Solar Panel Cost by State — 2026 Australian Pricing

A 6.6 kW solar system installed in Brisbane in early 2026 sits at a median A$5,400 before the Small-scale Technology Certificate (STC) rebate. The same system in Hobart prices at roughly A$7,200. The Clean Energy Council’s Q1 2026 installer pricing survey shows a 33% spread between the cheapest and most expensive mainland states, driven by labour costs, STC zone rating, distributor connection fees, and installer density rather than panel quality.

This guide breaks installed pricing down by state and territory using SunWiz’s Australian PV Market Insights Q1 2026, Clean Energy Regulator STC data, AER’s annual State of the Energy Market report, and hipages tradesperson-quote data. All prices are post-STC unless noted, in 2026 AUD.

The 2026 national baseline

Australia’s residential installed price for a turnkey rooftop system from a CEC-accredited installer in Q1 2026 sits at:

System size	National median (post-STC)	STC rebate (Zone 3)	Pre-STC sticker
5 kW	A$4,800	A$2,200	A$7,000
6.6 kW	A$6,200	A$2,900	A$9,100
10 kW	A$9,400	A$4,400	A$13,800
13.3 kW	A$12,600	A$5,800	A$18,400

The STC scheme runs until 2030 with a steadily declining deeming period — every January the number of certificates created per kW falls, so post-STC prices have been creeping up roughly A$200 on a 6.6 kW system year over year. Plan around this if you are considering deferring installation.

Queensland

Brisbane and South East Queensland (A$820–A$950/kW post-STC). Cheapest residential install pricing in mainland Australia. Year-round installer utilization (no winter slowdown), STC Zone 3 rating, mature Energex/Ergon connection processes, and high installer density compete prices down. Energex residential feed-in tariff in 2026 sits at the retailer-set rate of 4–7c/kWh — below cost-reflective rates — which means self-consumption matters more than export here.

Regional Queensland (Ergon territory, A$880–A$1,050/kW). Slightly higher pricing due to longer travel distances. Ergon’s regulated feed-in tariff (currently 9.04c/kWh) is more generous than Energex’s market-based rate, which improves regional ROI.

New South Wales

Sydney and metro NSW (A$880–A$1,050/kW post-STC). STC Zone 3 rating across most of NSW with parts of the South Coast in Zone 4. Ausgrid, Endeavour, and Essential Energy each maintain different inverter approval lists and connection requirements — SolarEdge, Fronius, Goodwe, and Sungrow are universally accepted; some Tier-2 inverters trigger longer approval queues. NSW’s Empowering Homes Loan programme closed in 2024; the only state-level incentive in 2026 is the federal STC.

Regional NSW (A$900–A$1,100/kW). Newcastle, Wollongong, Tamworth, Albury. Pricing premium of roughly 5% over Sydney due to travel costs but superior solar yields (up to 1,650 kWh/kWp annual on the Western Plains).

Victoria

Melbourne and metro VIC (A$950–A$1,150/kW post-STC). Solar Victoria’s Solar Homes Programme rebate of A$1,400 plus an interest-free loan of up to A$1,400 stacks with the federal STC, materially improving the case for households earning under A$210,000 combined. CitiPower, Powercor, and Jemena DNSPs each have their own connection timelines (typically 4–8 weeks). Feed-in tariffs sit at 4.9c/kWh minimum in 2026.

Regional Victoria (A$980–A$1,180/kW). Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Shepparton. Same Solar Victoria rebate eligibility. STC Zone 4 rating in alpine areas reduces certificate counts slightly.

South Australia

Adelaide and metro SA (A$870–A$1,030/kW post-STC). SA Power Networks runs a streamlined connection process for systems up to 10 kW. Home Battery Scheme rebates have wound down for batteries; the federal Small Generation Unit programme remains the primary upfront incentive. SA has the country’s highest renewables penetration which means feed-in tariffs are now low (3–6c/kWh) and frequent inverter export-curtailment events occur on sunny low-demand days. Self-consumption matters more here than anywhere else in Australia.

Regional SA (A$920–A$1,100/kW). STC Zone 3 across most of the state with northern pastoral areas in Zone 2 (highest STC count, lowest post-STC price).

Western Australia

Perth and metro WA (A$880–A$1,040/kW post-STC). Western Power’s DEBS feed-in tariff pays 10c/kWh for export 3–9pm and 2.5c/kWh for export at other times — among the most rewarding peak-export tariffs in Australia. Strong installer density across the metro Perth area. Distributed Energy Resources Register requirements add a small compliance cost (~A$50) per install.

Regional WA (A$950–A$1,150/kW). Horizon Power territory. Smaller installer pool, longer travel times, and Horizon’s hosting capacity caps in some towns can delay or deny new connections.

Tasmania

Hobart and Launceston (A$1,050–A$1,250/kW post-STC). Smallest market in mainland Australia by install volume. Higher labour rates, fewer competing installers, and longer travel between sites push pricing 15–25% above the national median. Tasmania’s STC zoning gives lower per-kW certificates due to lower irradiance — STC value is roughly 20% below mainland figures. Aurora Energy’s feed-in tariff is set quarterly and tends to be among the most generous in Australia (currently 12.42c/kWh).

Northern Territory

Darwin and Alice Springs (A$1,100–A$1,350/kW post-STC). Highest install pricing in Australia despite STC Zone 1 rating (the most generous certificate count). Reasons: shipping logistics, restricted installer pool, cyclone-rated mounting hardware (mandatory in cyclone zones), and Power and Water Corporation’s strict hosting capacity limits. The NT’s Home and Business Battery Scheme provides a flat A$3,000–A$6,000 battery rebate that materially shifts the case for paired storage.

Australian Capital Territory

Canberra (A$950–A$1,150/kW post-STC). Evoenergy maintains a streamlined connection process. ACT’s Sustainable Household Scheme provides a zero-interest loan up to A$15,000 for solar and battery — uniquely accessible in the ACT and the most generous publicly available financing in the country. Feed-in tariffs are retailer-set, currently 6–9c/kWh in 2026.

STC zone bands

The STC scheme’s geographic zoning materially affects post-rebate price:

Zone	Indicative regions	STCs per kW (2026, 7-yr deeming)
1	NT, far north QLD, north WA	11.4
2	Most of Australia outside coastal SE	10.7
3	Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide	9.7
4	Melbourne, Hobart, alpine regions	8.4

At an STC spot price of approximately A$36 in early 2026, a Zone 1 install on a 6.6 kW system claims about A$2,700 in certificates while the same system in Zone 4 claims roughly A$2,000 — a A$700 difference flowing straight to the post-STC price.

Putting the numbers together

Use the Cost of Solar Panels Calculator to enter your postcode and roof orientation for a state-adjusted estimate. The Solar Panel Payback Calculator layers your local feed-in tariff and self-consumption assumptions to produce a full year-by-year ROI. For battery sizing run the Solar Battery Bank Sizing Calculator.

Reference sources: Clean Energy Regulator STC database (April 2026), SunWiz Australian PV Market Insights Q1 2026, Clean Energy Council Solar Accreditation Scheme installer pricing survey (Q1 2026), AER State of the Energy Market 2025, hipages residential pricing tracker (April 2026), Solar Victoria programme guidelines (March 2026 update).