Solar and batteries for your strata community

For anything about your application, the conditional approval form, or the 0% interest loan, contact Brighte at  customersupport@brighte.com.au, or Contact us.

For questions about program eligibility or guidelines, contact the Department for Energy and Mining at info@stratacharge.sa.gov.au.

Brighte is the Government of South Australia’s finance partner for StrataCharge. Brighte help manage StrataCharge applications, administer the grant and loan support, and manage Approved Vendors that can deliver quotes and installations for StrataCharge applicants.

To apply for conditional approval: your registered strata or community plan.

At final approval: evidence your corporation passed the required special resolution (for example, signed meeting minutes), evidence the applicant is authorised to apply on behalf of the corporation — an office bearer, an authorised body corporate manager, or a nominated resident authorised to apply — and evidence of current, relevant building insurance.

For the loan (optional): information Brighte needs to assess the corporation’s ability to repay — for example, its administrative and/or sinking fund position.

It’s the official plan showing how your building is divided into lots and common property — sometimes called a strata plan, community plan or plan of community division, with a number like “Strata Plan 12345.”

Your strata or body corporate manager usually has a copy, or it may be in your corporation’s records; if not, reach out to the StrataCharge team for assistance. We use it to confirm your corporation’s name and type and the number of residential lots.

Eligible Strata Communities can receive a grant for up to 50% of the cost of their shared solar and battery system, up to a maximum grant of $47,500. They can also choose to take up an optional zero-interest loan for the remaining 50% of system costs, up to a maximum loan of $47,500.

You can still proceed. The grant and loan are each capped at $47,500, so the scheme contributes up to $95,000 and your corporation covers any balance from its own funds. The $95,000 is a cap on scheme support, not on how much your project can cost.

Example 1 — a $60,000 project:

• Government grant: $30,000
• 0% loan: $30,000

Example 2 — a $120,000 project:

• Government grant: $47,500
• 0% loan: $47,500
• Your corporation covers the balance: $25,000 (from your own funds)

Keep in mind that for automatic approval there is a maximum solar and battery size that is set by the number of residential lots in your building. Check “Is there a limit on how big our system can be?” for more details.

The grant and loan funds are paid directly to the vendor after installation has been completed and all required evidence has been provided.

Yes. The loan is optional.

Yes. Your grant and loan are worked out on the eligible system cost after any STCs and other government rebates are applied. The rebate comes off first, then the grant and loan apply to what’s left. Your vendor’s quote will usually already include this.

Your Approved Vendor will submit a payment claim to Brighte after the installation has been completed for the value of the conditionally approved grant. We will then review the claim, pay the Vendor, and your strata community will pay any outstanding balance to your vendor using the method you have chosen (for example, via self-funding or through a loan).

If you have chosen to take out the zero-interest loan, your loan will commence with Brighte at this time.

The eligibility requirements for StrataCharge are designed to fast-track strata communities that face the biggest barriers to installing solar and battery systems, such as cost, installation complexity, or available roof space, and situations where the occupants may not be better off with individual solar and battery systems.

However, we know that every strata is different, and they will all have their own complexities. Because of this, we still welcome and encourage applications from strata communities that do not meet all of the eligibility criteria, so they can be assessed on their own merit. These sorts of applications will also help the StrataCharge team understand where there may be merit in reconsidering eligibility requirements in the future.

Make sure you review the StrataCharge eligibility requirements before you apply. Applications that meet all of the eligibility requirements will, in most cases, be automatically approved for grant funding. Applications that don’t meet all of the eligibility requirements can still be submitted and will be assessed by the StrataCharge team on a merit basis.

You can still submit an application. Applications that don’t meet all the eligibility requirements will be assessed by the StrataCharge team on a merit basis.

An application must be submitted by a nominated person authorised to act on behalf of the strata or community corporation. This may include a member of the strata or community corporation committee, a strata/community manager, or another authorised representative.

If your building is single storey or not a Class 2 building, you can still submit an application for StrataCharge and it will be assessed by the StrataCharge team on a merit basis. This will be a slightly different process compared to applications for buildings that are Class 2, which will in most cases be automatically approved for grant funding as long as they meet all other eligibility requirements.

If your building already has a solar system or a battery, you can still submit an application for StrataCharge and it will be assessed by the StrataCharge team on a merit basis. This will be a slightly different process compared to applications for buildings that do not have existing solar or a battery, which will in most cases be automatically approved for grant funding as long as they meet all other eligibility requirements.

Do however be aware that StrataCharge is aimed at supporting South Australians that don’t already have access to solar and battery systems, so applications from properties with existing systems will need to demonstrate a particularly strong case in order to be approved.

One of the Eligibility Requirements is that the building has a lot median capital value that does not exceed $700,000. Applications that meet all of the Eligibility Requirements will, in most cases, be automatically approved for grant funding. If your building has a lot median capital value above $700,000, you can still submit an application for StrataCharge and it will be assessed by the StrataCharge team on a merit basis.

You usually won’t need to — most eligible buildings are already on the program’s list of addresses, and the application for conditional approval confirms this for you. If your building isn’t on the list, you can still apply.

One of the Eligibility Requirements is that the building is not under construction or renovation, in a state of disrepair, or have any other works required or underway that would prevent the system being installed at the time of application. If your building is under construction or renovation, you can still submit an application for StrataCharge and it will be assessed by the StrataCharge team on a merit basis.

Do however be aware that StrataCharge is aimed at supporting strata communities and projects that are ready to proceed, so applications from properties that are under construction or renovation will need to demonstrate a particularly strong case in order to be approved.

Yes. A requirement of StrataCharge is that systems include a battery. This ensures that more of the solar energy your system produces can be used by your strata, instead of being sent to the grid, to maximise your savings.

The way this technology works depends on the provider. In most cases it shares energy and potential to save equally among all lots and the common area in the strata by:

• monitoring the energy from the rooftop solar system it is connected to
• using smart algorithms to decide when and where to distribute the energy; and
• ensuring that over a set period (often a month) each household’s share of the energy is equal, to ensure everyone gets the same opportunity to save.

For automatic approval the maximum solar and battery size is set by the number of residential lots in your building.

• Maximum solar (kW) = 4 × (number of lots + 1)
• Maximum battery (kWh) = 8 × (number of lots + 1)

Example — a 6-lot building: up to 28 kW of solar and 56 kWh of battery.

Benefits must be shared equitably across all lots. Common property cannot receive a larger allocation than individual lots.

Your system can be installed by any approved Vendor in the StrataCharge Marketplace. Vendors not listed in the Marketplace cannot be used for a StrataCharge installation.

If you are a solar and battery installer interested in becoming an approved Vendor,apply for Brighte accreditation here.

No. Funding covers approved solar, battery and energy-sharing systems and enabling works only.

Yes. A requirement of StrataCharge is that the system equitably shares the cost and benefits with all lots within the strata. To achieve this, you will need to have everyone in your strata participating.

Yes. The system must share costs and benefits fairly across all lots, including rented lots.

The greatest benefit from the shared solar and battery system will be to those that live in the strata community. However, if the landlord pays for common area costs, they will also benefit through lower costs, because systems can provide energy to common areas as well as individual lots. Like any property improvement, the system may also improve the value of a landlord’s property and make it easier to attract and retain tenants by delivering savings to their electricity bills.

If landlords seek to recover any costs for the system, they must ensure that the costs are reasonable. Tenants in South Australia are protected by the Residential Tenancies Act (1995), and tenants are encouraged to seek advice from Consumer and Business Services if they have concerns about any changes to their rental agreement/s.

Yes, as long as the electricity shared to the common areas is no more than the electricity shared to any lot in the strata.

No. Residents will be able to keep their current electricity retailer and billing arrangements.