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Is solar worth it in the 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 →

NT payback against the other states

  • The Northern Territory has the fastest payback of the 8 states on these defaults, 3.5 years, against 5.7 years in Victoria.
  • Using 60% of the output at home, the same system pays back in 2.8 years, compared with 3.5 years at 40% and 4.6 years at 20%.
  • Exports earn $568 a year here, 30.6% of the benefit; the power you don't buy is worth 2.3 times as much.

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 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.