Appendix F. Changes in audit rating categories
FIGURE F1: Safety audit program's changes in audit categories
Appendix E. Program requirements
Solar Vic specifies mandatory and recommended requirements for retailers and installers participating in the program. These are outlined in the program's Notice to Market and the approved products lists.
Notice to Market
The Notice to Market provides the solar energy industry with a clear overview of the rules and expectations for participation in the program.
Appendix D. Program products and eligibility criteria
The program comprises six separate initiatives. These initiatives, and their eligibility criteria are outlined below.
FIGURE D1: Program initiatives and eligibility criteria
| Initiative | Eligibility criteria |
|---|---|
|
Solar PV panels |
Appendix C. Scope of this audit
| Who we audited | What we assessed | What the audit cost |
|---|---|---|
|
DELWP |
We assessed whether the Solar Homes Program is enabling Victorian households to control their power bills and reduce carbon emissions: |
Appendix B. Acronyms and abbreviations
| Acronyms | |
|---|---|
| CAV | Consumer Affairs Victoria |
| CEC | Clean Energy Council |
| CES | certificate of electrical safety |
| CRM | customer relationship management |
| DELWP | Department of Environment, Land, Water a |
Appendix A. Submissions and comments
We have consulted with Solar Vic (DELWP), SusVic and DPC, and we considered their views when reaching our audit conclusions. As required by the Audit Act 1994, we gave a draft copy of this report, or relevant extracts, to those agencies and asked for their submissions and comments.
Responsibility for the accuracy, fairness and balance of those comments rests solely with the agency head.
4. Evaluation and reporting
Conclusion
Solar Vic is not yet able to report to what extent it has reduced consumers' power bills and carbon emissions through this $1.3 billion investment.
This is because, despite the program starting in August 2018, neither DPC nor SusVic developed a monitoring and evaluation framework. Solar Vic completed its MEL framework in December 2020 and finalised its evaluation methodologies in April 2021.
3. Program delivery
Conclusion
Limited planning and stakeholder consultation for the program adversely affected its delivery.
Poor demand management led to pauses in rebate rollout, which caused workflow issues for the solar industry. The program also began with limited controls to manage safety and quality risks, fraud and grid limitations.
2. Program planning
Conclusion
Neither DPC nor DELWP developed a full business case for the program. This meant that government lacked sound and comprehensive information to consider the merits of the program.
Program planning was deficient in as much as it failed to fully appreciate and effectively mitigate obvious risks of excess demand, market reliance and grid capacity.
Despite its size and complexity, only limited implementation planning had been undertaken when the program started in August 2018.
1. Audit context
Households are increasingly moving to renewable energy technologies. Solar industry products, particularly solar PV panels, are one of the most popular renewable energy sources.
According to the Australian Government’s Clean Energy Regulator, there were over 509 000 installed solar PV panels in Victoria as at December 2020.
The Victorian Government’s Solar Homes Program provides incentives for households to switch to solar energy through rebated solar PV panels, batteries and hot-water systems.