Solar and batteries for strata and apartment buildings

Strata buildings run a surprising amount of equipment that never stops: lifts, corridor and car park lighting, water pumps, ventilation, and sometimes a shared hot water system. That is a steady daytime and night-time load on the owners corporation’s bill, and it is the kind of load solar and a battery can offset. The harder part is not the technology. It is getting the decision through the committee and the building.

This guide explains what is available in NSW and Victoria, the main ways solar can work in an apartment building, and what to ask before the committee votes. Commercial-style projects at this scale follow the same logic as other commercial solar buildings, so that page is a useful companion.

What can solar do for a strata building?

Common property solar feeds the building’s shared meter, so the savings go to the owners corporation and show up as lower levies over time. It does not automatically cut the power bill inside each apartment. That depends on how the building is wired and metered, which is why the model matters.

What does NSW offer for apartment batteries?

The NSW Government’s apartment battery incentive applies to buildings with at least four units. It states there is no upper limit on how many units can be in the building. The shared battery must be at least 20 kWh with usable capacity no larger than 200 kWh, so the total for the building has to sit between 20 and 200 kWh. It is available from 1 September 2026 with no current closing date.

The state’s announcement of the business battery discounts describes owners corporations using it for shared spaces. The general business battery page explains how the discount works: it is usually an upfront reduction on the installer’s quote, and for batteries between 20 kWh and 200 kWh the buyer makes a minimum payment (the amount is not stated on the page). The NSW batteries-for-businesses page also says the battery must be on the Clean Energy Council’s approved list, installed by a Solar Accreditation Australia accredited installer, and planning approval obtained where required. A nomination form is signed before installation begins, and work done before it is not reimbursed.

Our full guide to the NSW business battery discount covers amounts, stacking and the paperwork in more detail.

What does Victoria offer for apartments?

Solar Victoria says it offers rebates of up to $2,800 per household for eligible apartments, units and townhouses, with funding going to eligible owners corporations on behalf of residents for eligible buildings. The page does not state application dates or unit-count limits, so check it for whether the program is open and whether your building qualifies.

Victoria also has a Victorian Energy Upgrades activity for commercial solar between 30 kW and 200 kW, but the Essential Services Commission’s guidance says it is not available at a Class 2 building, meaning multi-unit residential such as an apartment building. Do not assume a business program covers your building.

How does an owners corporation decide?

Solar Victoria says that in most cases you must get approval from your owners corporation to install solar for your apartment, and that the owners corporation must pass a special resolution if it plans to receive funding through the Solar for Apartments Program. That is the Victorian position. In NSW, the details of what a strata scheme must vote on depend on the strata laws, and we have not verified them here. The NSW Government’s community living page is the starting point, and your strata manager or a strata lawyer can tell you which resolution applies.

Whatever the state, a proposal usually goes more smoothly when it arrives with:

• a clear plan showing where panels or a battery would go, and who owns and maintains them
• at least three comparable quotes, written to the same brief
• a one-page summary of the expected effect on levies, with assumptions stated
• an explanation of the roof, fire and electrical safety considerations
• a plan for insurance, warranty and what happens when the building is sold

Writing the brief once and sending it to every installer is covered in our guide to choosing a commercial installer and comparing quotes.

Questions to ask the committee and installers

If the proposed system is above 100 kW, the Clean Energy Regulator’s mid-scale guidance says a single NMI does not by itself decide whether multiple installations are treated as one system, and that embedded networks and sub-meters are assessed on physical and electrical boundaries. Read our mid-scale solar guide for the rules on certificates, and the rebates guide for what else is on offer.

What should you sort out first?

Check the roof and the building’s common load before you chase a rebate. A building with low daytime common-area use, an old roof, or a short remaining lease on the roof space may do better with efficiency upgrades first, such as LED lighting and more efficient pumps. A rebate lowers the price, but it does not change whether the project suits the building.

When you are ready, you can request business quotes or look at the strata and apartment page for typical system sizes.

This guide is general information, not financial or legal advice. Rules, rebates and prices change, so check the linked sources before you decide. Facts checked 31 October 2026.