Prices for solar systems have gone down over time, making them more affordable than ever. Find out what costs to expect and how solar saves you money.
How much does solar cost?
The full cost of getting a home solar system installed depends on:
- the specifics of your home, such as access to the roof
- the size of the solar system you want
- whether you include a battery for storing electricity.
Expect to spend from $8,500 to $11,500 for a small-to-medium system
Systems of 3–5 kilowatts can work well financially for typical New Zealand households, and cost around $8,500 to $11,500 (incl. overheads and GST).
A system in this size range can produce around 4,000 to 6,500 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity per year. That’s around 50–80% of the electricity used by an average 3-person household with all electric appliances (but no EVs).1
Learn more about solar system sizing
Add $5,000 to $15,000 if you want a battery
The cost of installing a battery varies depending on its type and capacity, but is typically between $5,000 and $15,000 (incl. GST).
It’s not essential to have a battery — solar without one will generally give the best returns.
Typical prices for different system sizes
The actual cost of your solar system will depend on your specific requirements, but the following figures represent typical costs to compare your quote with.
Solar system with no battery
Prices include overheads and GST.
|
System size in kilowatts |
Usual number of panels |
Typical installation cost |
| 3 kW | 7 | $8,500 |
| 5 kW | 12 | $11,500 |
| 10 kW | 24 | $20,000 |
Solar system including a battery
Prices include overheads and GST.
| System size in kilowatts | Battery size in kilowatt hours | Typical installation cost |
| 3 kW | 5 kWh | $13,500 |
| 5 kW | 10 kWh | $21,500 |
| 10 kW | 20 kWh | $40,000 |
How solar saves you money
Solar can save the average New Zealand home $1,000 or more on their power bill each year, no matter where they live (EECA analysis). Here's how.
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Using the free electricity you generate
The more solar power you use, the less electricity you need to pay for.
That’s how solar can significantly cut your power costs, creating those big savings you want.
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Selling back to the grid
Any solar electricity that you don’t use can be sold to your power company, generating credit on your power bill.
You may be able to build up credit during the summer and then use it to help lower your winter power bills.
Solar installation 'payback’
The ‘payback period’ is the time it takes for the money you save on power to pay back the upfront cost of installing solar.
Calculate your payback
Use our solar calculator to work out potential year 1 savings, the payback period, and earnings over 25 years.
Financing your solar install
How you choose to finance your solar system makes a big difference to the financial viability of installing it. In short, the higher the interest rate, the longer the payback time.
Where zero or very low interest financing options are available, solar is usually a good investment for most Kiwi homes, offering reliable savings and solid returns.
Explore low or zero interest loans from banks
Many New Zealand banks offer low-interest financing options, and home-loan top ups for 'green energy' projects like solar.
For homeowners, there are zero interest (or very low interest) green loan options available on top of a mortgage. This type of loan can often be paid off well before the warrantied lifespan of solar panels.
Make sure you understand the terms and conditions of any finance provider and get independent advice when needed.
Next step
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Start saving with solar
Work out what system size you need and which parts to include.
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Costs don’t add up yet?
Explore other options for saving on power.