Is Solar Worth It in Darwin?.
Short answer: usually, and more so here than most of the country. But not for everyone, and not in the way some quotes suggest. Here is the honest version, including when we tell people not to bother.
The honest summary
When Solar Does Not Stack Up
If the house is empty all day, if you are renting, if the roof is heavily shaded or in poor condition, or if you are planning to sell within a couple of years — the numbers get much harder to justify.
We would rather tell you that than sell you a system you regret. It is the same approach we take on switchboards: if I reckon there is still five years in it, I will say so rather than take your money for something you do not need yet.
What Actually Drives the Numbers
Three things that matter more than panel brand.
When You Use Power, Not Just How Much
Two houses with identical bills get very different results. Daytime usage — air conditioning, working from home, a pool pump — is where solar pays. An empty house exports cheaply.
Self-Use Beats Export, Heavily
Every unit you use as you generate it saves the full retail rate. Every unit you export earns a feed-in rate worth a fraction of that. Maximising self-use is the whole game.
Darwin Is Zone 1
We sit in the highest STC rebate zone in the country. The same system attracts more certificates here than down south, which shortens payback before you generate anything.
Where Solar Pays Best
And where it genuinely does not.
Strong case
Daytime usage, decent roof, staying put. The classic good fit.
- Air conditioning running through the day
- Someone home or working from home
- Pool pump or other daytime loads
- Planning to stay five years or more
Worth running the numbers
It might work, but it depends on the detail.
- Mixed daytime and evening usage
- Partial roof shading
- Smaller household
- Considering a battery as well
Usually does not stack up
We will tell you rather than sell to you.
- House empty all day, low usage
- Renting rather than owning
- Heavily shaded roof
- Selling within a couple of years
Where a battery changes it
Evening-heavy usage flips the answer.
- Air conditioning running after dark
- Everyone home in the evening
- High overnight consumption
- Wet season blackout concerns
Systems We Have Installed
Solar across Darwin, Palmerston and the rural NT.
How We Work It Out
From your bill, not from a template.
Send a Power Bill
Ideally a recent one. Consumption and timing is what we need.
We Look at Your Pattern
When you use power matters more than how much. That is what decides payback.
We Come Out
Roof, orientation, shading, roof condition and the switchboard.
Honest Answer
The numbers, including the case for doing nothing if that is what they show.
Sometimes the Better Spend Is Elsewhere
Occasionally the honest answer is that a more efficient air conditioner, an LED conversion or fixing an ancient switchboard would do more for your bills and your house than a solar system would. Because Flynn’s does all of it, we have no reason to push you toward the biggest ticket item.
Related Advice
Guides from our team on this kind of work.
After extensive research and a number of quotes from different installers, these guys stood out. They were the most thorough when it came to preparing a quote, asking lots of questions and doing a detailed inspection of our property. I was left with no doubt about which system best suited our needs and why. If you want a genuine team of experts who take a measured and detailed approach to both system specification and installation, I can’t recommend Shane Frew and the rest of the Flynn’s Team enough.— Sandra Y.
Great communication, great work, fair prices. They told us they do domestic electrical work so we’ll definitely be contacting them for future works. Highly recommended.— Alexander G.
When I first applied online I received a call within 5 minutes! Incredibly professional and competitive prices. Will definitely be using Flynn’s again.— Kristian H.
Frequently asked questions.
The questions people actually want answered.
What is the payback period on solar in Darwin?
It depends far more on your usage pattern than on the system, but Darwin generally does better than most of the country — we are in the highest STC rebate zone and our air conditioning load lines up with peak generation. We will work out your actual figure from a bill rather than quoting an average.
Is the feed-in tariff any good?
It is worth considerably less than what you pay to buy power back. Which is exactly why sizing for self-use rather than maximum export matters, and why a battery is worth considering if you use a lot of power in the evening.
Should I wait for prices to drop or technology to improve?
You can wait indefinitely on that reasoning. Meanwhile you are buying power at full retail. If the numbers work now, waiting mostly costs you the savings you would have made in the interim.
Does solar add value to my house?
Generally yes, though it is hard to put a firm figure on it, and a poorly installed system with cheap components can do the opposite. Worth being honest about if selling soon is part of your thinking.
When do you tell people not to bother?
House empty all day with low usage, renting rather than owning, a heavily shaded or worn out roof, or selling within a couple of years. We would rather say so than sell you something you regret.
What if my roof is old?
Worth sorting the roof first. Removing and refitting an array to replace roof sheeting underneath costs real money, and it is entirely avoidable by doing them in the right order.
Related Services
Other work Flynn’s handles across Darwin, Palmerston and the rural NT.
Get an Honest Answer
Leave your details and we will ring you. Have a recent power bill handy and we will tell you what the numbers actually look like for your house, including if the answer is not yet.
Phone: (08) 7918 1115
Area: Darwin, Palmerston & Rural NT
Request a quote
Want the honest version?
Send a bill. We will tell you straight, even if the answer is don’t bother.