Is solar worth it in New South Wales in 2026?
Short answer: it depends far more on when you use power than on how big your bill is. New South Wales buys electricity at about 30c a unit and pays about 2c for what you export, so a unit used as it is generated is worth roughly 15 times one sent back to the grid.
What is different about New South Wales
At 30c a unit New South Wales sits 4th of 8 on retail price, with a feed-in tariff of 2c. It averages 4.8 peak sun hours a day.
What it costs, and what it saves
Four households, panels only, no battery, unshaded roof, someone home part of the day, after every rebate that applies in New South Wales. The bill column is what that household actually pays at 30c a unit, which is why the same house has a different bill in every state.
| Household uses | Their bill a quarter | System | After rebates | Saves a year | Pays for itself |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 kWh | $373 | 5–6.6kW solar | $5,470 to $7,500 | $410–$610 | 10+ years |
| 15 kWh | $510 | 6.6kW solar | $6,250 to $8,250 | $560–$850 | 9–10+ years |
| 22 kWh | $701 | 10–13kW solar | $8,000 to $13,000 | $870–$1,300 | 7–10+ years |
| 30 kWh | $919 | 10–13kW solar | $8,000 to $13,000 | $1,090–$1,640 | 6–9 years |
Produced by this site's calculator. Not a quote, and your roof will move these.
The number that actually decides it
Take the middle household, 15 kWh a day. Home most days it saves $700–$1,040 a year and pays back in 7–9 years. Out at work all day, the identical system on the identical roof saves $450–$680 and takes 10+ years.
Nothing changed except who was home. That is the whole calculation in New South Wales, and it is why a quote built on an assumed self-consumption figure can be completely honest about the price and still wrong about the savings.
When it is not worth it
A small household on panels alone often does not recover the spend inside ten years here, and that is with the rebate already taken off. If you use under about 10 kWh a day, are out during the day, and have no plans for an EV or a pool, the honest answer is that the money does less for you on the roof than it does almost anywhere else. Nobody selling solar will lead with that.
Do the free things first
Two things cost nothing and should happen before any hardware. Check you are on a competitive retail offer, because the spread between offers is often worth more than a year of solar savings. Then move what you can into the middle of the day: dishwasher, washing machine, pool pump, and hot water if you can control it. In a 2c feed-in state that shifting is worth real money on its own.
What about a battery? On the same 15 kWh household, solar with a battery comes to $7,830 to $15,730 after rebates, saves $1,190–$1,510 a year and pays back in 6–10+ years. At a 2c feed-in rate, storing a unit is worth far more than exporting it, which is what makes storage add up here even though it costs more upfront.
$2,000 difference.
That is the gap between two quotes for the same 6.6kW system in New South Wales, in the same week. Not build quality, not a better job. Overheads, how full the diary is that month, and what the person at your kitchen table thinks you will agree to. On solar with a battery the same gap is $7,900.
Closing that gap is what I do. I already know what installers in your area are quoting this month for this equipment, so I get you the bottom of that range for the same system other companies charge thousands more for. It costs you nothing. The installer pays me, and only if you go ahead, which is why there is no reason for me to push you at a bigger system than you need or at a dearer installer.
Get your own numbers, then get them priced properly
The table above is four example households. Two minutes of questions gets you your system size, what it should cost after rebates in New South Wales, and a ten-year projection built on your roof and your usage. Then I find the bottom of that price range for you.
Run my numbers, freeNo installer buys placement or ranking here, and nothing reaches an installer unless you ask.
Common questions
Is solar worth it in New South Wales?
For a household using around 15 kWh a day and home part of the day, a 6.6kW system in New South Wales costs $6,250 to $8,250 after rebates, saves $560–$850 a year and pays for itself in 9–10+ years. A smaller household that is out all day often does not recover the spend inside ten years on panels alone.
What is the feed-in tariff in New South Wales?
About 2c a kWh, against roughly 30c to buy power back. That gap is around 15 times, so power used as it is generated is worth far more than power exported.
How much does a 6.6kW solar system cost in New South Wales?
$6,250 to $8,250 after rebates for a value-tier install. The spread is the installer's overheads and how busy they are, not the equipment.
What decides whether solar pays off?
How much of the generation is used on site rather than exported. In New South Wales the same 15 kWh household saves $700–$1,040 a year if home most days and $450–$680 if out all day.