the heavy evening user
This household runs air conditioning, a pool, appliances and entertainment equipment into the evening. Its small solar system exports some energy during the day but buys large amounts of electricity back from the grid after sunset. The inverter is ageing and the household wants blackout protection.
For this home, upgrading earlier may create more total value.
It could access stronger battery support, increase solar generation, reduce evening grid imports and replace ageing equipment before it fails.
The postcode is not what determines the answer. The home’s energy fingerprint does.
Your energy fingerprint matters more than the tariff alone
A proper 44c tariff assessment should examine at least four things.
1. How much solar are you exporting?
A household exporting large amounts of solar receives more value from the 44c tariff. A household exporting very little may have less to lose by leaving.
Your electricity bill gives part of the answer. Interval or smart-meter data gives a much clearer picture.
2. When are you using electricity?
Solar only generates while the sun is available. Many North Queensland households use their greatest amount of electricity late in the afternoon and at night. That includes air conditioning, cooking, pool equipment and general household loads.
A battery can move unused daytime solar into those higher-use periods.
3. How old is your existing system?
Many customers on the 44c tariff have systems installed more than a decade ago. The panels may still work, but the inverter could be outside its original warranty. The system may also be much smaller than what would be recommended for the same household today.
An ageing system does not automatically need replacement, but its expected remaining life belongs in the financial comparison.
4. What do you want the next system to do?
Some homeowners only want lower bills. Others want:
- Full-home or essential-circuit backup
- $0 power bill pathway
- Protection during storms and outages
- Enough stored power to run air conditioning
- Capacity for an electric vehicle
- Greater independence from Ergon
- Room to expand the battery later
A solar + battery system selected only by price may not deliver those outcomes.
The design has to begin with the job the system needs to perform.
Can you add a battery and keep the 44c tariff?
Potentially, but the rules are restrictive.
Queensland Government guidance says customers must check with their electricity distributor before adding panels, another system or a battery.
Alternative sources such as batteries can generally only operate when the system receiving the 44c tariff is not operating, such as at night or during a blackout, unless a compliant separate connection is arranged. A conventional battery installation that charges from the 44c solar system during the day may affect eligibility.
Do not assume that a battery advertised as “compatible with existing solar” is automatically compatible with the Solar Bonus Scheme rules. The electrical design, inverter configuration, network connection and operating logic all matter.
Get written confirmation before changing the system. If you are weighing your options, our solar and battery packages show what a compliant upgrade can include.
And ultimately, adding a battery would consume your day-time solar production, in effect, removing the benefit of having the 44c to begin with… so it is really one-or-the-other in the practical sense.
Can you add more solar panels and keep the 44c tariff?
Queensland Government guidance allows eligible customers to add panels up to the approved capacity of the existing inverter. You can also replace an inverter with one of the same or smaller capacity.
Increasing inverter capacity or adding panel capacity beyond the inverter’s rated capacity can cause the 44c eligibility to be lost.
This is an important distinction. Adding panels is not always the same as upgrading the entire solar system.
Many older systems have limited inverter capacity, which restricts how much additional solar can be added while preserving the tariff.
What could make upgrading before 2028 worthwhile?
An earlier upgrade deserves serious consideration when several of the following apply:
- Your existing inverter is ageing or unreliable
- Your solar system is too small for your current usage
- Your night-time electricity use is high
- Your 44c export credits are smaller than expected
- You want blackout protection
- You expect to buy an electric vehicle
- Your electricity use is growing
- You want to capture more solar + battery rebates before they reduce
- You would prefer to act before the 2028 installation rush
None of these factors proves that you should leave. Together, they can change the calculation significantly.
When could keeping the tariff be the better move?
Keeping the tariff may remain attractive when:
- Your existing system exports a large amount of energy
- Your annual 44c credits remain substantial
- Your night-time electricity use is low
- The system is still performing reliably
- You do not need backup power
- You expect to sell or move soon
- The remaining tariff income exceeds the likely benefit of upgrading
A good assessment should be willing to tell you when waiting makes sense. The purpose of a consultation is not to force an upgrade. It is to prevent an expensive assumption.
The hidden risk of leaving the decision until 2028
There is a difference between choosing to wait and failing to prepare.
Choosing to wait means you have compared the options, understand the trade-offs and know when you intend to act.
Failing to prepare means arriving in 2028 with an ageing system, no battery plan and thousands of other Queensland households asking installers the same question.
That could create pressure around:
- Installation availability
- Network applications
- Equipment supply
- Site inspections
- System design
- Finance approvals
- Battery commissioning
The final months of a scheme are rarely the calmest time to make a major household investment. The safest time to understand your options is before the deadline becomes urgent.
A better way to make the decision
Do not ask a salesperson whether batteries are good or if now is the time to make the upgrade. Ask them to compare two complete scenarios.
Scenario one: keep the 44c tariff
The assessment should calculate:
- Your expected remaining tariff income
- Your current grid electricity costs
- The likely performance of the existing system
- Any maintenance or inverter replacement risk
- Your estimated position when the scheme ends
Scenario two: upgrade earlier
The assessment should calculate:
- The solar and battery capacity required
- The estimated government-rebate discounts
- The value of the discount that may be lost by waiting
- Expected reductions in FIT
- Expected annual savings
- Backup capability
- Total installed cost
- Estimated payback period
Only then can the two paths be compared honestly.
What happens if your old inverter fails before 2028?
The scheme rules generally allow an eligible inverter to be replaced with one of the same or smaller capacity. Replacing it with a larger inverter can cause eligibility to be lost.
Do not wait for a failure before learning which replacement options are compatible with your existing approval. An emergency replacement gives you less time to compare equipment, designs and long-term options.
This is particularly relevant for systems approaching or already beyond their original inverter warranty period.
Why this matters in North Queensland
Homes in Townsville, Mackay and the Whitsundays often have a very different energy profile from homes in cooler parts of Australia.
Air conditioning can run well after solar production falls. Pools and pumps add substantial loads. Storms and network outages make backup capability more valuable.
High solar exposure creates excellent generation potential, but only when the system is designed around the household’s real usage.
An old 3kW or 5kW solar system may have been appropriate when it was installed. It may not match the same home’s electricity needs today.
That is why a North Queensland solar + battery assessment should consider more than annual bill savings.
It should also consider summer loads, backup power, system output, roof layout and equipment performance in local conditions.
Should you leave the 44c feed-in tariff now?
Not without doing the comparison first.
Some households will be financially better off keeping the tariff longer. Others may gain more from upgrading while stronger battery support is still available.
The dangerous choice is assuming that the answer will be obvious in 2028. By then:
- The 44c tariff will be ending
- The solar rebate factor will be lower
- The battery rebate factor will be lower
- Your existing equipment will be older
- Installation demand may be higher
- You will have less time to make a considered decision
Booking in a FREE consultation now does not commit you to abandoning the tariff. It gives you a plan.
Book a free 44c tariff review
If you are still receiving the Queensland 44c feed-in tariff, GET can compare the value of keeping it against the potential value of upgrading earlier.
Your consultation can include:
- A review of your current electricity bills
- An estimate of your remaining 44c tariff value
- Analysis of solar exports and household usage
- A check of your existing panels and inverter
- An estimate of current battery support
- The estimated cost of waiting
- Solar and battery sizing
- Blackout-protection options
- A clear keep-versus-upgrade comparison
You will know what each option could mean before changing anything.
Do not surrender a valuable tariff based on guesswork. But do not wait until 2028 to discover that the strongest rebate window has already passed.
Book your free solar and battery consultation
Serving homeowners across Townsville, Mackay and the Whitsundays.
Frequently asked questions
When does the 44c feed-in tariff end in Queensland?
Queensland’s 44c Solar Bonus Scheme feed-in tariff expires on 1 July 2028. Eligible customers can continue receiving the rate until then if they maintain the scheme’s eligibility requirements.
What happens after the 44c feed-in tariff ends?
Customers will no longer receive the legislated 44c Solar Bonus Scheme payment. They will need to use whatever retailer or regional feed-in tariff is available at that time. The exact 2028 rate is not yet known.
Should I give up the 44c tariff before 2028?
Not automatically. The decision depends on your solar exports, electricity use, current system, available battery support and the value of upgrading. A personalised comparison should be completed before changing the system or tariff.
Can I install a battery and keep the 44c tariff?
It may be possible under specific configurations and with distributor approval. However, you effectively will lose the benefit of the 44c tariff due to power you would have exported, now filling your battery. Get the proposed design checked before installation.
Can I add more panels without losing the 44c tariff?
You may be able to add panels up to the rated capacity of your existing approved inverter. Increasing inverter capacity or exceeding the inverter’s rated panel capacity can affect eligibility. Confirm the change with your distributor before proceeding.
How much battery rebate could I lose by waiting until 2028?
It depends on the battery’s usable capacity, installation date and STC price. Based on published factors and a $40 certificate value, the indicative reduction could range from around $1,080 for a 10kWh battery to approximately $2,760 for 50kWh of usable capacity when comparing late 2026 with the second half of 2028. Actual invoice discounts vary.
Is the federal battery rebate guaranteed until 2030?
The Cheaper Home Batteries Program currently operates through the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme until 2030. The discount is designed to reduce over time and is subject to eligibility requirements and government review.
Do I need to apply for the battery discount myself?
Usually not. Most eligible customers receive it as an upfront reduction through an accredited installer or retailer in exchange for assigning the right to create the battery STCs. Customers can choose to retain and trade the certificates themselves, but this requires using the REC Registry.
What size battery do I need?
Battery size should be based on your electricity usage, solar production, inverter capacity, backup requirements and future plans. A larger battery is not automatically a better financial choice.
Can a battery power my whole home during an outage?
Some systems can provide full-home backup, while others only support selected essential circuits. The result depends on the inverter, battery output, switchboard design, phase configuration and household loads. Blackout protection must be designed into the system rather than assumed.
About the author
Written by the Green Energy Technologies team. Green Energy Technologies is North Queenslands #1 solar and battery installer serving Townsville, Mackay and the Whitsundays.
Sources
- Queensland Government: Solar Bonus Scheme (44c feed-in tariff)
- Ergon Energy: Solar feed-in tariff
- Ergon Energy: Solar feed-in tariff changes
- Australian Government (DCCEEW): Cheaper Home Batteries Program
- Australian Government (DCCEEW): Battery eligibility information
- Clean Energy Regulator: Small-scale technology certificates (STCs)
Disclaimer
Information current as at 23 July 2026. Government programs, STC factors, feed-in tariffs and eligibility rules can change.
This page provides general information and is not personal financial advice. Confirm current program eligibility, network requirements and system compatibility before making changes to a Solar Bonus Scheme installation.
