Home solar guides for New Zealand
Everything we publish is written to answer one question properly, with the figures sourced and dated. Start with what solar costs and whether it pays for your home.
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How much do solar panels cost in NZ? (2026 prices)
What home solar costs in New Zealand in 2026: installed prices for 3kW to 10kW systems, the price-per-watt test, what a quote should include and what changes the price.
Start hereAre solar panels worth it in NZ?
Whether home solar pays in New Zealand: the payback formula with the 2026 power price, buy-back rates, EECA's suitability checklist, and the homes it doesn't suit.
Solar battery or grid-tied only? When a battery pays in NZ
Battery prices per kWh in NZ for 2026, payback with and without a battery, and the households where storage makes sense. Why we don't push one.
ReadSolar buy-back rates in NZ by retailer
What each NZ power retailer pays for exported solar in 2026, peak and off-peak, and why using your own solar is worth more than any buy-back rate.
ReadHow many solar panels do I need?
Size a home solar system from your power bill: yearly kWh, output per kW by NZ region, panel counts and roof space, with the formula and examples.
ReadDo solar panels need a building consent in NZ?
The 23 October 2025 building consent exemption for solar panels in plain English: the 40 m² and wind zone limits, when an engineer is needed, and what still applies.
ReadHow to read and compare solar quotes in NZ
Compare solar quotes line by line using EECA's checklist: what must be included, minimum warranties, the price-per-watt test, deposits and red flags.
ReadSolar grants, subsidies and green loans in NZ
Is there a solar subsidy in NZ? No national rebate for homes, but bank green loans at 0% to 1%. What each bank has offered, and what to check.
ReadBuy, lease or subscribe to solar? What SolarZero customers learned
Buying solar outright or with a green loan versus a lease or subscription, and what SolarZero's December 2024 liquidation showed about long contracts.
ReadThe solar installation process in NZ, step by step
What happens from site survey to switch-on: lines-company approval, install day, inspection and certificates. EECA says it usually takes 4 weeks or less.
ReadHow to clean solar panels in NZ (and how often you need to)
Rain cleans panels tilted 10° or more. Wash once a year with plain water and a soft brush, more near the coast or birds. What else maintenance involves.
ReadSolar panel size and dimensions: how big is a solar panel in NZ?
A typical 440W home panel is about 1.76 m × 1.13 m and 22–25 kg. Panel sizes, roof space per kW, and what fits on your roof.
ReadSee your fixed price in two minutes.
Tell us about your roof and your power bill. You get the recommended package, the price and the payback maths, with every assumption listed.