How much do solar panels cost in Melbourne?

Solar panel prices in Melbourne by system size

Solar prices in Melbourne are quoted installed, with the STC rebate already taken off. The table below shows what Melbourne homes paid on average, by system size, from the Solar Choice Price Index: a monthly survey of installers that is one of the few public sources for the cost of solar panels in Melbourne. All prices on this page include GST. They are household prices: a business system is designed and priced for each site, as our commercial solar page explains.

Not sure which size fits? The solar sizing guide works it out from the daily use on your power bill.

Standard vs premium systems in Melbourne

The index averages two offers from each installer: its standard system and its premium one, the same size with higher-cost panels and inverters. Solar Choice says premium systems come at a 20–30% higher price. In its Melbourne rows for October 2026 the gap was 15–17%, from $590 on 3 kW to $1,490 on 10 kW: a 6 kW system averaged $5,810 standard and $6,730 premium.

What the premium buys

Ask a premium quote which of these the extra pays for, then check it:

• Efficiency and heat loss. A more efficient panel fits more watts on a small roof, and a lower temperature coefficient loses less on hot days: see panel efficiency and heat.
• Warranties and yearly loss. Product warranty years and the power the maker guarantees each year differ by brand: compare them in our panel comparison.
• The inverter. Warranty, monitoring and local support differ by inverter brand: compare inverters.

Our packages by size

Our packages pair solar with a battery, so they are priced above solar-only systems. This table shows each size with the federal STC rebate on its panels; the battery rebate comes off on top.

* Subject to the final design: on single phase, panel capacity above the inverter maker’s oversizing limit changes the system and its STCs. Its yearly output is capped hour by hour at the inverter’s rating.

See our solar and battery packages

The 6.6kW system in detail

What’s included in the price

An installed solar price should cover everything needed to switch the system on:

• Panels and inverter: the models named on your quote.
• Mounting and cabling: the roof racking, isolators, cabling and switchboard connection.
• Installation: an accredited installer and a licensed electrician, and safety equipment for the roof.
• Connection: network approval for your system and the paperwork for your meter.
• Monitoring: the app that shows what your solar makes and what your home uses.
• Rebates: the STC paperwork, with the rebate taken off the price you pay.

When you compare a solar system price from two installers, check both include the same things. Our quotes list every item and the warranties that come with it.

What changes the price

The cost of a solar system for a Melbourne home depends mostly on:

• System size. More panels cost more, but the price per kW usually falls as the system grows.
• Panel and inverter brands. Premium offers cost more than standard ones for the same size.
• Export limits. Your electricity network can limit how much solar you export, which shapes the design: see export limits on Victorian networks.
• A battery. Adding a battery adds its own price and its own federal rebate.

How much do solar panels cost on their own?

About $80 to $300 or more each in 2026, depending on the brand and wattage (Solar Choice Price Index, retail, the panel alone). A 6 kW system takes 14 to 15 of the panels in our packages, so its panels come to about $1,120 to $4,500 or more, against an average installed price of $5,810 in Melbourne with the STC rebate already off. The inverter, racking, cabling, labour, connection and paperwork make up the rest.

That is also why a supply-only panel price can’t be set against an installed quote. STCs need an accredited installer and panels and an inverter on the Clean Energy Council’s approved list (see what to check before you buy), so panels bought on their own carry no STC discount, while an installed quote has it taken off.

Then come the extras. Solar Victoria says a solar quote should show any additional charges, such as electrical switchboard upgrades and additional costs to install panels on a double-storey home. Some come from your distributor instead:

Switchboard upgrade cost

Solar connects at your switchboard: the inverter needs its own circuit breaker in or next to the board, labelled “MAIN SWITCH (INVERTER)”, and its own terminal in the neutral bar (AS/NZS 4777.1:2024 and AS/NZS 3000:2018, as Solar Victoria’s switchboard checklist sets out). A modern board usually has room. An older one may not, and Energy Safe Victoria lists old switchboards, particularly those without a safety switch, among the signs that wiring may be faulty.

The cost depends on the job: adding a breaker and a safety switch is a small one, replacing the board a bigger one, and boards with an asbestos backing panel (mostly installed before 1990, says the Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency) take extra care. Leave the switchboard closed: it is a job for a licensed electrician. The price index we use doesn’t cover switchboards, so we don’t publish a typical figure; we check your board at the free inspection, so an upgrade is priced in or ruled out before you sign.

Meter changes

When solar goes in, your distributor reconfigures the meter to record your exports, remotely for most Victorian homes (Solar Victoria). You are charged a fee for that work, which generally comes on your electricity bill (EWOV). If the meter has to be physically changed, that cost also goes on your bill.

Three phase homes

A three phase home can run a single phase inverter on one phase, or a three phase inverter that spreads the solar across all three. Victoria’s networks pre-approve up to 10 kW of inverter on any one phase and 30 kW across three, so above 10 kW of inverter a three phase home usually needs a three phase inverter, which changes the equipment on the quote. Moving a single phase home to three phase is a separate cost: the Victorian Government’s Power Up Your Home guide says it can be very high, especially for existing buildings, and that a larger single phase connection is often substantially cheaper.

Should you upgrade to three phase?

Battery cost guide

Rebates that cut the price

The federal rebate for solar panels is paid as small-scale technology certificates (STCs). Their number is your system size in kW × your postcode’s zone rating × the years left in the scheme: 5 for systems installed in 2026, falling to 4 on 1 January 2027. Most of Melbourne is zone 4, where a 6.6 kW system earns 39 STCs, up to about $1,500 off; in a zone 3 postcode the same system gets about $1,700.

Solar Victoria also offers eligible households a panel rebate of up to $1,400 and an optional interest-free loan, applied through its authorised retailers. The rebates page explains who qualifies, and its calculator works out the rebates for your postcode.

Rebate calculator

STC calculator and how STCs work

Solar panel installation cost explained

PV panel installation cost is rarely a separate line on a quote, because the cost to install solar is built into the installed price: the installers’ and electrician’s time, mounting and cabling, safety equipment, connection and network approval, and the rebate paperwork.

What changes it is the job itself. A single-storey tin roof facing north is quicker than a steep tiled roof on two storeys, and an older switchboard adds work. We price those at the inspection, so the price on your quote is the price you pay; the distributor’s meter fee generally comes separately, on your power bill.

From price to payback

Solar saves money in two ways. Every kWh you use at home saves your full electricity rate. Every kWh you export earns your retailer’s feed-in tariff, which is far lower; Victoria has had no minimum feed-in tariff since 1 July 2025, so your retailer sets it. Two sums turn a price into a payback:

1. Yearly saving = solar used at home × your electricity rate + solar exported × your feed-in tariff.
2. Payback = your price after rebates ÷ the yearly saving.

Solar pays back fastest in a home that uses power during the day, or adds a battery to move solar into the evening. Our guide to whether solar is worth it in Melbourne works through payback by system size, and the solar calculator runs the sums from your own usage.

Is solar worth it in Melbourne?

Ways to pay

You can pay for solar upfront, with a bank green loan, or with finance. Eligible households can use Solar Victoria’s interest-free loan of up to $1,400, repaid over 4 years, through an authorised retailer. Whichever way you pay, compare the repayment with your expected saving.

Solar financing options

Cheap solar: what to check before you buy

A low price is only a good deal if the system earns its rebate, lasts, and is backed when something goes wrong. Check these before you sign:

• An accredited installer. The person who designs and installs the system must be accredited by Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA) and hold an unrestricted electrical licence in Victoria. Without that, the system cannot earn STCs, so the rebate on your quote depends on it. Clean Energy Regulator: installer rules
• Approved panels and inverter. The panels and the inverter must be on the Clean Energy Council’s list of approved products, which is another condition for STCs. Ask for the exact model numbers on the quote and check them.
• A seller signed up to the consumer code. The New Energy Tech Consumer Code (NETCC) is a voluntary code authorised by the ACCC that covers how solar is sold, installed and supported afterwards. Its Approved Sellers are listed on the NETCC website. Find an NETCC Approved Seller
• What “Tier 1” means. Tier 1 is a BloombergNEF list of panel manufacturers whose panels banks have financed in large solar projects. It measures how bankable the maker is, not how good a particular panel is, so check the panel’s own warranties as well.
• Warranties, and who honours them. Check four warranties: the panel product warranty, the panel performance warranty, the inverter warranty and the installer’s workmanship warranty, and that each has someone in Australia to claim against.
• Everything priced in. A low solar system price can leave out a switchboard upgrade, a meter change, safety equipment for a steep or two-storey roof, or export limits set by your network. Compare quotes line by line, not just on the total.

Solar panel cost: your questions