The solar industry had received a boost from an $8000 rebate scheme for the past few years. However the rebate will be means tested and not available to households earning more than $100,000 a year.

Cr Jeremy Buckingham, who moved the motion calling on the government to abolish the means test, said the scheme would be a disaster for the solar industry.

Cr Buckingham described the new system as being “almost calculated to undermine the renewable energy industry”.

“A household of two people earning the average yearly income will not be able to apply for the rebate. The problem with that, of course, it’s those type of families earning over a hundred grand a year that the solar industry relies on,” he said.

Cr Buckingham’s sentiments were similar to Robert Biviano of Central West Solar, who had sold more than 1000 solar panels in the past 10 years.

Mr Biviano said he had experienced first hand the impact of the new means test on the industry.

“Solar has always been a boom or bust industry,” he said.

“But because of the means test we have lost three orders where people had already paid deposits but pulled out because they no longer qualified for the rebate.”

Mr Bivianno said he was not against means testing for the rebate but suggested the government increase the figure to $150,000.