Most Victorians find out after talking to a salesperson. Get an honest answer first — before anyone tries to sell you anything. Takes 60 seconds, completely free.
No jargon. No upsell. Just an honest look at whether solar makes financial sense for your home.
Eight quick questions about your electricity usage, roof, and location. Takes about 60 seconds.
Get an instant, realistic view of whether solar pencils out — payback period, savings estimate, and what actually matters for your home.
If it does make sense, compare 30 reviewed Victorian solar companies. You pick who to contact — no one calls you out of the blue.
No sign up. No sales calls. Just an honest answer on whether solar makes financial sense for your home. Free personalised PDF at the end.
Answer a few quick questions and get an honest, instant answer. Takes about 60 seconds.
Indicative assessment only. Accurate figures need actual bills and a site inspection.
I've done the research so you don't have to. No company has paid to be listed here.
The stuff that actually affects your ROI — but rarely gets explained clearly.
Australia is one of the best countries on earth for solar. Most of Victoria gets 4.5–5.5 peak sun hours per day — enough for a 6.6kW system to generate 26–30 kWh daily.
Solar panels are tested at 25°C. On a Melbourne summer day your roof can hit 60–70°C. Every degree above 25°C reduces output — typically 0.35–0.45% per °C. At 65°C that's a 14–18% reduction on your hottest days.
Feed-in tariffs — what the grid pays for your excess solar — are now around $0.04–$0.06/kWh in Victoria. You're paying ~30¢ to buy power but only getting 4–6¢ when you sell it back.
Things to watch for when talking to installers:
One of the most important decisions in your solar setup — and most homeowners don't know it exists.
All panels connect to one central inverter. If one panel underperforms, it drags the whole string down.
Each panel gets its own small inverter. One shaded or faulty panel doesn't affect the others.
In Australia's hot climate, string inverters on a west-facing garage wall can get extremely hot in summer — reducing output. Many Aussie homes also have panels facing multiple directions. A string inverter treats the whole system as one unit, meaning the weakest panel limits the rest. If your roof has any shading or multiple orientations — micro-inverters are worth the extra cost.
Applied automatically by your installer at the point of sale. On a standard 6.6kW system in VIC, typically saves ~$1,500 in 2026. Reduces every year until 2030 — so earlier is better.
Up to $1,400 rebate plus an optional $1,400 interest-free loan for eligible owner-occupiers. Still running — new allocations released monthly. Check solar.vic.gov.au for availability.
The old Victorian $2,950 battery rebate is gone. The federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program now applies — roughly ~$2,700 off a 10kWh battery. Important: you must have solar panels (existing or new) to qualify. A standalone battery with no solar gets no rebate at all — and makes little financial sense anyway since you'd just be charging it from the grid at full price.
Stack all rebates together: Victorian panel rebate ($1,400) + federal STC on panels (~$1,500) + federal battery rebate (~$2,700) = over $5,600 off a typical solar + battery system upfront.
| Retailer | Feed-In Rate (2026) | Time-of-Use? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| AGL | $0.04–$0.05/kWh | Yes | Higher rates during evening peak |
| Origin Energy | $0.04/kWh | No | Flat rate, easy to understand |
| Energy Australia | $0.05/kWh | Yes | Solar Boost plan available |
| Amber Electric | $0.08–$0.35/kWh | Yes (wholesale) | Variable — can earn more during peaks |
| Tango Energy | $0.05/kWh | No | Competitive flat rate |
| PowerShop | $0.04/kWh | No | Popular with solar owners |
| 1st Energy | $0.06/kWh | No | Good flat rate |
Rates indicative only. Last updated May 2026.
Honest articles on the stuff that actually affects your decision.
Victoria has some of the highest electricity prices in Australia — but the maths has changed significantly. Feed-in tariffs have collapsed from 60¢/kWh in 2012 to around 4–6¢ today. Solar ROI now depends almost entirely on self-consumption.
"Victoria's Default Feed-in Tariff for 2024–25 has been set at 3.3¢/kWh… significantly lower than retail electricity prices of around 30¢/kWh."
— Essential Services Commission Victoria, 2024If you're home during the day and using solar directly, you're saving 30¢ per kWh. If you're exporting, you're earning 4¢. That's a 7x difference — which is why daytime usage patterns matter more than almost anything else.
☀️ Bottom line: Solar in VIC can still be a great investment in 2026 — but only for the right household.
Most people know there's "some kind of solar rebate." Few know exactly what they're entitled to or how much it actually reduces the cost. Here's the full picture for Victorian homeowners.
"The Solar Homes Program has helped more than 250,000 Victorian households install solar panels, batteries and solar hot water systems since 2018."
— Victorian Government, solar.vic.gov.auFederal STC rebate saves ~$1,500 on a standard 6.6kW system. The Victorian Solar Homes Program adds up to $1,400 for eligible households. For batteries — the old Victorian rebate is gone. The federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program now applies, saving ~$2,700 on a 10kWh battery, but only if you have solar panels. A standalone battery with no solar gets no government rebate and makes little financial sense — you'd be charging it from the grid at full price with no offset.
🔋 Bottom line: Battery rebates only apply when paired with solar. Rebates reduce every 6 months until 2030 — sooner is better.
The Australian solar industry has had well-documented problems with predatory sales practices. Here are five things that should immediately raise concerns.
"The ACCC has received thousands of complaints about solar businesses... including misleading claims about savings, high-pressure door-to-door sales, and systems installed without adequate site assessments."
— Australian Competition & Consumer CommissionWatch for: Same-day pressure to sign · No site inspection before quoting · "Free battery" offers · Unknown panel brands · No CEC accreditation. Get at least 3 quotes and verify installers at cleanenergycouncil.org.au.
⚠️ Bottom line: If you feel pressured, walk away. A good installer is never in a rush.
I spent time working across a few solar companies in Victoria. The product itself is great — but the way a lot of these businesses operate isn't. I watched elderly homeowners get pushed into $15,000–$20,000 systems where the ROI simply didn't stack up. High-pressure tactics. Inflated margins. Companies clearing $10,000 profit per sale on hardware that costs a fraction of that.
The people being sold to weren't stupid — they just didn't have access to honest, independent information before they sat down with a salesperson. By the time the numbers were in front of them, the pressure was already on.
So I built Aussie Solar Info to give everyday Victorian homeowners what they should have had from the start — a straight answer on whether solar makes financial sense for their home, before they talk to anyone. If it does, I'll point them toward an installer I'd actually recommend. If it doesn't, I'll say that too.
No fluff — just straight answers.
Yes, completely. The assessment, the report, the installer comparison — all free. I make money only if I connect you with an installer and a job is completed. If solar doesn't make sense for you, I'll tell you that and there's nothing to pay.
No. I only pass your details to one installer, and only if you tick the consent box and confirm you're happy to be introduced. You won't hear from five companies at once. That's the whole point of this site.
I'm not an installer and I don't take money from companies to appear on this site. The 30 companies listed are based on ratings, accreditation, and service quality — not who pays me.
The estimates in your PDF are based on your answers and typical VIC market rates — a realistic starting point, not a quote. Accurate figures need your actual bills and a site inspection. I'm upfront about that in every report.
Your personalised report includes an estimated system size, cost breakdown before and after rebates, estimated annual savings, payback period, and honest notes on anything specific to your roof or usage.
Absolutely not. The report is yours to use however you like. If you'd like an introduction to one of our vetted VIC partners, that option is there. But there's no pressure and no obligation.
The assessment will tell you that honestly. If your bill is too low, your usage doesn't suit solar, or your roof has too much shading — I'll say so. That honesty is the whole point.
Yes — for now. VIC has its own feed-in tariff rates, rebate programs, and installer landscape. Keeping it Victoria-only means the information is actually accurate for your situation.
Still have a question?
Email olly@aussiesolarinfo.com