See exactly when solar pays off.
Adjust your system size and power bill to model your payback period and 25-year return — no email required.
*Estimates only, based on indicative pricing and average generation under CEC guidelines. Actual savings vary with usage, tariff, feed-in rate and site conditions.
Solar payback periods in Australia
Payback is simply your system price divided by what it saves each year. Prices below include GST and already have the federal STC rebate deducted. The three columns show how much your daily routine matters: power you use yourself avoids the full retail rate, while exported power only earns a feed-in tariff of a few cents.
| System | Price | Out all day | Someone home part-time | Home all day / battery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.6kW | $3,990 | 3.0 yrs$1,350/yr | 2.2 yrs$1,800/yr | 1.8 yrs$2,250/yr |
| 10kW | $5,490 | 3.2 yrs$1,733/yr | 2.4 yrs$2,310/yr | 1.9 yrs$2,888/yr |
| 13kW | $7,990 | 3.7 yrs$2,175/yr | 2.8 yrs$2,900/yr | 2.2 yrs$3,625/yr |
Estimates using indicative pricing and average Australian generation. Panels are warranted for 25 years, so most systems spend the majority of their life in profit.
What changes your payback period
How much solar you use yourself
The single biggest factor. Running the dishwasher, washing machine and pool pump during daylight converts export credits worth a few cents into avoided retail power worth several times more.
Your location and roof orientation
Generation per kW varies across Australia, and north-facing panels produce most. East and west splits generate slightly less overall but spread output across morning and evening, which often suits usage better. Estimate your generation.
Your tariff and feed-in rate
A higher retail rate makes solar pay back faster, because every self-consumed kilowatt-hour is worth more. Check 2026 feed-in tariffs by state.
Rebates and whether you add a battery
The federal STC rebate is already in the prices above, and the Cheaper Home Batteries Program discounts storage per usable kWh. A battery costs more up front but lifts self-consumption sharply. See every 2026 rebate.
Solar savings questions
How long does solar take to pay for itself in Australia?
Most Australian homes see payback in three to five years. A 6.6kW system on a typical household bill usually pays for itself in under four years, and panels are warranted for 25 — so the majority of the system's life is pure return.
Is solar still worth it in 2026?
Yes, though the maths has shifted. Feed-in tariffs are lower than they once were, so the value now comes from using your own generation rather than exporting it. That makes self-consumption — and increasingly a battery — the deciding factor rather than raw system size.
What is a realistic annual saving from solar?
Between about $1,800 and $3,000 a year for a typical home, depending on system size, how much generation you use on site, and your retail tariff. Households home during the day sit at the upper end.
Does a battery improve the payback period?
A battery lengthens simple payback because it adds cost, but it raises total savings by letting you use solar after dark instead of exporting it. With the federal Cheaper Home Batteries rebate applied, the gap has narrowed considerably.
Are these savings figures guaranteed?
No — they're estimates based on indicative pricing and average generation under Clean Energy Council guidelines. Your actual saving depends on usage, tariff, feed-in rate, roof orientation and shading, all of which we assess during the free design.