The 2026 payback picture
A typical 6.6 kW system costs roughly $5,000 to $9,000 installed after the federal rebate. SolarChoice puts the payback for a well-sized 6.6 kW system at around 2 to 5 years in 2026 depending on your state (roughly 1.9 years in Adelaide to 4.6 in Darwin), and SolarQuotes reaches the same “worth it” verdict for owner-occupiers. The caveat: a badly sized or badly timed system pays back much more slowly.
What it actually costs
Typical residential solar in 2026, owner-occupier, decent roof. Payback range from SolarChoice's state figures for a 6.6 kW system; the panels+battery row is not covered by that same source, see body below.
| Option | What it includes | Payback |
|---|---|---|
| 6.6 kW panels | The standard residential system, after the federal rebate | ~2–5 yr |
| Panels + battery | Storage so you can use daytime solar at night; roughly doubles the upfront cost. No single sourced payback figure exists for this combination; treat it as longer than panels alone, not as a number | longer; depends on price & state rebate |
| No solar, just shift usage | Run big loads by day; free if you already have solar, cheaper on time-of-use | $0 upfront |
Feed-in tariffs are now only a few cents per kWh while you pay ~30 to 40¢ to buy power, so every kWh you use yourself is worth far more than one you export.
The rule that decides your savings
Because feed-in tariffs are low while buying power is dear, solar pays best when your big loads run in daylight: dishwasher, washing machine and dryer in the middle of the day, hot water on a daytime timer, and an EV charged on the sun rather than at night. Do that and a modern system offsets a big chunk of a bill; ignore it, export everything at 5¢ and buy it back at 33¢ after dark, and the payback stretches out.
Where a battery fits (and where it doesn't yet)
A battery lets you use daytime solar at night, but roughly doubles the upfront cost and pays back more slowly than panels alone; no source cited here puts a specific payback figure on the panels+battery combination the way SolarChoice does for panels alone. The concrete case where that changes: WA and the Northern Territory each run a battery-specific rebate (see the table below) with no equivalent panels-alone rebate, so a battery can close its own extra payback gap faster there than in a state with no battery scheme at all. Outside that case, panels first, battery later is still the sensible order for most homes in 2026, unless a current state rebate changes the sum. Get quotes and a site-specific estimate before you commit.
State and territory help on top of the federal rebate
Three jurisdictions run their own scheme on top of the federal STC rebate already netted out above: Victoria's (solar-specific), New South Wales' (not solar-specific, also covers insulation and heat pump hot water elsewhere on this site) and the ACT's (concession-card holders only). The other five have no equivalent owner-occupier panel rebate, each for its own reason. Full figures and eligibility for all eight are in the table below, stated once, there.
State and territory top-up schemes
Full detail behind the summary above.
| State | Scheme | Typical value | Who it’s for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Victoria | Solar Homes solar panel rebate | Up to $1,400, plus a matching interest-free loan (also up to $1,400) | Owner-occupiers, household income under $150,000/yr (tightened from $210,000 on 1 Jul 2026), property under $3m, no solar or solar rebate at the address in the past 10 years |
| New South Wales | Home Energy Saver | Discount up to $4,000, or a zero-interest loan up to $15,000 | Discount: household income up to $80,000/yr or an eligible concession card. Loan: income up to $210,000/yr |
| Australian Capital Territory | Home Energy Support Program | 50% of supply-and-install cost, up to $2,500 (counts toward a $5,000 total cap) | Concession-card holders only (Pensioner Concession, DVA Gold or Health Care Card), property under $750,000 |
| Queensland | No current scheme | – | No rebate for owner-occupiers; Supercharged Solar for Renters pays landlords up to $3,500 to add solar to a rented property, not homeowners |
| South Australia | No current scheme | – | REPS doesn't list rooftop solar PV installation among its eligible activities (it covers efficiency retrofits, VPP battery connection and demand response) |
| Western Australia | No current scheme | – | No state solar panel rebate; the WA Residential Battery Scheme (rebate plus interest-free loan) is battery-only and doesn't cover panels bought alone |
| Tasmania | No current scheme | – | No current state scheme; the Energy Saver Loan Scheme, which offered 0% loans covering solar, closed to new applications in Sept 2025 |
| Northern Territory | No current scheme | – | No single-dwelling solar rebate; the Home and Business Battery Scheme won't fund panels alone, and a separate grant is limited to apartment/strata buildings |
On top of the federal STC rebate above, which applies nationwide regardless of state. Scheme values verified July 2026: state and territory programs open, close and change value without notice, so confirm the current figure on the linked source before relying on it. Your row is highlighted once you set your location.
Common questions
Is solar still worth it in Australia in 2026?
For most owner-occupiers with a decent roof, yes. SolarChoice and SolarQuotes both put a well-sized 6.6 kW system in worth-it territory, with payback around 2 to 5 years. The key change is that low feed-in tariffs mean the savings come from using your own solar by day, not exporting it.
How long does solar take to pay for itself?
Around 2 to 5 years for a typical 6.6 kW system in 2026, per SolarChoice's state figures, roughly 1.9 years in Adelaide to 4.6 in Darwin. A battery adds cost and a longer payback.
Should I get a battery with my solar?
For most homes in 2026 the sensible order is panels first, battery later. A battery roughly doubles the upfront cost and pays back more slowly than panels alone, unless a current state rebate changes the maths.
Do any states offer a rebate for solar panels on top of the federal one?
Three do: Victoria's Solar Homes program (up to $1,400, plus a matching interest-free loan, gated on income, property value and no solar in the past decade, solar-specific), New South Wales' Home Energy Saver (a discount up to $4,000 or a zero-interest loan up to $15,000, not solar-specific, the same program that also covers ceiling insulation and heat pump hot water) and the ACT's Home Energy Support Program (50% up to $2,500, concession-card holders only). Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory currently have no equivalent state rebate for an owner-occupier buying panels outright.
Sources
Solar payback and feed-in tariff context: SolarChoice, Is solar worth it? (2026) and SolarQuotes, Solar payback, both fetched July 2026. Electricity rates: AER Default Market Offer. Victoria's Solar Homes solar panel rebate and loan amount, and its income/property/no-prior-solar eligibility: solar.vic.gov.au, Solar Panel Rebate. New South Wales' Home Energy Saver, rooftop solar's own place on the eligible-upgrade list confirmed directly in the program's Home Energy Saver Loans guidelines (PDF), discount/loan figures per NSW Climate and Energy Action, Home Energy Saver. ACT Home Energy Support Program's solar rebate (50%/$2,500 within a $5,000 total cap, concession-card eligibility): ACT Government, Home Energy Support: Rebates for Homeowners, corroborated by SolarHub, ACT Home Energy Support Program. Queensland's landlord-only Supercharged Solar for Renters rebate: qld.gov.au, Supercharged Solar for Renters. South Australia's REPS not listing rooftop solar PV installation among its eligible activities: ESCOSA, Retailer Energy Productivity Scheme. This guide is general information, not financial advice. All fetched July 2026.