{
 "_about": "One line per data change on solarscorecard.com.au. Newest first. Each entry: date, file, field, old, new, source, note.",
 "entries": [
  {
   "date": "2026-10-28",
   "file": "netlify/functions/quote-read.mjs, solar-quote-check/index.html, data/quote-reader.json",
   "field": "new feature",
   "old": "typed quote check only",
   "new": "SSC-QUOTE-READER-V1: upload a photo or PDF of a quote; one Anthropic Messages API call returns the printed figures as structured data (no names, addresses, phones or emails), the function marks them against the index band for the postcode's city and tier, the STC line for the postcode's zone, inverter and battery list prices, add-on driver ranges, warranty and accreditation, and returns the checks plus questions to ask; the file is not stored; optional add-to-index hands the figures to /api/quote-capture. Functions 41 (34 routed, 7 helpers). Rate limit 10 reads an hour per client.",
   "source": "ssc-upgrade/_scripts/build_quotereader_data_v4.py writes /data/quote-reader.json from pricing.json, stc-postcode-zones.json, pricing-additions.json, battery-prices.json and the site postcode tables",
   "note": "tested end to end on two synthetic quotes in ssc-upgrade/preview/quote-reader-tests (PDF and JPEG); privacy and methodology pages updated"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-28",
   "file": "site-wide (footer, Organization schema, llms.txt, netlify/functions/_constants.mjs, _build-v3 templates)",
   "field": "ABN",
   "old": "70 167 781 946, changed to 62 632 129 778 in deploy 1e1c7a91 on a misread instruction",
   "new": "70 167 781 946 restored",
   "source": "owner confirmation, 28 October 2026 19:52",
   "note": "Focus Search Pty Ltd; 70 167 781 946 is correct"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-28",
   "file": "index.html",
   "field": "FAQ answers (cost, saving, payback)",
   "old": "$5,500 to $8,000 for 6.6 kW, $1,200 to $2,500 saving, 3 to 5 years payback (unsourced)",
   "new": "index figures: 6.6 kW $5,294 (Perth standard) to $12,260 (Darwin premium), 10 kW and 13 kW ranges, saving and payback by state from the worth model; rewritten each month by home_facts_v4.py",
   "source": "ssc-upgrade/_scripts/home_facts_v4.py",
   "note": null
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-28",
   "file": "blog/solar-feed-in-tariff-australia-2026/index.html",
   "field": "template",
   "old": "867-word hand-written post",
   "new": "SSC-ELEC-PRICES-V4: default usage rates by state (AER DMO, ESC VDO, regulated tariffs 2026-27) with annual cost on 4,000 kWh, feed-in medians and best rates by state from the 10,150-plan CDR dataset, the gap and the value of a 6.6 kW system by state at 35 per cent self-consumption, the Victorian no-minimum position; keeps the URL that already ranks for electricity prices per kWh",
   "source": "ssc-upgrade/_scripts/build_elecprices_v4.py",
   "note": null
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-28",
   "file": "blog/stc-rebate-explained-australia/index.html",
   "field": "template",
   "old": "738-word hand-written post",
   "new": "SSC-STC-EXPLAINED-V4: certificates by size and zone (3 to 20 kW, Zones 1 to 4), price with spot, board and clearing-house sources, STC line and discount share by capital against the index, step-down table 2026 to 2030, three checks, FAQ",
   "source": "ssc-upgrade/_scripts/build_stcexplained_v4.py (pricing.json stc)",
   "note": null
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-28",
   "file": "blog/solar-panels-apartment-australia/index.html",
   "field": "template",
   "old": "hand-written post with unsourced VPP credit, community solar and Queensland portable-kit claims and a $1,100 to $1,400 per kW figure",
   "new": "SSC-APARTMENTS-V4: shared-roof costs by capital from the Solar Choice commercial index (10/30/50 kW after STCs), per-lot cost for 20 and 40 units, common-area payback with an all-used and a half-exported case, three ways to share the roof, NSW section 132B simple-majority rule and Queensland body corporate authorisation from dated legal sources, VIC Solar for Apartments and NSW loan from rebates.json, one-battery-per-NMI rule, Solar Sharer embedded-network exclusion, ABS flat share by capital",
   "source": "ssc-upgrade/_scripts/build_apartments_v4.py",
   "note": null
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-28",
   "file": "blog/solar-for-renters-australia/index.html",
   "field": "template",
   "old": "hand-written post with unsourced price ranges ($5,500 to $8,000, $1,100 to $2,500 saving)",
   "new": "SSC-RENTERS-V4: landlord economics by capital from the index (6.6 kW offer, STC line, state rental rebate, net, output, saving, per week), rental schemes from rebates.json (VIC rental rebate and loan, QLD Supercharged Solar for Renters, NSW Home Energy Saver, VIC Solar for Apartments), Solar Sharer offer verified on energy.gov.au and Finder (28 Oct 2026), renter share by capital from ABS 2021 tenure on the site's postcodes; options 3 to 5 retained from the hand-written version in blog-renters-retained.json",
   "source": "ssc-upgrade/_scripts/build_renters_v4.py",
   "note": null
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-28",
   "file": "solar-inverter-guide/index.html, solar-battery-guide/index.html",
   "field": "template",
   "old": "templated hubs with unsourced price ranges",
   "new": "SSC-GUIDE-HUBS-V4: inverter hub (four types with list prices, six brands with warranty and market status, Sungrow vs Fronius, 133 per cent sizing rule, microinverter case) and battery hub (seven brands with price, warranty and pairing, federal discount table, list-to-installed, when a battery pays by state tariff gap)",
   "source": "ssc-upgrade/_scripts/build_guidehubs_v4.py",
   "note": null
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-28",
   "file": "solar-inverter-guide/{brand}/index.html",
   "field": "template",
   "old": "templated brand pages with unsourced installed price ranges and city ranges",
   "new": "SSC-INVERTER-BRANDS-V4: six brand pages (Fronius, Sungrow, Enphase, GoodWe, Huawei, SMA) from inverter-brands.json: public list prices, warranty from the maker's Australian document (SMA and Huawei from SolarQuotes, flagged), range, fit, share of the 6.6 kW offer by capital; states that Huawei has not been sold new under its name since February 2024 and that SMA announced its exit from the Australian residential market in April 2026",
   "source": "ssc-upgrade/_scripts/build_inverterbrands_v4.py; ssc-upgrade/data/inverter-brands.json",
   "note": null
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-28",
   "file": "solar-battery-guide/{brand}/index.html",
   "field": "template",
   "old": "templated brand pages with unsourced price ranges, composite case studies and a wrong BYD 80% retention claim",
   "new": "SSC-BATTERY-BRANDS-V4: seven brand pages (Tesla, Sungrow, BYD, GoodWe, Enphase, SolarEdge, AlphaESS) built from battery-brands.json (models, warranty terms read from each maker's Australian warranty document, pairing) and battery-prices.json; price at list and net after the federal discount, discount ladder per model, warranty terms, pairing, solar-plus-battery by capital with state schemes",
   "source": "ssc-upgrade/_scripts/build_batterybrands_v4.py; ssc-upgrade/data/battery-brands.json (sources read 28 Oct 2026)",
   "note": "SolarEdge warranty terms are from a SolarQuotes review (secondary) because the maker's AU document was not found on a public page; Enphase terms from the enphase.com/en-au product page"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-28",
   "file": "solar-battery-guide/prices/index.html",
   "field": "new page",
   "old": null,
   "new": "SSC-BATTERY-PRICES-V1: nine named batteries at public Australian shop prices (Tesla Powerwall 3, Sungrow SBR096, BYD HVM/LVS/LVL, GoodWe ESA, Fronius Reserva, Enphase IQ 5P call-for-price), six systems worked to net $/kWh after the federal discount, discount ladder 5 to 28 kWh for 2026 and 2027, installed references from SolarQuotes (12 May 2026) and Why Solar (Sep 2026), state battery schemes; linked from the battery hub and seven brand pages",
   "source": "ssc-upgrade/data/battery-prices.json (new, sources dated 28 Oct 2026); ssc-upgrade/_scripts/build_batteryprices_v4.py",
   "note": "pricing.json batteries ranges remain unsourced and are not used on this page"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-28",
   "file": "solar/{city}/{suburb}/index.html",
   "field": "compare section",
   "old": "254 of 317 suburb pages indexed (40% suburb-specific rule)",
   "new": "293 indexed: new 'How {suburb} compares with the rest of {city}' section ranks the postcode against the city's other postcodes on the site (or the state's city-centre postcodes for small regional cities) on CER installs, average size and density",
   "source": "ssc-upgrade/_scripts/build_suburbs_v4.py compare_block (cer-postcodes.json, abs-dwellings-postcodes.json)",
   "note": "3 suburbs remain under 40%: cairns/smithfield, wollongong/dapto, wollongong/thirroul; 21 postcode twins canonicalise to the strongest page"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-28",
   "file": "solar-inverter-guide/prices/index.html",
   "field": "new page",
   "old": null,
   "new": "SSC-INVERTER-PRICES-V1: 19 named inverter models at public Australian list prices ex and inc GST, three-phase and hybrid premiums read off same-brand pairs, inverter share of the standard 6.6 kW offer by capital, labour and the Enphase per-system estimate; linked from the inverter hub and six brand pages",
   "source": "ssc-upgrade/_scripts/build_inverterprices_v4.py (pricing-additions.json inverter_cost_by_type, labour, price_driver_premiums; panel-tiers.json warranties)",
   "note": "replaces the five /solar-inverter-guide/prices-<city>/ pages folded in October 2026; city-qualified inverter price queries (Perth) had ~3,000 impressions in 90 days"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-28",
   "file": "solar/{state}/index.html",
   "field": "template",
   "old": "card hub with rebate and worth-it headings (text pass only)",
   "new": "SSC-STATES-V4 price pages: prices by city with STC zone, output, payback and network; size ladder for the capital; rebates and worth-it in brief with links; CER installs by city",
   "source": "ssc-upgrade/_scripts/build_states_v4.py",
   "note": "stops the state hubs competing with /solar-rebates/{state}/ and /is-solar-worth-it/{state}/ for rebate and verdict queries"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-27",
   "file": "pricing.json",
   "field": "stc.price_each",
   "old": 39.85,
   "new": 39.0,
   "source": "Ecovantage weekly market update 19 to 23 Oct 2026 (spot $39.90); Demand Manager board $39.65 on 27 Oct 2026",
   "note": "site assumption rounded down for assignment costs with no published figure"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-27",
   "file": "pricing.json",
   "field": "stc.deeming_years_by_install_year",
   "old": null,
   "new": {
    "2026": 5,
    "2027": 4,
    "2028": 3,
    "2029": 2,
    "2030": 1
   },
   "source": "CER deeming period page, updated 18 Sep 2026"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-27",
   "file": "pricing.json",
   "field": "battery_rebate.per_kwh",
   "old": 251.6,
   "new": 265.2,
   "source": "derived: 6.8 STCs per kWh x $39; CER Cheaper Home Batteries guidance",
   "note": "applies to the first 14 kWh usable; tiers 100/60/15 per cent unchanged; factor 5.7 from 1 Jan 2027"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-27",
   "file": "pricing.json",
   "field": "city_prices and city_factors",
   "old": "national range plus or minus 18 per cent times an unsourced city factor (14 cities)",
   "new": "Solar Choice October 2026 standard and premium offers for 8 capitals by size; proxy capital for other locations, stated on page",
   "source": "solarchoice.net.au/solar-panels/solar-power-system-prices/ tables dated 1 Oct 2026, captured 27 Oct 2026"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-27",
   "file": "pricing.json",
   "field": "system_sizes",
   "old": {
    "6.6": [
     5500,
     8000
    ],
    "10": [
     8000,
     11600
    ]
   },
   "new": {
    "6.6": [
     6774,
     8084
    ],
    "10": [
     9810,
     11700
    ]
   },
   "source": "Solar Choice October 2026 (6.6 kW interpolated between 6 and 7 kW; 13 and 20 kW scaled by the commercial index)"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-27",
   "file": "pricing.json",
   "field": "states.VIC.scheme_short/scheme_long",
   "old": "$1,400 rebate closed to new applicants in March 2026",
   "new": "$1,400 Solar Homes rebate open in monthly allocations until 30 June 2027 with optional interest-free loan",
   "source": "solar.vic.gov.au/solar-panel-rebate (updated 21 Oct 2026) and the 21 Oct 2026 VEU transition notice"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-27",
   "file": "pricing.json",
   "field": "states.ACT.scheme_short/scheme_long",
   "old": "Sustainable Household Scheme 0% loans up to $15,000",
   "new": "SHS loan $2,000 to $20,000 at 3 per cent, batteries eligible, solar panels not eligible; HESP rebates listed, status not stated",
   "source": "climatechoices.act.gov.au, read 27 Oct 2026"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-27",
   "file": "pricing.json",
   "field": "states.NT.scheme_short/scheme_long",
   "old": "Home and Business Battery Scheme up to $400/kWh capped $12,000",
   "new": "scheme closed to new grants June 2025",
   "source": "nt.gov.au and DME news 10 Jun 2025, read 27 Oct 2026"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-27",
   "file": "pricing.json",
   "field": "states.NSW.scheme_short/scheme_long",
   "old": "Home Energy Saver interest-free loan up to $15,000 and PDRS battery incentive",
   "new": "Home Energy Saver zero-interest loan $2,000 to $15,000 open; discount up to $4,000 on waitlist; PDRS BESS1 suspended 1 Jul 2025; BESS2 VPP incentive open, amount set by provider",
   "source": "energy.nsw.gov.au pages, read 27 Oct 2026"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-27",
   "file": "pricing.json",
   "field": "states.QLD.scheme_short",
   "old": "federal only",
   "new": "Battery Booster closed May 2024; Supercharged Solar for Renters up to $3,500 open",
   "source": "qld.gov.au, read 27 Oct 2026"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-27",
   "file": "pricing.json",
   "field": "commercial.cost_per_kw",
   "old": {
    "under_30": 1000,
    "30_100": 850,
    "over_100": 800
   },
   "new": {
    "under_30": 1011,
    "30_100": 945,
    "over_100": 816
   },
   "source": "Solar Choice commercial index, August 2026"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-27",
   "file": "pricing.json",
   "field": "price_per_watt",
   "old": {
    "budget": 0.85,
    "mid": 1.03,
    "premium": 1.35
   },
   "new": {
    "standard": 1.03,
    "premium": 1.22,
    "floor_zone3": 0.49
   },
   "source": "derived from Solar Choice October 2026; floor from pricing-additions.json component costs"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-27",
   "file": "pricing-history.json",
   "field": "snapshots",
   "old": "19 Oct 2026 snapshot on the old basis",
   "new": "October 2026 baseline on the v4 basis; old snapshot kept under superseded_snapshots",
   "source": "snapshot_pricing_v4.py"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-27",
   "file": "rebates.json, distributors.json, postcode-distributors.json, cer-postcodes.json, abs-dwellings-postcodes.json, irradiance.json, solarchoice-index.json, pricing-additions.json, locations.json, apvi-postcodes.json",
   "field": "created",
   "old": null,
   "new": "first versions",
   "source": "see each file's source block"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-27",
   "file": "pricing.json",
   "field": "cities.ballarat.zone",
   "old": 4,
   "new": 3,
   "source": "Clean Energy Regulator, Postcode zone ratings and zones for solar (photovoltaic) systems, as of 1 January 2020, https://cer.gov.au/document/postcode-zone-ratings-and-zones-solar-panel-systems (read 27 October 2026)",
   "note": "zone read from the CER table at centre postcode 3350; previous value was hand-set. Suburb pages now take the zone from their own postcode."
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-27",
   "file": "pricing.json",
   "field": "cities.bendigo.zone",
   "old": 4,
   "new": 3,
   "source": "Clean Energy Regulator, Postcode zone ratings and zones for solar (photovoltaic) systems, as of 1 January 2020, https://cer.gov.au/document/postcode-zone-ratings-and-zones-solar-panel-systems (read 27 October 2026)",
   "note": "zone read from the CER table at centre postcode 3550; previous value was hand-set. Suburb pages now take the zone from their own postcode."
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-27",
   "file": "pricing.json",
   "field": "cities.melton.zone",
   "old": 4,
   "new": 3,
   "source": "Clean Energy Regulator, Postcode zone ratings and zones for solar (photovoltaic) systems, as of 1 January 2020, https://cer.gov.au/document/postcode-zone-ratings-and-zones-solar-panel-systems (read 27 October 2026)",
   "note": "zone read from the CER table at centre postcode 3337; previous value was hand-set. Suburb pages now take the zone from their own postcode."
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-27",
   "file": "pricing.json",
   "field": "cities.horsham.zone",
   "old": 4,
   "new": 3,
   "source": "Clean Energy Regulator, Postcode zone ratings and zones for solar (photovoltaic) systems, as of 1 January 2020, https://cer.gov.au/document/postcode-zone-ratings-and-zones-solar-panel-systems (read 27 October 2026)",
   "note": "zone read from the CER table at centre postcode 3400; previous value was hand-set. Suburb pages now take the zone from their own postcode."
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-27",
   "file": "pricing.json",
   "field": "cities.shepparton.zone",
   "old": 4,
   "new": 3,
   "source": "Clean Energy Regulator, Postcode zone ratings and zones for solar (photovoltaic) systems, as of 1 January 2020, https://cer.gov.au/document/postcode-zone-ratings-and-zones-solar-panel-systems (read 27 October 2026)",
   "note": "zone read from the CER table at centre postcode 3630; previous value was hand-set. Suburb pages now take the zone from their own postcode."
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-27",
   "file": "pricing.json",
   "field": "cities.townsville.zone",
   "old": 1,
   "new": 3,
   "source": "Clean Energy Regulator, Postcode zone ratings and zones for solar (photovoltaic) systems, as of 1 January 2020, https://cer.gov.au/document/postcode-zone-ratings-and-zones-solar-panel-systems (read 27 October 2026)",
   "note": "zone read from the CER table at centre postcode 4810; previous value was hand-set. Suburb pages now take the zone from their own postcode."
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-27",
   "file": "pricing.json",
   "field": "cities.cairns.zone",
   "old": 1,
   "new": 3,
   "source": "Clean Energy Regulator, Postcode zone ratings and zones for solar (photovoltaic) systems, as of 1 January 2020, https://cer.gov.au/document/postcode-zone-ratings-and-zones-solar-panel-systems (read 27 October 2026)",
   "note": "zone read from the CER table at centre postcode 4870; previous value was hand-set. Suburb pages now take the zone from their own postcode."
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-27",
   "file": "pricing.json",
   "field": "cities.bundaberg.zone",
   "old": 1,
   "new": 3,
   "source": "Clean Energy Regulator, Postcode zone ratings and zones for solar (photovoltaic) systems, as of 1 January 2020, https://cer.gov.au/document/postcode-zone-ratings-and-zones-solar-panel-systems (read 27 October 2026)",
   "note": "zone read from the CER table at centre postcode 4670; previous value was hand-set. Suburb pages now take the zone from their own postcode."
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-27",
   "file": "pricing.json",
   "field": "cities.mackay.zone",
   "old": 1,
   "new": 3,
   "source": "Clean Energy Regulator, Postcode zone ratings and zones for solar (photovoltaic) systems, as of 1 January 2020, https://cer.gov.au/document/postcode-zone-ratings-and-zones-solar-panel-systems (read 27 October 2026)",
   "note": "zone read from the CER table at centre postcode 4740; previous value was hand-set. Suburb pages now take the zone from their own postcode."
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-27",
   "file": "pricing.json",
   "field": "cities.rockhampton.zone",
   "old": 1,
   "new": 3,
   "source": "Clean Energy Regulator, Postcode zone ratings and zones for solar (photovoltaic) systems, as of 1 January 2020, https://cer.gov.au/document/postcode-zone-ratings-and-zones-solar-panel-systems (read 27 October 2026)",
   "note": "zone read from the CER table at centre postcode 4700; previous value was hand-set. Suburb pages now take the zone from their own postcode."
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-27",
   "file": "pricing.json",
   "field": "cities.canberra.zone",
   "old": 4,
   "new": 3,
   "source": "Clean Energy Regulator, Postcode zone ratings and zones for solar (photovoltaic) systems, as of 1 January 2020, https://cer.gov.au/document/postcode-zone-ratings-and-zones-solar-panel-systems (read 27 October 2026)",
   "note": "zone read from the CER table at centre postcode 2601; previous value was hand-set. Suburb pages now take the zone from their own postcode."
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-27",
   "file": "pricing.json",
   "field": "cities.darwin.zone",
   "old": 1,
   "new": 2,
   "source": "Clean Energy Regulator, Postcode zone ratings and zones for solar (photovoltaic) systems, as of 1 January 2020, https://cer.gov.au/document/postcode-zone-ratings-and-zones-solar-panel-systems (read 27 October 2026)",
   "note": "zone read from the CER table at centre postcode 0800; previous value was hand-set. Suburb pages now take the zone from their own postcode."
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-27",
   "file": "pricing.json",
   "field": "states.ACT.zone_default, states.NT.zone_default",
   "old": "4, 1",
   "new": "3, 2",
   "source": "as above",
   "note": "state defaults follow the capital"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-28",
   "file": "netlify/functions/quote-capture.mjs",
   "field": "quotes series",
   "old": "client-side only, nothing stored",
   "new": "quotes submitted on /solar-quote-check/ stored in Netlify Blobs store \"quotes\" (postcode, city, kW, brands, tier, price, storeys, STC line, month; no personal fields); rate limit 20 per hour per hashed client; CSV export behind QUOTES_EXPORT_TOKEN",
   "source": "SSC-QUOTE-STORE-V1",
   "note": "quotes series starts 28 October 2026; methodology, privacy and quote-check copy updated; Solar Choice attribution and basis note added under every grid"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-28",
   "file": "ssc-upgrade/_scripts/build_cities_v4.py",
   "field": "city page title, h1, lede",
   "old": "Solar Panel Cost {City} 2026",
   "new": "Solar Panel Prices {City} 2026 (cost after STCs); lede opens \"Solar panel prices in {City}\"",
   "source": "Search Console 90 days to 25 Oct 2026: price/prices variants carry about 3x the impressions of cost variants for Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide",
   "note": "Solar Choice attribution and basis note moved into the builders (SOLAR_CHOICE_SRC); quote-check store copy and POST wiring moved into build_quotecheck_v4; methodology quotes-series paragraph moved into build_meta_v4"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-29",
   "file": "ssc-upgrade/data/bill-reader.json (new), netlify/functions/bill-read.mjs, _bill.mjs",
   "field": "bill reader reference: states.*.elec_c, fit_c, supply_c_day",
   "old": null,
   "new": "usage and feed-in reference per state copied from pricing.json; daily supply charge = median of residential CDR plans per state (NSW 168.3, VIC 121.1 after GST gross-up, QLD 161.7, SA 162.1, TAS 152.4, ACT 124.0 c/day; none for WA and NT)",
   "source": "pricing.json states (AER DMO, ESC VDO, regulated tariffs 2026-27); feed-in-tariffs.json (CDR plan data fetched 2026-10-27)",
   "note": "SSC-BILL-READER-V1: /api/bill-read reads a power bill photo or PDF and compares its rates with this reference; the scorecard and quote check price payback at the bill's rates"
  }
 ]
}