From 1 October, the expanded SRES extended to eligible mid-scale solar above 100 kW and up to 1 MW. In NSW, the new PDRS battery incentives are strengthening the business case for commercial storage. Equipment pricing has improved, and the growing role of batteries and energy optimisation is opening up new possibilities. 

It’s creating a significant opportunity for C&I, but also changing what it takes to put together a great project. 

There’s more to consider across engineering, grid approval, incentives, modelling, optimisation and finance. Particularly in NSW, the industry is still working through some of the practical requirements around PDRS including planning approvals such as CDCs or DAs. 

For installers who understand how to navigate these moving pieces and know when to bring the right specialists into the conversation, getting it right can become a competitive advantage.

More opportunity. More to consider. 

Commercial solar is relatively well understood. Generation can be modelled using years of weather data and the process from design through to installation is familiar. 

Storage opens up a broader value stack. A battery can potentially create value through peak-demand reduction, greater solar self-consumption, energy arbitrage, wholesale market participation and optimisation. How it’s designed, controlled and maintained can all affect the outcome. 

So the conversation is no longer simply: How big should the system be and how much energy will it generate? 

It’s also: How can we get the most value from the energy this business generates, stores and uses? 

In NSW, installers are also working through the practical requirements of PDRS. Depending on the project, that can mean planning approvals such as CDC or DA engineering, grid approval and certification alongside the scheme’s own compliance requirements. 

The incentive may improve the business case, but understanding the whole project is essential to knowing what really stacks up.

Getting it right can be a competitive advantage 

The answer isn’t for every installer to become an expert in everything. 

Today’s C&I opportunity can bring together: Engineering + grid + incentives + modelling + optimisation + O&M + finance. 

Knowing which expertise is needed and bringing those people into the project at the right time can help build a more robust business case and give the customer greater confidence in their investment. 

Instead of trying to remove every layer of complexity, the opportunity is to manage it well and make the experience simpler for the customer. That’s where differentiation can happen. 

A battery is a product wrapped in a service 

There’s another important shift happening with storage. 

Unlike a solar system, the customer relationship doesn’t necessarily end when the installation is complete. 

How a battery is controlled and optimised affects the value it delivers. Equipment may require ongoing servicing to maintain warranties and performance. Energy markets change. Customer loads change. 

In that sense, a battery is a product wrapped in a service. 

For installers, that creates opportunities for moving the relationship beyond a single transaction

SRES + PDRS create a reason to revisit the pipeline 

With SRES and PDRS underway, now is a particularly good time to revisit existing opportunities. A previous solar proposal might now warrant a broader solar + storage conversation. With incentives, a project that didn’t meet the customer’s required payback may look different today. An existing solar customer may have an opportunity to add storage. 

The important thing is to look at the whole business case, not just the incentive. 

Finance is part of the picture 

Funding is another piece that is best considered early. 

We’ve all seen proposals with what appears to an amazing business case, but time after time, customers are delaying saying “yes”. 

In truth, energy management is not core for most organisations (they tend to focus their efforts on sales, marketing and HR management). Larger projects can also create working-capital challenges for installers through equipment deposits, progress payments and project timelines. 

That’s where Smart Ease fits. We’re the funding specialists working alongside the technical, energy and incentive experts. 

Bringing funding into the conversation early means it can be structured around the project, expected savings and the customer’s cash flow. Options such as split and progress payments can also help installers manage their own cash flow through delivery. 

Now is the time to revisit your C&I pipeline 

With PDRS underway and expanded SRES now here, take another look at the opportunities already sitting in your pipeline. 

Which solar projects could now stack up differently? Which customers could benefit from adding storage? Where could incentives, optimisation or a different funding structure turn an old proposal into a new conversation? 

You don’t need to work through every piece alone. 

Bring Smart Ease into the conversation early. We can work alongside you and your other project partners to help structure funding around the project and the customer’s cash flow, and help you move more C&I opportunities from proposal to signed project. 

The post A new era for C&I solar and battery storage. How do you make the most of it? appeared first on Smart Ease.

The Federal Government has announced plans to expand the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES), increasing the maximum system size eligible for Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs) from 100kW to 1MW. 

If the changes go ahead as announced, many commercial solar projects could become eligible for incentives that reduce the overall project cost by around 20%. 

That’s one of the biggest policy announcements for commercial rooftop solar we’ve seen in years. While there are still plenty of details to come, here’s what we know so far. 

What’s changing? 

Currently, solar systems up to 100kW are eligible for Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs), which provide an upfront financial incentive and help reduce the cost of installation.

Larger systems above 100kW are currently supported through the Large-scale Renewable Energy Target (LRET) via Large-scale Generation Certificates (LGCs). Under this model, the financial benefit is generated over time rather than reducing the upfront cost of the project.

Under the proposed changes, the Government plans to expand the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) to include mid-scale solar PV systems.

This means:

• The current STC eligibility threshold will increase from 100kW to 1MW (1,000kW).

• New solar installations between 100kW and 1MW will move from the LRET scheme into the SRES, making them eligible for Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs).

• STCs for these mid-scale systems will be calculated using the current five-year deeming period, which will continue each year until the SRES ends in 2030, rather than reducing annually.

The expanded scheme is expected to commence from 1 October 2026 and will open up access to STC incentives for a much broader range of commercial, industrial, agricultural and community projects.

Why is this such a big deal? 

According to the Government, eligible businesses could reduce the overall cost of their commercial solar project by around 20%. 

Examples released with today’s announcement include: 

• 250kW system: around $68,000 in STC incentives. 

• 500kW system: around $136,000 in STC incentives. 

• 850kW system: close to $200,000 in STC incentives. 

For many businesses, that’s the difference between a project that gets pushed back and one that gets approved. Better project economics make it easier for customers to see the value in investing now rather than later. 

Who could benefit? 

The reforms target what Energy Minister Chris Bowen has described as Australia’s “missing middle”: businesses with large rooftops ripe for solar generation that haven’t previously benefited from the simpler STC scheme. 

That includes businesses and organisations such as manufacturing facilities, distribution centres, farms, schools, hospitals, shopping centres and community organisations. 

If your customers are considering projects between 100kW and 1MW, this announcement could be highly relevant. 

Why is the Government doing this? 

Australia has been incredibly successful at rolling out rooftop solar on homes, but commercial uptake has lagged behind. Government figures show businesses have installed around 5.6GW of rooftop solar, compared with more than 22GW on Australian homes. 

Yet commercial buildings represent one of Australia’s biggest untapped opportunities for rooftop solar. The aim is simple, help more businesses invest in clean energy and make better use of the roof space they already have. 

It’s not just about incentives.

The Government also announced plans to improve the process of connecting medium-scale rooftop solar systems to the grid.

For many installers, delays in obtaining network approvals have become almost as frustrating as the project economics themselves.

Reducing those delays could make it quicker and easier for more commercial projects to proceed.

Better project economics. Fewer barriers. 

Reducing the overall cost of a project is a big step forward, but it’s only one piece of the puzzle. Many businesses still need to preserve cash flow, protect working capital and manage competing investment priorities. 

That’s why we think this announcement makes funding even more valuable. Lower project costs improve the business case. 

Smart Ease’s $0 upfront Payment Plans remove the need for customers to fund the remaining investment upfront. Together, they can make commercial solar more accessible than ever. 

For installers working in the commercial sector, that means more opportunities to help customers move from “We’d like to” to “Let’s get started.” 

Even more good news for NSW businesses. 

The Federal announcement isn’t the only positive change on the horizon. The NSW Government is also introducing changes to the Peak Demand Reduction Scheme (PDRS) that are expected to increase incentives for commercial battery projects. 

For businesses investing in solar and battery storage, the combination of expanded STCs and new PDRS incentives could significantly improve project economics. 

We’ll be taking a closer look at the PDRS changes in an upcoming article, including how they may work alongside the expanded STC scheme and Smart Ease funding. 

What’s next? 

Today’s announcement is just that, an announcement. The legislation and detailed scheme rules still need to be finalised, and we’ll be watching closely as more information becomes available. 

Over the coming weeks we’ll continue to break it all down, including: 

• What the changes mean for installers working in the commercial sector. 

• How the expanded STC scheme and NSW PDRS incentives could work together. 

• How Smart Ease funding can help customers take advantage of these opportunities.  

Sources: Putting more roofs to work;  Renew Economy; and  Clean Energy Council Fact Sheet

At Smart Ease, we’re here to help you make sense of the changes, strengthen your proposals and get more commercial projects moving. 

If you’d like to discuss how this announcement could impact your commercial pipeline, get in touch with the team. We’d love to help. 

Let’s talk

The post One of the biggest announcements for commercial rooftop solar in years appeared first on Smart Ease.

The post Renting your premises? Solar could still be an option appeared first on Smart Ease.

For most businesses, a power outage is an inconvenience. For a winery, it can compromise an entire vintage. 

When refrigeration, temperature control  and production equipment stop unexpectedly, product quality is immediately at risk. That’s why Lowe Family Wine Co in Mudgee set out to achieve something bigger than lower electricity bills. They wanted certainty. 

Working with Greentech and installer SPS Solar + Water, Lowe Family Wine Co expanded its solar generation, added battery storage and integrated backup generation to create a complete energy system designed to keep the business operating when it matters most. 

The result has enabled the Mudgee winery to become the largest of its kind in Australia to go completely off the electricity grid. Lowe has achieved its long-term goal of energy independence while giving the business greater control over its operations and energy costs.

Project snapshot

Channel Partner: Greentech 
SPS Solar + Water

Industry: Agriculture & Hospitality

Solar: 238.1kW
Battery storage: 1,230kWh

Equipment:

1414 Trina Solar Panels
5 Deye 50kW Hybrid Inverters
240 Deye 5.12kWh Battery Modules
1 x 200kVA CAT Diesel Generator

Payment Plan Term: 7 years

The post Lowe Wines: energy independence that protects every vintage appeared first on Smart Ease.

The post 5 EOFY Questions Every Installer Should Ask appeared first on Smart Ease.

The post Australian Government’s Community Sporting Club Energy Grants appeared first on Smart Ease.

The post From Process Improvement to MJ Playlists: Meet Renato appeared first on Smart Ease.

The post Federal Budget 2026: What it means for solar, energy efficiency and EV adoption appeared first on Smart Ease.

The post Smart Ease now funding EVs appeared first on Smart Ease.

When Minaret College first opened its doors in 1992, there were just 22 students enrolled. Since then, it has grown to become the largest co-educational Islamic school in Melbourne’s southeast, with 2,500 students across three campuses.

However, that growth has not come without cost. Over the years, Minaret College has experienced a steep and sometimes unpredictable rise in energy expenditure. As a not-for-profit, these increasing operational costs have placed additional strain on the school.

This prompted Minaret College’s Executive Principal, Mohammad Taksim, to explore switching to solar power last year.

Taksim reached out to commercial solar experts Smart Solar Solutions to visit the Springvale and Officer campuses in mid-2025 to assess their suitability for solar and the feasibility of the project.

Project snapshot

Channel Partner: Smart Solar Solutions
Industry: NFP School
Equipment:
Site 1 (Springvale Campus) – 360x Jinko solar panels & 3x Sungrow inverters
Site 2 (Officer Campus) – 270x Jinko solar panels & 2x Sungrow inverters
Term: 60 months

The post Minaret College leads by example with major solar investment appeared first on Smart Ease.