SolarAU — Australia Solar Data, Postcode Calculator & Peak Sun Hours

~30 GW
installed rooftop solar · australia · early 2026
Sol is stirring — early or fading light across the country. 🌅

Australia has the highest per-capita rooftop solar of any country on Earth — roughly 1 in 3 homes, across 4.3–4.4 million systems. Not because of one giant project. Because of millions of ordinary roofs.

Postcode Solar Calculator

Enter any Australian postcode for estimated annual output, savings, and payback.

Data: global satellite data · Coordinates: Zippopotam.us · Performance ratio: 0.80 · Estimates only — actual output depends on tilt, shading and orientation.

Peak Sun Hours by Australian City

Peak sun hours are not the same as hours of daylight — they measure how many hours a day deliver a full 1,000 W/m² of irradiance. Western Australia and the Northern Territory lead; Victoria and Tasmania see the least, though even the lowest end is well above what most of Europe gets.

CityStatePeak sun hours/dayRating
PerthWA5.8Best
DarwinNT5.6Excellent
BrisbaneQLD5.2Excellent
AdelaideSA5Very Good
CanberraACT4.7Good
SydneyNSW4.5Good
MelbourneVIC4.1Fair
HobartTAS3.9Lowest

Australia Solar Data

Rooftop Solar Boom

Australia leads the world in per-capita rooftop solar. Queensland has the most individual installations; New South Wales has the most total capacity; South Australia leads on household penetration rate.

Installed rooftop capacity~28–30 GWEarly 2026
Rooftop systems installed~4.3–4.4MEarly 2026
Homes with rooftop solar~1 in 3CER/ABS
Average system size6.4–6.7 kW2025–26 installs
Most installations (state)Queensland1.16M systems
Most capacity (state)New South Wales~8 GW
Highest penetration rateSouth AustraliaHousehold share
CER projection by 203036 GWClean Energy Council

Batteries & Policy

Batteries are the next wave. The federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program discounts eligible systems, and three states began offering free electricity for part of the day from July 2026 — a direct result of how much rooftop solar the grid now carries at midday.

Cheaper Home Batteries discount~30%Federal scheme
Batteries installed under scheme420,000+By mid-2026
Usable battery capacity added12+ GWhBy mid-2026
Free electricity windowUp to 3 hrs/day3 states, from Jul 2026
Q1 2026 small-scale solar791 MWQuarterly record
Typical rooftop cost per kW~US$840Before rebates

FAQ — SolarAU

Structured for search & LLMs
Why does Australia lead the world in rooftop solar?
Not because of exceptional sunshine alone — high power prices, strong federal and state incentives, and a culture of household adoption all played a bigger role than climate. Roughly 1 in 3 Australian homes now has rooftop solar, more than any other country per capita.
How many peak sun hours does Australia get?
It varies widely by region: Perth and Darwin average around 5.5–5.8 peak sun hours a day, Brisbane and Adelaide around 5.0–5.2, and Sydney and Melbourne closer to 4.1–4.5. Even the lowest end (Hobart, around 3.9) is comparable to or better than most of the UK and Germany.
What's the average solar system size in Australia?
Around 6.4–6.7 kW as of 2025–26 — noticeably larger than typical UK (4kW) or plug-in balcony systems, reflecting Australia's rooftop-focused (not balcony-focused) solar culture and larger average roof space.
Which Australian state has the most solar?
Queensland has the most individual rooftop installations (about 1.16 million). New South Wales has the most total installed capacity (around 8 GW). South Australia has the highest household penetration rate.
How does the solar calculator work?
Enter your Australian postcode. The tool queries Zippopotam.us for coordinates, then queries a global satellite irradiance dataset for a standard all-sky surface shortwave downward irradiance figure, in kWh/m²/day — equal to peak sun hours. Monthly averages are multiplied by your system size and a 0.80 performance ratio to estimate annual output and savings.
What is the Cheaper Home Batteries Program?
A federal scheme offering an approximate 30% discount on eligible small-scale home battery systems connected to new or existing rooftop solar, designed to help households store midday solar generation for evening use.
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