How Much Do Solar Panels Cost on the Sunshine Coast in 2026?

Most people ring us with one question before any other: what's this actually going to cost me? Fair enough. Solar pricing online is a mess of "from" prices, rebate claims that sound bigger than they are, and quotes that leave out the bits that matter. Here's the straight version, from the people who do the install.

How much do solar panels cost on the Sunshine Coast?

As at August 2026, a quality 6.6 kW solar system on the Sunshine Coast costs roughly $5,000 to $7,000 installed, with around $6,000 being typical. A 10 kW system sits around $8,000 to $11,000 installed. Those prices already have the federal STC rebate taken off, so they're what you actually pay. Our residential packages start from $5,950, and the main things that push a job up the band are roof type, roof height, switchboard condition and the inverter you choose.

That's the short answer. The rest of this post explains what's inside those numbers, why the same system size can vary by a couple of thousand dollars between quotes, and how to tell whether a cheap quote is cheap for a good reason or a bad one.

Solar power system prices by size (as at August 2026)

These are installed prices for a standard Sunshine Coast home, with the STC discount already deducted. They're bands, not quotes.

Two things to notice about that table.

First, we only publish bands for the two sizes we install most. Smaller and larger systems swing too much on roof and switchboard to put a fair number on them without seeing the house. The fixed parts of any job, like getting the crew on the roof, the inverter, the switchboard work and the network paperwork, don't halve when the panel count does. That's why a 3 kW system rarely costs half what a 6.6 kW does.

Second, look at the price per kilowatt. A 6.6 kW system at around $6,000 works out to roughly 90 cents a watt. A 10 kW system at $8,000 to $11,000 is roughly 80 cents to $1.10 a watt. Bigger systems are usually better value per watt, as long as you can actually use or store what they make.

What's included in the price

A proper installed price on the Coast should cover:

• Tier 1 panels (we fit Jinko and other Tier 1 modules) with 25-year manufacturer warranties typical on the panels
• The inverter, which is the part that converts DC from the roof into AC for the house
• Mounting rails, clamps and roof penetrations sealed properly
• DC and AC isolation, cabling and conduit
• Switchboard work to connect the system
• The network connection application with Energex (or Ergon in regional areas)
• Commissioning, monitoring setup and a handover so you know what you're looking at
• The STC paperwork, done by a Clean Energy Council accredited installer

On top of the manufacturer warranties, every Keystones install carries our own 10-year workmanship warranty. We do our own installs, no subcontractors, so the person who quotes your system is accountable for how it's put on.

If you want to see how the process runs from assessment to switch-on, our residential solar panels page lays it out.

How the STC rebate works (and why you never see a cheque)

There's no Queensland-wide state rebate on solar panels. The discount everyone means when they say "solar rebate" is federal: Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs) under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme.

Here's how it works in plain terms. A new rooftop system creates certificates based on the clean electricity it's expected to produce. You assign those certificates to your installer, and the installer takes their value straight off your invoice. That's why nobody in Queensland gets a solar rebate payment: it's already out of the price before you sign.

A few things worth knowing:

• The value scales with system size, location and the years left in the scheme. A 10 kW system earns more certificates than a 6.6 kW one.
• It shrinks every year. The scheme winds up at the end of 2030, so the same system earns fewer certificates each year it's installed later. It's a slow decline, not a cliff, but it only moves one way.
• The installer must be CEC accredited. Certificates can only be created for a system designed and installed by a Clean Energy Council accredited installer. No accreditation, no discount.
• Ask for it itemised. A good quote shows the STC deduction as its own line so you can see it.

For the full picture, including the separate federal battery rebate, see our Queensland solar rebate guide.

Why a 6.6 kW solar system comes with a 5 kW inverter

If you've collected a few quotes, you'll have noticed the 6.6 kW system with a 5 kW inverter is everywhere. It's not a coincidence and it's not a sales trick. Three things line up.

1. The network. On Energex's network, a basic single-phase connection allows a maximum of 5 kW of export per phase. A 5 kW inverter fits that neatly. (Energex now also offers dynamic connections that can export more; we cover those in our post on single versus three-phase solar.)

2. The design guidelines. Clean Energy Council design guidelines allow the panel array to be bigger than the inverter. Their wording is that the inverter's AC output can't be less than 75 per cent of the array's peak power. Flip that around and a 5 kW inverter can carry up to about 6.6 kW of panels. The Clean Energy Regulator's own modelling reports describe it the same way: a 5 kW inverter limit on many residential connections is what makes 6.6 kW the common system size.

3. The panels rarely hit their nameplate. A panel's rated output is measured under ideal lab conditions. On a real roof, with heat, angle, cloud and dust, the array spends most of the day well under its rating. Putting a third more panel on the inverter means the inverter runs closer to full output for more hours, especially in mornings, arvos and winter. On the few perfect hours where the array could exceed 5 kW, the inverter simply caps output, which costs very little over a year.

So when you search "6.6kw solar system with 5kw inverter price", that's the $5,000 to $7,000 band above. It's the same system.

What makes one quote dearer than another

Two quotes for "6.6 kW" can be $2,000 apart and both be honest. These are the usual reasons:

Roof type and height. Single-storey tin is the easy end. Two-storey, steep pitch, tile, or a roof that needs tilt frames all add time and safety gear.

Switchboard condition. An older board may need work before it can legally take a solar connection. It's one of the biggest swing items on the Coast, especially in older homes.

Inverter brand. A premium European inverter costs more than a budget one. A hybrid inverter that can take a battery later costs more again, but can save you replacing the inverter down the track.

Panel choice. Higher-efficiency panels cost more per watt but fit more capacity on a small roof.

Phase. A three-phase inverter on a three-phase home is a different product from a single-phase one.

Who's installing. A company that subcontracts to whoever's free that week can quote lower. A company that sends its own licensed crew and answers the phone in year seven usually can't.

The cheap quote warning signs

We're not going to tell you never to take the cheaper quote. Sometimes it's fine. But be careful if you see:

• No brand or model numbers listed for the panels or inverter
• No STC deduction shown as its own line
• No mention of the network connection application
• A price that's well under the bottom of the bands above for a standard roof
• A sales rep who can't tell you who'll actually be on your roof

Is 10 kW of solar enough to run a house?

For most Sunshine Coast homes, a 10 kW system will produce more than the house uses across a full day. But "run the house" has a catch: solar only runs the house while the sun's up. Once it goes down, you're back on the grid unless you have a battery.

That's the real decision behind 6.6 kW versus 10 kW:

• If you're home during the day (retired, working from home, pool pump on a timer, dishwasher and washing machine run in daylight), a bigger array lets you cover more of your own use directly.
• If you're out all day and the house wakes up at 4pm, extra panels mostly mean extra export. Feed-in tariffs on the Coast commonly sit around 3 to 12 cents per kWh depending on your retailer, while grid power costs roughly 25 to 35 cents at peak. Exporting more at those rates doesn't move the needle much.
• If a battery is in the plan, 10 kW starts making a lot of sense. A battery needs surplus solar to fill it, and a 6.6 kW array often struggles to fill a decent battery in winter while also covering the house.

A properly sized system commonly takes 70 to 90 per cent off a household's power bills. The word that matters there is "properly". Oversizing for the sake of it just exports more cheap power.

Solar plus a battery: what the total looks like

Plenty of people now price both at once. Here's the worked example from our rebate guide, as at August 2026:

The battery rebate steps down every six months, so the figure that counts is the one on the day your system is installed. We break down battery pricing by size in our guide to solar battery cost on the Sunshine Coast.

How to get an accurate price for your house

A phone estimate can get you into the right band. It can't see your switchboard, your roof or your shading. The way we quote:

1. Send us a recent power bill, ideally with interval data, so we can see when you use power, not just how much.
2. We look at the roof and the switchboard. Orientation, shading, pitch, roof material and whether the board needs work.
3. You get a written quote with brand and model numbers, the STC deduction itemised, and what's included.

If the numbers don't stack up for your household, we'll tell you. You can get a free solar quote online and we'll take it from there.

Frequently asked questions

What is the typical cost of installing solar panels in Queensland?

On the Sunshine Coast, as at August 2026, a 6.6 kW system typically costs $5,000 to $7,000 installed and a 10 kW system $8,000 to $11,000, with the federal STC discount already deducted. Prices elsewhere in Queensland follow similar drivers (roof, switchboard, inverter, travel), but we only quote what we see on our own jobs across the Sunshine Coast, Noosa and Gympie.

How much should a 6.6 kW solar system cost?

Around $5,000 to $7,000 installed on a standard Sunshine Coast home, with $6,000 a fair middle, as at August 2026. That includes a 5 kW inverter and the STC rebate already taken off. A quote well below that band for a normal roof deserves close questions about brands, workmanship and who's doing the install.

Is 10kW solar enough to run a house?

Across a full day, a 10 kW system produces more than most Sunshine Coast homes use. But it only powers the house while the sun is up. To use that solar in the evening, you need a battery, and 10 kW is a good size if a battery is part of the plan because it leaves enough surplus to fill one.

Why do 6.6 kW systems use a 5 kW inverter?

Because Clean Energy Council design guidelines let the panel array be larger than the inverter (the inverter's output can't be less than 75 per cent of the array's peak power), and a basic Energex single-phase connection allows up to 5 kW of export. Panels rarely produce their full rating on a real roof, so the slightly larger array keeps the inverter working harder for more of the day.

Do I have to apply for the solar rebate myself?

No. You assign the STCs to your CEC-accredited installer, who deducts their value from the invoice. There's nothing to claim later. Ask for the deduction to be shown as its own line on the quote.