Amber always pays you the true market value of your solar exports, allowing you to earn a higher feed-in tariff by exporting power when the grid needs it the most.
It's an entirely new way to sell your solar exports - one that helps Australia get to 100% renewables by connecting rooftop solar owners to Australia's real-time energy marketplace.
We are now live in VIC, SA, NSW, ACT, and SE QLD.
Amber's real-time FiT varies every 30 minutes along with the true market value of power in your local area. This means you'll earn more for your exports at times when the grid needs you most.
See real feed-in prices in your postcodeUse the Amber app to track and view your real-time Solar Feed-in Tariff throughout the day, including a 12 hour forecast, and 6 hours of price history. You can also see your solar export history day-by-day.
Download appYour solar generation peaks on long, hot Summer days. So does the true market value of your exports. Your solar can help to protect you from higher wholesale usage prices during peak demand periods. You can also earn a FiT between $1 - $15/kWh by reducing your usage and maximising your exports during times when the grid needs you the most.
See real feed-in prices in your postcode
Your FiT with Amber is always the true value of your generation on the energy marketplace. Your real-time usage price (i.e. the price you pay to use power from the grid) also includes the costs we must pay to use the poles and wires to supply power to your home. That's why your FiT and usage price are different.
Below is a list of common questions we get asked about Amber's real-time FiT. If we haven’t answered your questions click here to browse through all our Solar FAQs.
In VIC we pay out the government minimum FiT of 10.2¢/kWh. Because Amber's real-time FiT varies based on the market value of energy, we calculate your minimum FiT based on the yearly average FiT you earned for your exports in each financial year. If the true market value of your exports was lower than 10.2¢/kWh on average over the financial year, we'll top you up to a FiT of 10.2¢/kWh on June 30, 2021.
In NSW, SA, ACT, and QLD we currently offer our own minimum FiT of 8¢/kWh. We'll pay out this minimum for all exports up until the 30th of September 2020. From the 1st of October 2020 onwards, we'll always pay out the true market value of your exports, with no artificial minimums or maximums.
Yes! We'll pass through your government Premium FiT entitlement in addition to the real-time market value of your exports, e.g. Premium FiT + Market Value of Exports = Your Amber FiT.
The market price of energy - and therefore your real-time FiT - has a minimum price of -$1/kWh and a maximum ceiling of +$15/kWh. This varying wholesale price helps keep the grid in balance. High prices encourage as much generation as possible, while low and negative prices encourage generators to curtail their output to prevent the grid becoming unstable. Just like the big generators you'll be debited for your exports when the wholesale price is negative, so you can help out the grid (and your wallet) by using your solar at those times rather than exporting.
You'll have a better idea of what to expect from Amber's real-time FiT if you understand the energy market in your state. Each state has its own mix of generation sources, which produce a different price outlook compared to other states. The National Energy Market (NEM) is the name of the largest energy market in Australia. It's run by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO). When doing your research, a handy hint is to know that market prices are usually quoted in $/mWh (= $/1,000 kWh). You can divide these prices by 1,000 to get the price in $/kWh.
Amber's real-time FiT is designed to enable the future of rooftop solar in Australia. This means incentivising exports during peak times when the grid needs it most. For most solar owners, this looks like reducing your usage and maximising your exports during peak demand times when the wholesale price - and your FiT - is at its best. In the future, this will require more West-facing solar panels which achieve peak generation during the afternoon when demand is higher, as well as batteries with the capability to export excess power to the grid during peak times.