Labor’s ‘Solar for Apartments’ Scheme to Cost $25 Million

The Coalition however, is concerned Labor’s renewables only policy is driving up the cost of living.

U. J. Alexander/Shutterstock

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will provide $25 million (US$15.5 million) in taxpayer dollars for a new solar scheme for apartments in New South Wales (NSW).

Together with the Labor Minns government, the “Solar for Apartment Residents” incentive will allocate funding to owner corporations and strata managers.

These owners apply for the government grant to install these shared solar systems on apartment buildings. The government covers 50 percent of the costs, up to $150,000 total per project.

Albanese said the program was good for families and the environment and would help apartment residents save $600 on power bills.

“My government is Building Australia’s future. We want to makes sure all Australians have the services and the infrastructure they need now and into the future,” he said.

“That’s why we are working with the Minns Government to encourage the use of solar panels and help slash the cost of people’s power bills.”

Albanese announced the initiative in the suburb of Ashfield within his electorate of Grayndler.

The funding is available until Dec. 1, 2025, or when all the funding has been exhausted.

Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said the government wants to make it cheaper and easier for every Australian to install rooftop solar.

“Because whether a home is a house or apartment, everyone should be able to take advantage of cleaner, cheaper solar to bust bills for good,” he said.

“In the past, it’s been difficult for apartment residents to reap the benefits of cleaner, cheaper solar—but Labor is helping households overcome those barriers and powering more Australian homes with renewables.”

The Albanese Labor government’s Solar Banks scheme is fully funding the project, but it will be administered by the NSW government.

NSW Climate Change and Energy Minister Penny Sharpe said solar should be available to everyone.

“This program removes the barriers to renewable energy for units and apartments, making it easier and more affordable to adopt solar,” Sharpe said.

“We’re excited to launch this initiative here in NSW, making solar power more accessible and affordable for the many people who live in apartments.”

Coalition Aim at Labor’s Renewables Only Strategy

Meanwhile, the Coalition, who support adding nuclear energy to the energy mix, have recently criticised Labor on cost of living and linked it to their renewable energy.

Senator Matt Canavan recently said Australia has the “craziest energy policy in the world” and noted the country buys solar panels from China.

“Like other misguided nations we shut down our reliable power—like coal, gas, and nuclear. But we go one step further and still sell coal, gas and uranium to other countries (like China),” he said on X. 

“We then buy the things that China makes with our coal (like solar panels), just to further entrench our energy poverty and dependence. It does not have to be this way. If we build coal fired power stations we can bring our power prices down again.”

On Feb. 26, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton also said Australians are paying more for gas and electricity due to Labor’s renewable energy policies.

Dutton toured a local business in Sydney’s west owned by Joe, who is struggling with electricity prices.

“Obviously, when you speak to Joe, paying an extra $40,000 a month here in electricity at this business, is the story of many supermarkets, many IGAs, many local businesses that people go into where there’s cold storage, where there’s heavy energy use; and this is why Australians are paying more for their electricity,” he said. 

“It’s why they’re paying more for their gas because of the government’s reckless renewables only energy policy. It’s why Australian families are really, really struggling." 

Shadow Climate Change Minister Ted O'Brien accused Bowen of “refusing to show up” in regional communities to debate competing policies for Australia’s energy future on Feb. 28.

“It’s been 90 days since I challenged Chris Bowen to a series of debates about Australia’s energy future,” he said. 

O'Brien also recently urged Labor to stop pushing it’s renewables only energy policy.

“Imagine learning your energy bill will increase by around $350,000 per year. This happened to Moco Foods in Brisbane—a food distributor on the East Coast of Australia. The result? Higher grocery and food prices for Australians,” he said.

“When government gets energy policy wrong it ultimately flows through and is paid for by customers like you and I. Labor must stop doubling down on its all-eggs-in-one-basket ‘renewables-only’ energy policy and instead adopt a balanced energy mix—as the Coalition has done.”