The Australian Government has announced regulatory amendments on 8th December 2010 to the Solar Rebates scheme. In one of those changes.

The Solar Credits multiplier is reduced from 5 to 4 from 1 July 2011.

Under the new Solar Power Credit arrangements, a reduced multiplier of four will apply to systems installed from 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2012. The multiplier will then phase down by one each year as per the original intention of the mechanism, as the cost of installing solar systems is expected to decline further over time.

Changes to the multiplier number will not affect any other aspect of Solar Credits.

• The level of support a system receives under Solar Credits is determined by the date the system is installed.
• Current installations and systems installed before 1 July 2011 will not be impacted by the changes, allowing industry and households time to adjust. This means small generation units (SGUs), which include eligible solar PV systems, and small wind and hydro power generators installed up until this time will continue to receive Solar Credits support with using a multiplier of five.