Solar and batteries in Sydney: prices, NSW rebates and free midday power

How much does solar cost in Sydney?

After the federal rebates, installed, GST included (October 2026):

Ranges, not quotes, from current installer prices on Homerise and published Australian market data; Sydney sits a little below the national average for solar, and the battery part uses national ranges. Two storeys, a tiled roof, three-phase power or a switchboard upgrade add from a few hundred dollars to about $1,200 each. Installers' current offers can come in lower. More: solar panel cost, solar battery cost.

What rebates can Sydney homes get?

Sydney is in STC zone 3, so the federal solar rebate is about $1,665 on a 6.6 kW system, and the federal battery rebate about $3,663 on a 15 kWh battery, if installed now; both fall from 1 January 2027. They're already taken off the prices above. New South Wales adds two programs open to homeowners: NSW virtual power plant incentive and NSW Home Energy Saver zero-interest loan. Every program, who qualifies and how to claim it: solar and battery rebates in New South Wales.

To spread the cost, the NSW Home Energy Saver zero-interest loan lends up to $15,000 at 0% interest over up to 10 years to households that qualify, through the lenders' approved suppliers only, so ask your installer whether they are one. Who qualifies and how it works: the NSW Home Energy Saver loan.

Joining a virtual power plant can add a one-off NSW incentive. The amount varies by provider and network, so it isn't in your Homerise price. More: virtual power plants.

How much power does solar make in Sydney?

Each kW of panels in Sydney makes about 1,400 kWh a year: about 155 kWh a month in January, the best month, and about 70 in June, the lowest (PVWatts, panels facing north at 20°). A 6.6 kW system makes about 9,500 kWh a year. Winter output is about 47% of the best month's, so a battery sized to cover a summer evening can fall short in June and July; your installer sizes it for your own use.

What does power cost in Sydney?

On the Ausgrid default market offer for 2026-27, power costs about 33c a kWh plus about $1.66 a day in supply charges, and the feed-in tariff we use for NSW is about 4c (check your own plan's). Each kWh of solar you use yourself is worth about 8 times one you export, which is why a battery, or running the dishwasher, pool pump and hot water in the day, pays in Sydney. Endeavour and Essential Energy areas have their own default prices. Enter your own rates in the savings calculator.

Free midday power in Sydney: the Solar Sharer Offer

Larger retailers in NSW offer a plan with three free hours of power a day, 11am to 2pm, up to 24 kWh. You need a smart meter, not solar. A battery on a small or existing solar system can top up for free on cloudy days; without a battery, the free hours suit hot water, the pool pump and an electric car. Rates outside the free hours can be higher than your current plan's, so compare the whole plan before switching. More: the Solar Sharer Offer.

The installers we introduce in Sydney

Homerise introduces one vetted local installer at a time, never several at once. We check their licence, accreditation, insurance, reviews and complaints before they get an enquiry, and every 90 days after (what to check yourself). Enter your address to see whether one covers your postcode.