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Is solar worth it in Northern Territory? Payback for 2026–27

Typical 6.6 kW system · Darwin (STC Zone 2)

3.5 years payback on a $6,500 post-STC quote

Annual benefit ≈ $1,853 ($1,285 bill savings + $568 exports) · 10-year position ≈ $12,029.

Every assumption below is a dataset value — change any of them in the calculator.

Solar payback calculator

NT

6.6 kW is the most common residential size.

Pre-set: Jacana Energy standard buyback.

3.5 years estimated payback
Annual generation (4.21 kWh/kW/day, STC Zone 2)
10,142 kWh
Bill savings (self-consumed at 31.7c/kWh)
$1,285/yr
Export earnings (9.3c/kWh feed-in)
$568/yr
Total annual benefit
$1,853/yr
Net cost
$6,500
10-year position
$12,029

Your quote already includes ≈$1,995 of STC discount (50 STCs at $39.9 each) — it is not subtracted again.

Assumptions: CER-derived generation factor, NT reference usage rate (NT Electricity Pricing Order 2026–27 (Jacana Energy standard residential)), STC spot $39.9 as at 10 July 2026, deeming to the 2030 scheme end. Panel degradation, tariff changes and finance costs excluded. How these numbers are built →

The assumptions, sourced

Default assumptions for the NT payback figure
InputValueSource
Daily generation per kW4.21 kWhCER zone rating, derived (Zone 2)
Usage tariff offset31.7c/kWhNT Electricity Pricing Order 2026–27 (Jacana Energy standard residential) (Power and Water)
Feed-in tariff9.3c/kWhJacana Energy standard buyback
Self-consumption40%Editable assumption (typical daytime-home share)
STC value$1,99550 STCs × $40 spot (10 July 2026)
Price basispost-STCAU quotes include the STC discount — not subtracted again

How the numbers are built

Generation = kW × the CER-derived daily factor × 365. The share you use directly offsets power at your usage rate; the rest exports at the feed-in rate. Net cost is your quote minus any upfront state rebate — and minus the STC value only if your quote was genuinely pre-STC, which Australian quotes almost never are. Payback = net cost ÷ annual benefit. Full formulas on the methodology page.

Frequently asked questions

How many years to pay back solar in NT?
About 3.5 years for a typical 6.6 kW system quoted at $6,500 (a post-STC price), self-consuming 40% — an annual benefit of ≈$1,853. Your roof, usage pattern and quote move it; change every input in the calculator above.
How is the STC rebate worked out?
kW × zone rating (1.536 in Darwin, Zone 2) × deeming years (5 for a 2026 install), rounded down, × the certificate price ($40). For this system that's 50 STCs ≈ $1,995 — already inside a normal Australian quote, which is why the calculator doesn't subtract it again by default. Full detail: NT solar rebates.
Does the feed-in tariff still make solar worth it?
The FiT is no longer the engine — at 9.3c/kWh, exports earn ≈$568/yr here versus ≈$1,285/yr from self-consumption at 31.7c/kWh. Payback now lives on the power you don't buy, not the power you sell. See current NT FiT rates.
Is a battery worth adding?
A battery converts low-value exports into high-value self-consumption, and the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program discounts a VPP-capable battery via STCs (roughly a third off). It lengthens the combined payback versus panels alone in most homes, but the gap has narrowed — the case is strongest where the FiT is lowest. Scheme detail: NT rebates.

Related

Sources — figures current as at 17 July 2026.

Panel degradation, tariff escalation, financing costs and export limits are excluded — the estimate is conservative on generation (CER-deemed factor) and neutral on prices. Not solar-purchase advice.