For businesses with an ABN — not households. A statewide retailer scheme, City of Adelaide rebates for commercial property, and federal solar and tax programs for businesses across South Australia.
What the tags below mean
Grants & discount schemes
Direct rebates and discounts your business can claim — as opposed to the tax incentive further down the page.
Retailer Energy Productivity Scheme (REPS)
A South Australian scheme that requires energy retailers to deliver energy-saving activities to homes and businesses, often as free or discounted products. For businesses, commercial lighting upgrades are one example. Retailers choose which activities they offer, so availability and discounts vary. The second five-year period runs 2026 to 2030.
Eligibility
- Every South Australian household and business can take part — participation is voluntary
- Ask your energy retailer, or its activity provider, what is on offer
- Targets for 2026–2030 were set in December 2025, so check what your retailer offers this year
Statewide — applies to Greater Adelaide, Mount Gambier, Whyalla and elsewhere in SA
City of Adelaide Sustainability Incentives Scheme (commercial)
Ongoing cash rebates for commercial properties in the City of Adelaide: swapping gas appliances for electric (50% up to $10,000), switchboard upgrades to support electrification, solar, batteries or EV charging (50% up to $5,000), energy storage and more.
Eligibility
- Commercial property within the City of Adelaide (postcodes 5000 and 5006)
- Apply within 12 months of finishing the project; some rebates need a pre-commitment first
Municipal only — City of Adelaide local government area, not all of Greater Adelaide
Commercial landlords & large commercial sites
Whole-building projects for owners of larger commercial properties in the Adelaide CBD and North Adelaide.
Climate Smart Buildings rebates (City of Adelaide)
Part of the City of Adelaide Sustainability Incentives Scheme. A first rebate helps fund a business case for a whole-building approach, and a second helps fund the project itself. Projects must combine two or more measures, such as meter board upgrades, whole-building electrification, shared solar for tenants, EV charging, water saving or greening.
Eligibility
- Property within the City of Adelaide council boundary (postcodes 5000 and 5006)
- Business case rebate: 75% of professional advice costs, up to $10,000
- Implementation rebate: 50% of project costs, up to $40,000, with a completed business case or a detailed quote
- Apply within 12 months of finishing the project
Municipal only — City of Adelaide local government area, not all of Greater Adelaide
Federal programs for mid-sized businesses & commercial property
Available Australia-wide, including South Australia. One is a certificate discount for mid-scale rooftop solar; the other is a tax deduction — and it has now closed to new purchases.
Expanded SRES (commercial solar up to 1MW)
Upfront certificate discounts for mid-scale rooftop solar on warehouses, factories, farm sheds and strata buildings. Systems between 100 kW and 1 MW can now create small-scale technology certificates instead of large-scale ones.
Eligibility
- Commercial systems up to 1,000 kW (1MW) of total onsite capacity
- Reduces upfront system cost by around 20% via certificate value
- Applies to systems installed from 1 October 2026 — certificate applications open mid to late November
Federal — applies in every state, including South Australia
Small Business Energy Incentive
A bonus 20% tax deduction on eligible depreciating assets that support electrification and energy efficiency, on top of the deduction you’d already claim. Status: it covered assets first used or installed between 1 July 2023 and 30 June 2024, so new purchases no longer qualify — ask your accountant whether it still applies to a past return.
Eligibility
- Aggregated annual turnover under $50 million
- Bonus deduction capped at $20,000 on up to $100,000 of spend
- Claimed through your tax return, not applied for separately
Browse by region
The statewide scheme applies everywhere below. The sustainability grant only runs for businesses within the City of Adelaide council boundary — not the wider Greater Adelaide metro area.
On an embedded network? Read this first.
If you’re in a shopping centre, office tower or industrial park, you may not have a direct account with a major energy retailer — you’re buying power through a private network run by your landlord or body corporate instead. That can mean missing out on standard bill relief, because your meter was never logged in the usual state databases. It doesn’t mean you’re ineligible — it usually means there’s a separate, secondary application form. Check with the specific program below rather than assuming you don’t qualify.
What’s the difference between REPS and the Adelaide Sustainability Incentive?
REPS is statewide — any SA business can take part through its energy retailer, though retailers choose which activities they offer. The Adelaide Sustainability Incentive is municipal, meaning it’s only open to businesses physically within the City of Adelaide boundary, not all of Greater Adelaide.
My business is in Greater Adelaide but not the City of Adelaide council area — can I still apply for the sustainability grant?
No — “Greater Adelaide” covers dozens of separate councils, while this grant is specific to the City of Adelaide local government area, broadly the CBD and North Adelaide. Check your own council’s website, since several run similar grants just for businesses within their boundary.
What’s the difference between a grant and a tax incentive?
A grant or rebate puts money in your pocket, or offsets a cost, directly. A tax incentive like the Small Business Energy Incentive reduces your taxable income instead — you still spend the money first and claim it back at tax time.
Can I still claim the Small Business Energy Incentive?
Not for new purchases. The 20% bonus deduction applied to assets first used or installed between 1 July 2023 and 30 June 2024. If you bought and installed something in that window, your accountant can tell you whether it was claimed on your return.
I’m on an embedded network — can I still apply?
Usually yes, but you may need a secondary application form since your meter isn’t in the standard state database. Check the specific program’s application page, or contact them directly if it isn’t obvious.
How is this different from the household rebates page?
This page is specifically for SA businesses with an ABN. If you’re looking for rebates as a homeowner or renter, see our SA household page instead.