Solar installers want the Victorian government to relax monthly limits on its rebate scheme, after it proved so popular that subsidies ran out in three days in July.
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The $1.34 billion dollar Solar Homes program subsidises half-price solar panels for 650,000 households and takes $1000 off the cost of solar hot water for 60,000 homes.
But the scheme's sheer popularity has forced the government to limit the number of subsidies issued each month to 3333.
July's allocation ran out in three days, leaving some solar installers in the lurch until next month's round opens.
Hundred of business owners took to the steps of parliament on Thursday, calling on the government to put an end to the "boom-bust cycle" it has created.
"We went from doing 20 installs a week to when the rebate came out and it dropped to virtually nothing overnight," Samuel Kent told AAP on Wednesday.
He said his business was forced into liquidation and 40 workers lost their jobs as a result.
"We were one of the most successful, highest-rated companies in Victoria - gone. I'll lose my house and I'm pretty much bankrupt, that's what it's done to us."
Mr Kent urged the government to consider dropping eligibility from a pre-tax household income of $180,000 to about $60,000.
"Eighty per cent of the population is eligible and even people who have a lot of money, they still want their rebate and they're not going to buy until they get it," he said.
Industry body Smart Energy Council said the application process was "almost impossible" for many Victorians to navigate.
"It's easier to find a Willy Wonka golden ticket than it is to find someone who actually got the rebate," chief executive John Grimes said, noting applicants have to download an app and use facial-recognition software.
He said the group will continue to rally until the government makes changes to the scheme.
Premier Daniel Andrews wouldn't rule out making changes in the future but said he did not want to rush the roll-out to appease critics.
"If the choice is between these criticisms or rushing the program, or essentially having it uncapped, having cowboy operators who compromise safety and quality. Well, that is not a difficult choice," he told reporters.
"Quality and safety have to come first."
Australian Associated Press