Solar Rewards

You are securing our energy future with Solar Rewards

By being a solar rewards customer you are helping to maintain the stability of the energy system in WA and supporting the continued installation of rooftop solar.

Your support provides a sustainable, affordable and reliable energy future for the WA community, and there is no need for you to change your electricity consumption as a solar rewards customer.

Carry on using electricity as you usually would, and you will receive a bill credit for the electricity you consume during a Solar Rewards event.

Benefits of participating in Solar Rewards

Receive Solar Rewards payments

You could receive a $100 Synergy credit and potential ongoing electricity credits, for granting access to Synergy to manage your rooftop solar.

Stabilise the network

Assist in maintaining the stability of the grid when supply and demand of electricity is unbalanced.

be apart of something bigger

Play a role in providing a sustainable, affordable and reliable energy future for the WA community.

Joining Solar Rewards

As a result of the overwhelming response rate, we have reached our recruitment capacity and have now closed applications for Solar Rewards.
To stay informed of similar opportunities in the future please enter your details below.

Join the waitlist

You can also opt out of Solar Rewards at any time by providing written notice to SynergySolarRewards@synergy.net.au

This however means that you may not be eligible to receive any Solar Rewards payments and any credits made to you before 30 November 2024 may be reversed.

What to expect as a Solar Rewards customer

The Solar Rewards service will run for a 14 month period, starting on 1 October 2023 and concluding on 30 November 2024.
Following the service commencement date, a $50 sign up credit will be applied to your Synergy account.
During the term of your contract, your rooftop solar system will be turned off remotely up to 15 times for an average of 1-4 hours, when required by Synergy
When a Solar Rewards event occurs, you will continue to have access to electricity from the grid and will receive a credit to cover the cost of electricity consumed during the period of the Solar Rewards event (applied on a quarterly basis).
Following the conclusion of your contract on 30 November 2024, a final credit of $50 will be applied to your Synergy account.

Frequently asked questions

How do I join Solar Rewards?: As a result of the overwhelming response rate, we have reached our recruitment capacity and have now closed applications for Solar Rewards.
To stay informed of similar opportunities in the future, please enter your details into our waitlist and we will contact you if an opportunity becomes available.
I Opted-out, but have changed my mind, can I opt back in?: As a result of the overwhelming response rate, we have reached our recruitment capacity and have now closed applications for Solar Rewards. This means that you will not be able to opt back in to Solar Rewards.
To stay informed of similar opportunities in the future please enter your details into our waitlist and we will contact you if an opportunity becomes available.
Will a Solar Rewards event affect my home’s electricity supply?: Solar Rewards will not affect your electricity supply and you will continue to have access to electricity supplied from the grid even during times when your solar generation is turned off.
Additionally, you will receive a bill credit for the electricity you consume during a Solar Rewards event.
What if I change my Synergy Product?: Due to the strict eligibility criteria, only customers on the Synergy Home Plan (A1) are invited to participate in the Solar Rewards program. If you change your Synergy product, then you will be removed from Solar Rewards.

This means that you will not be eligible to receive any further Solar Rewards payments.
When will I see my Solar Reward Payments on my bill?: Signup credits will be applied in the month following service commencement, event credits will be applied in the month following the end of each calendar quarter (commencing from January 2024), and the completion payment will be applied in the month following completion of the contract period (December 2024).
Do I need to adjust my consumption?: No changes to how you consume electricity are required. Carry on using electricity as you usually would, and you will receive a bill credit for the electricity you consume when your solar inverter is turned off by Synergy for a Solar Rewards event.
How do I know if it’s an ESM event or Solar Rewards?: We will notify you after a Solar Rewards event has occurred via the email address recorded on your Synergy account.
Soon after the conclusion of the Solar Rewards event, Synergy will update the yellow banner at the top of the Solar Rewards webpage to provide information to the impacted customers.

Synergy has also recently introduced functionality for customers who have rooftop solar systems with ESM requirements to access information regarding ESM low load and Solar Rewards events and tests affecting their system through their My Account portal. This can be found via the “Solar Events” tab.

Event history on My Account is available from 1 January 2023 or the customer’s move in date, whichever is later. A customer’s rooftop solar system may have participated in testing prior to this date.

The events will be labelled as Solar Rewards or ESM in this tab.
How long can a Solar Rewards event last for?: On average a Solar Rewards event will last 1-4 hours. In some cases, the events may last longer to allow time for the system to be ramped up and down.

You will receive a bill credit for the electricity you consume during the entire time your solar inverter is turned off by Synergy for a Solar Rewards event. For example, if a customer’s solar is turned off for four hours during an event, the customer will receive a bill credit for all electricity consumed during that time. Based on the average household consumption, that would work out to around $1.00. These credits will be applied on a quarterly basis.
How will the Solar Rewards payments be calculated?: You will receive a bill credit for the electricity you consume during a Solar Rewards event. For example, if a customer’s solar is turned off by Synergy for four hours during an event, the customer will receive a bill credit for all electricity consumed during that time. Based on the average household consumption, that would work out to around $1.00.

The Solar Rewards payments will utilise actual meter data to calculate how much electricity was consumed for the total amount of time your inverter was turned off.
How will the Solar Rewards payments be calculated?: The Solar Rewards payments will utilise actual meter data to calculate how much electricity was consumed for the total amount of time your inverter was turned off.
I don’t want my solar panels switched off, how can I stop this?: You can opt out of Solar Rewards at any time by providing written notice to SynergySolarRewards@synergy.net.au

This however means that you may not be eligible to receive any Solar Rewards payments and any credits made to you before 30 November 2024 may be reversed.

It is important to note that you will remain a part of Emergency Solar Management (ESM).

ESM applies to all customers who install or upgrade their rooftop solar systems after 14 February 2022, which have an inverter capacity of 5kW or less and participate in the Distributed Energy Buyback Scheme (DEBS). These customers include:

most residential properties (customers that consume < 50MW hours per annum)

any customer that is a school, university or other educational institution or a non-profit making organisation
What happens if I move house?: The Solar Rewards contract is unique to your current premise. If you move premises, you will be removed from Solar Rewards.

This means that you will not be eligible to receive any further Solar Rewards payments.
Why have I not received Solar Rewards bill credits?: Bill credits are calculated for the electricity you consume during a Solar Rewards event, when your inverter is turned off remotely by Synergy. If Synergy is unable to remotely manage your solar system, you are ineligible for Solar Rewards bill credits.

Some possible reasons as to why Synergy is unable to remotely manage your solar system could include, but are not limited to:

Disruption to internet connection to your solar inverter: A solar inverter is connected to your home internet connection via Wi-Fi and this enables remote management. If there is a disruption to the internet connection at the point Synergy attempts to remotely manage the system, then the inverter may not respond as expected.

An issue or fault with inverter or solar panels: For enquiries specific to your rooftop solar system, it is recommended that you speak with your solar installer.

The Solar Rewards payments will be based on your actual meter data to calculate how much electricity you consumed from the grid during the time your inverter was turned off by Synergy.
Will orchestration affect my solar system performance?: From 14 February 2022, all new and upgraded rooftop solar with an inverter capacity of 5kW or less (the typical size for household systems) will need to be capable of being remotely managed.

This means that if you are installing a new rooftop solar system or upgrading your existing rooftop solar system to an inverter capacity of 5kW or under, then your system must meet the requirements for management capability.
For enquiries specific to your rooftop solar system, it is recommended that you speak with your solar installer.
How will my Solar Rewards payments be paid to me?: Solar Rewards payments will be paid to you as a credit on your bill. Signup credits will be applied in the month following service commencement, event credits will be applied quarterly, and the completion payment will be applied in the month following completion of the contract period.

Solar Rewards credits are not transferable to other Synergy accounts or refundable.

For full details of how and when these credits will be applied, please refer to the Terms and Conditions.
Why have I been selected for Solar Rewards?: You have been selected for Solar Rewards as your rooftop solar system has an inverter capacity of 5kW or less, participates in the Distributed Energy Buyback Scheme (DEBS) and has the capability to be remotely turned off in an Emergency Solar Management (ESM) low load event.

For more details about the eligibility criteria, please refer to the Terms and Conditions.
Who do I contact if my system doesn’t come back on after an event?: In the event that your system does not come back on you can contact Synergy’s contact centre on 13 13 53, between the hours of 7am to 7pm, Monday through to Friday, excluding public holidays.

For enquiries specific to your rooftop solar system, it is recommended that you speak with your solar installer.
Will I remain on the same electricity plan that I am currently on?: Your electricity plan will not be affected by participating in Solar Rewards.
Can I exit Solar Rewards at any time?: Yes, you can leave Solar Rewards at any time, including if you move to a new house. This however means that you may not be eligible to receive any Solar Reward payments and any credits made to you before 30 November 2024 may be reversed.

To opt out of Solar Rewards, you need to provide a written notice to synergysolarrewards@synergy.net.au

For more details about exiting Solar Rewards, please refer to the Terms and Conditions.
Have your charges increased since joining Solar Rewards?: Your electricity plan will not be affected by participating in Solar Rewards.

Regulated electricity tariffs are reviewed and determined by the State Government on an annual basis.

There are many factors that can influence the size of your bill and the cost of electricity is just one of them. Solar Rewards is not anticipated to have any significant financial impact on households with rooftop solar systems.

Your Synergy bill is made up of various items including a daily supply charge, an electricity usage charge based on your consumption measured in units (or kWh), plus other fees and charges.

If there is something on your bill that you don’t understand, visit Synergy’s high bill checklist to find out more.
How will my solar system be managed?: Rooftop solar system’s ability to generate solar will be remotely managed, meaning turned off via the solar systems inverter. During a Solar Rewards event, you will consume electricity from the grid and will receive credits for any electricity consumed (applied on a quarterly basis).
What does the event status mean for Solar Rewards in My Account?: You can access information regarding ESM low load and Solar Rewards events and tests affecting your system through your My Account portal. This can be found via the “Solar Events” tab. Visit My Account.

Event history data on My Account is available from 1 January 2023 or your move in date, whichever is later.

The events will be labelled as Solar Rewards or ESM in this tab.

While many ESM events may occur, not all ESM events will affect your Solar System.

There are two possible statuses for events.

Unknown Response: A status of unknown response indicates that Synergy was unable to remotely connect to your solar system inverter at the time of the event.

Completed: A status of completed indicates that an event or test has occurred.

Important: A status marked ‘Completed’ does not confirm that your solar system has been successfully managed. To confirm if your solar inverter was remotely managed, check your export data in My Account at the time of the test. If you continue to export data at the time of the event or test, then it means your inverter was not switched off during the event or test.

As a Solar Rewards customer, you will receive credits for electricity you consume during a Solar Rewards event, when your inverter is turned off by Synergy. If Synergy is unable to remotely turn off your inverter during a Solar Rewards event, you will not be entitled to Solar Rewards bill credits.
What happens after I register for Solar Rewards?: Eligible customers will be sent an email invitation to register for Solar Rewards. After you complete the online application, Synergy will confirm if the application has been successful (usually within 5-7 business days). Once you have been accepted into Solar Rewards, you do not need to do anything further and will be contacted by email before the commencement of the contract period.
How do I access the early sign-up bonus credit?: The early sign-up bonus is subject to the early sign-up bonus criteria specified in the Solar Rewards Terms and Conditions. To meet this criteria, customers had to sign up to Solar Rewards within two weeks of receiving their initial email invitation from Synergy. In addition, the early sign-up bonus was only available to the first 1000 customers who entered into a Solar Rewards contract with Synergy.

If you have received an email invitation to join Solar Rewards and it did not include promotion of the early sign-up bonus, then unfortunately we have reached the capacity and you are not deemed eligible for the early sign-up bonus credit. However, you are still eligible for the $50 initial sign-up payment and the $50 final end of contract payment.
My neighbour or friend hasn’t received an invitation but wants to participate, can I forward them the invitation?: Due to the strict eligibility criteria only customers who have been invited to register can participate.