In recent years, the rapid adoption of solar panels across Victoria has led to significant changes in policies and market conditions. According to a recent proposal by the Essential Services Commission (ESC), the minimum feed-in tariff (FIT) for solar exports is expected to decrease from 3.3 c/kWh to just 0.04 c/kWh starting in July 2025—a nearly negligible rate.
This shift means that relying solely on standard FITs for returns will become increasingly challenging, and solar owners are commonly exploring alternative strategies to maximize their energy value.
🔍 Why Is Solar FIT Declining?
According to ESC’s analysis, the sharp drop is primarily due to the imbalance of solar supply and demand during the day:
- Oversupply at noon: The rapid growth of rooftop solar has led to an oversupply of solar energy in the grid during the daytime, particularly around midday, driving wholesale electricity prices to negative levels.
- Undersupply during evening: Electricity demand is still strong in the evening when the sun is setting and solar energy is fading, making the value of energy higher.
In other words, the value of energy when its sunny is decreasing rapidly, and the future of solar energy will depend more on self-consumption and energy storage.
The Future Trend: The Growing Importance of Energy Storage
In response to this shift, installing batteries has become the key trend. Batteries enable households to:
- Store Excess Solar: Use stored solar energy during peak demand times, reducing reliance on the grid.
- Optimize Energy Use: Run energy-intensive appliances during the day (like air conditioning or water heaters) to increase solar utilization efficiency.
Although battery installation costs were previously high, advancements in technology and increasing market competition has certainly driven costs down. For households with solar systems, investing in batteries can be a smart way to maximize energy value.
📌 How Can Solar Owners Respond?
1. Time Of Use Solar Feed-in Tariffs (TOU FIT): Earn Higher Returns During Peak Times
The ESC also highlights the option of TOU FIT, which offers flexible, time-based feed-in tariffs. For example, during the 4pm-9pm peak period, TOU FIT rates can reach up to 6.57 c/kWh.
This is significantly higher than the standard FIT of 0.04 c/kWh.
Let’s calculate the annual benefit:
- TOU FIT: Exporting 1 kWh of solar energy daily on average during the 4pm-9pm peak period yields:
1kWh x 6.57c x 365 days = $23.98
- Standard FIT: The same export under the 0.04 c/kWh rate would only return:
1kWh x 0.04c x 365 days = $0.146
The value difference means that the TOU FIT provides a much greater return. GloBird Energy is one of the pioneers of the TOU FIT concept in Victoria and remains one of the few energy providers offering TOU FIT plans. For Victorian solar customers, especially in the era of near-zero flat FIT rates, TOU FIT is often the optimal choice.
2. Invest in Batteries
With battery prices steadily declining, installing a battery is becoming a more attractive investment. Batteries not only store excess solar energy for use during peak times but also allow households to benefit from energy plans specifically designed to benefit battery users.
GloBird Energy has developed the ZEROHERO plan to maximize the value of solar energy and batteries by catering to customer needs while balancing grid supply and demand:
- 3 Hours of Free Grid Power Daily: Charge your battery for free during 3-hour
off-peak times. - $1 ZEROHERO Daily Reward: Earn $1 daily by using only battery power during a
2-hour peak ZEROERO window. - Additional Solar Export Incentives: Exported solar energy can earn up to 15 c/kWh during 2-hour peak ZEROERO window.
Real-World Example
One of our ZEROHERO customer with a 13.5 kWh battery achieved the following energy bill covering 28 days. They did so by using their own solar and selling their excess in the evening when its value is higher:
(Actual results vary based on system size, household energy usage, and export patterns.)
🚀 Get Ready for the Future of Solar
As the solar energy market evolves, relying solely on exporting solar energy to the grid is no longer sustainable. Self-consumption and energy storage are becoming the keys to unlocking the full value of your solar system.
💡With GloBird’s TOU FIT and ZEROHERO, you can navigate the shifting energy landscape, optimize your solar investments, and ensure long-term savings and sustainability.
🔗Learn more and get started today by visiting GloBird Energy.