Updated November 2026·Independently researched·11 min read
Commercial solar in Cairns runs $22,000–$33,000
for a 30 kW system installed, after STCs, GST included - other sizes and site works below
A Cairns business pays $22,000–$33,000 for a 30 kW commercial solar system installed after STCs, with $27,000 typical. A Portsmith wholesaler sizing up to 100 kW looks at $70,000–$110,000; an Esplanade cafe at 10 kW looks at $8,000–$12,000.
-1.3%Commercial Solar costs in Cairns are down around 1.3% over the past year, re-verified against 90+ sources in November 2026.Year on year
Typical 30 kW commercial system in Cairns
$27,000
30 kW installed after STCs, Cairns 2026, GST included
30 kW commercial system
$22,000-$33,000
50 kW commercial system
$35,000-$55,000
100 kW commercial system
$70,000-$110,000
$22,000$27,000$33,000
Cairns commercial solar is priced by system size: $8,000–$12,000 for a 10 kW system on a small shop or office, $15,000–$26,000 for 20 kW, $22,000–$33,000 for 30 kW, $35,000–$55,000 for 50 kW and $70,000–$110,000 for 100 kW, installed after STCs. Per watt that is $0.70–$1.20, with the wide Portsmith and Woree sheds at the low end.
Wet-tropics mounting is what separates a Cairns quote from a southern one: arrays go on cyclone-rated frames, and a tilt-frame job on a CBD or Esplanade building needs a structural engineering report at $800–$2,000 before the frames go on, with crane or cherry picker hire at $1,000–$3,000 a day to land the panels. Older boards in Bungalow workshops and the original Lake Street shops add a switchboard upgrade at $1,500–$5,000.
Systems over 30 kW may carry network upgrade or connection works at $2,000–$10,000, and commercial panel cleaning after a wet season of mould and grime costs $5–$15 a panel. All prices include GST.
Quick answerCommercial solar in Cairns runs $22,000–$33,000 for a 30 kW system in 2026, with roof type, switchboard condition and network connection works setting the total. All figures on this page include GST. Get free Cairns quotes →
Commercial Solar Prices in Cairns 2026: Cost Table and Price List
Service
Low
Typical
High
10 kW commercial system (small shop / office)
$8,000installed
$10,000
$12,000
20 kW commercial system
$15,000installed
$20,000
$26,000
30 kW commercial system
$22,000installed
$27,000
$33,000
50 kW commercial system
$35,000installed
$44,000
$55,000
100 kW commercial system
$70,000installed
$88,000
$110,000
Installed cost per watt, commercial (after STCs)
$0.70per W
$0.90
$1.20
Structural engineering report
$800report
$1,200
$2,000
Switchboard upgrade for a commercial system
$1,500per job
$3,000
$5,000
Network upgrade / connection works (systems over 30 kW)
$2,000per job
$5,000
$10,000
Crane or cherry picker hire
$1,000per day
$2,000
$3,000
Commercial panel cleaning
$5per panel
$10
$15
Scoping commercial solar work in Cairns? Get a quote from a local commercial contractor - free, no obligation.
Prices include GST. Cairns and the Tablelands, November 2026.
What does a 30 kW commercial solar system cost in Cairns?$22,000–$33,000 installed after STCs, $27,000 typical. The next sizes: $35,000–$55,000 for 50 kW and $70,000–$110,000 for 100 kW.
What site works get added to a Cairns commercial solar quote?A structural engineering report at $800–$2,000, a switchboard upgrade at $1,500–$5,000 where the board is old, network upgrade or connection works at $2,000–$10,000 on systems over 30 kW, and crane or cherry picker hire at $1,000–$3,000 a day for tower and tilt-frame roofs.
Worked Commercial Solar Cost Scenarios — Cairns
Three Cairns jobs priced from the rows above: a Portsmith cold store, a CBD office building and a Tablelands packing shed. Each line names its row; the quote you get prices your own roof, board and connection.
Portsmith cold store. A seafood exporter at Portsmith fits 100 kW to a long cyclone-rated shed roof at $70,000–$110,000, with $88,000 typical. Over 30 kW, network upgrade or connection works are quoted on their own line at $2,000–$10,000, and a crane at $1,000–$3,000 a day lifts the panel pallets before the wet.
CBD office building. The owner of a three-storey Lake Street office installs 30 kW on rated tilt frames at $22,000–$33,000. The concrete roof gets a structural engineering report at $800–$2,000 for the frames, and the main switchboard is upgraded at $1,500–$5,000 to accept the inverter.
Tablelands packing shed upkeep. An avocado grower near Mareeba runs a 20 kW array installed at $15,000–$26,000 over the packing shed and books commercial panel cleaning at $5–$15 a panel after the wet, when mould and dust have built up on the glass.
You're in.
A local installer will be in touch about your job. No spam, no middleman.
Scoping commercial solar work in Cairns? Get a quote from a local commercial contractor - free, no obligation.
Prices include GST. Cairns and the Tablelands, November 2026.
Commercial Solar Costs by Sector in Cairns
Cairns commercial solar runs from the industrial estates at Portsmith, Woree, Bungalow and Smithfield, through the airport and port precincts, to CBD offices on Lake and Grafton streets, Esplanade and Palm Cove hospitality, Earlville and Edmonton retail, and the cane, avocado and mango farms of Gordonvale, Mareeba and the Atherton Tablelands.
Portsmith, Woree and Smithfield sheds - Wholesale, freight and cold-store roofs take 100 kW arrays at $70,000–$110,000, the size at which the installed cost per watt sits nearest the $0.70 floor of $0.70–$1.20.
Bungalow and Manunda units - Workshops and trade units buy 30 kW to 50 kW at $22,000–$33,000 to $35,000–$55,000; over 30 kW they carry network upgrade or connection works at $2,000–$10,000.
CBD and Esplanade buildings - Rated tilt frames over concrete need a structural engineering report at $800–$2,000 and crane or cherry picker hire at $1,000–$3,000 a day, on top of a 20 kW or 30 kW system at $15,000–$26,000 or $22,000–$33,000.
Esplanade, Palm Cove and Edmonton retail - A cafe, bar or dive shop fits a 10 kW system at $8,000–$12,000; the original Lake Street shops and the older Bungalow workshops are where a switchboard upgrade at $1,500–$5,000 joins the quote, and the seafront calls for marine-grade clamps.
Gordonvale and Tablelands growers - Packing sheds, pump sheds and coolrooms run 30 kW to 50 kW at $22,000–$33,000 to $35,000–$55,000, with commercial panel cleaning at $5–$15 a panel after the wet.
What a Compliant Commercial Solar Quote Includes — Cost in Cairns
Before comparing Cairns quotes, check each one prices the same kilowatts and the same panel and inverter brands, states how the installer gets panels and people onto the roof, and shows site works, certificates and GST on their own lines.
System size in kW, panel count, panel and inverter make and model, and whether the inverter is single or three phase
The STC assignment shown as a separate line, so the installed price after STCs and the price before it are both visible
A structural engineering report, priced at $800–$2,000, listed as included or excluded
Switchboard upgrade work, at $1,500–$5,000 where needed, shown as its own line
For systems over 30 kW, network upgrade or connection works at $2,000–$10,000 and who lodges the network application
Crane or cherry picker hire at $1,000–$3,000 a day, and any lift, dock or after-hours access charges for towers
Commercial panel cleaning at $5–$15 a panel if a maintenance visit is bundled, priced per visit
Install, site works and any monitoring or maintenance each on its own line, on a single GST basis
The installer's accreditation number and proof of insurance
Commercial solar cost in Cairns: Portsmith sheds, Esplanade roofs and Tablelands farms
For a Cairns small business the entry point is $8,000–$12,000 for a 10 kW system installed after STCs (typically $10,000), then $15,000–$26,000 for 20 kW and $22,000–$33,000 for 30 kW. Cold stores and wholesalers buy 50 kW at $35,000–$55,000 and 100 kW at $70,000–$110,000, and those arrays take the installed cost per watt to the floor of $0.70–$1.20.
The roof and the season write the rest of a Cairns quote. New sheds at Portsmith and Smithfield have clean metal decks, rated purlins and modern boards, so the quote stays near the system price and the job is done in the dry. CBD and Esplanade buildings put panels on rated tilt frames over concrete, bringing a structural engineering report at $800–$2,000, crane or cherry picker hire at $1,000–$3,000 a day and a dock booking. The original Lake Street shops and the workshops around Bungalow and Parramatta Park are where a switchboard upgrade at $1,500–$5,000 is most often needed.
The Clean Energy Regulator says eligibility for solar PV systems under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme has been expanded from 100 kW to 1 MW for eligible systems installed from 1 October 2026, with a fixed 5-year deeming period for 100 kW to 1 MW systems, and that STC applications for those mid-scale systems will not open until mid to late November 2026. Existing arrangements for systems smaller than 100 kW are not affected. On a Cairns quote look for the STC line on its own, the name of whoever lodges the network application on a system over 30 kW, where $2,000–$10,000 of connection works can apply, and commercial panel cleaning at $5–$15 a panel priced per visit.
Commercial solar cost by system size in Cairns
Quick answerCairns pricing steps by kilowatts: an Esplanade cafe or Edmonton shop sits in the $8,000–$12,000 10 kW bracket, a Bungalow workshop or Mareeba packing shed at 20 kW to 30 kW pays $15,000–$26,000 to $22,000–$33,000, and a Portsmith or Woree shed at 50 kW to 100 kW pays $35,000–$55,000 to $70,000–$110,000.
A bigger Cairns array buys a lower per-watt price, $0.70–$1.20 across the range with the 100 kW Portsmith sheds at the bottom. Fixed items do not move with size: a structural engineering report at $800–$2,000 is much the same at 20 kW or 50 kW, and a switchboard upgrade at $1,500–$5,000 depends on the board's age, not the array.
Access and the wet are the other levers on a Cairns job of any size. CBD buildings need crane or cherry picker hire at $1,000–$3,000 a day plus dock and lift slots; seafront sites on the Esplanade, at Palm Cove and Port Douglas need fixings rated for salt air and cyclone loads, and installers book the dry season first. Over 30 kW the network upgrade or connection works line at $2,000–$10,000 appears, and commercial panel cleaning at $5–$15 a panel is the running cost at every size.
Frequently Asked Questions — Commercial Solar Cost in Cairns
What is the price of commercial solar in Cairns?
From our Cairns table: $8,000–$12,000 for a 10 kW commercial system (typically $10,000); $22,000–$33,000 for a 30 kW system (typically $27,000); $70,000–$110,000 for a 100 kW system (typically $88,000), all installed after STCs.
How much does a 30 kW commercial solar system cost in Cairns?
A 30 kW commercial solar system in Cairns costs $22,000–$33,000 installed after STCs, with $27,000 typical. A Lake Street tenancy on an office roof adds a structural engineering report at $800–$2,000 and crane or cherry picker hire at $1,000–$3,000 a day; a Tablelands packing shed on a rated metal roof usually needs neither.
What does a 100 kW commercial solar system cost in Cairns?
Going by our Cairns table, expect $70,000–$110,000 for a 100 kW commercial system installed after STCs; the typical price is $88,000. Portsmith, Woree and Smithfield sheds are the usual Cairns buyers, and network upgrade or connection works at $2,000–$10,000 are priced on top because the system is over 30 kW.
What is the installed cost per watt for commercial solar in Cairns?
$0.70–$1.20 per watt installed after STCs on our Cairns table, with $0.90 typical. The larger the array the lower the figure: a 100 kW system at $70,000–$110,000 sits near the floor, a 10 kW system at $8,000–$12,000 near the top.
Does a Cairns business need a switchboard or network upgrade for solar?
Often one or both. A switchboard upgrade for a commercial system costs $1,500–$5,000 and is common in the original Lake Street shops and the older workshops around Bungalow and Parramatta Park. Network upgrade or connection works at $2,000–$10,000 apply to systems over 30 kW, so ask the installer to show the line and name who lodges the network application.
What changed for commercial solar systems over 100 kW?
The Clean Energy Regulator says the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Regulations 2001 have been amended to expand eligibility for solar PV systems under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme from 100 kW to 1 MW, applying to eligible mid-scale systems installed from 1 October 2026, with a fixed 5-year deeming period; STC applications for mid-scale systems will not open until mid to late November 2026. Existing arrangements for systems smaller than 100 kW are not affected.
Does a commercial solar install in Cairns need a structural engineering report?
A structural engineering report costs $800–$2,000 on our Cairns table, typically $1,200. Owners of CBD and Esplanade buildings usually ask for one before rated tilt frames go onto a concrete roof; a single-storey metal unit at Woree with rated purlins rarely needs it.
What does commercial solar panel cleaning cost in Cairns?
Commercial panel cleaning in Cairns costs $5–$15 a panel, with $10 a panel typical. Seafront sites on the Esplanade and at Palm Cove, and Tablelands growers after the wet, book it more often; have the quote price it per visit.
Do Cairns commercial solar installers need accreditation?
For mid-scale systems of 100 kW to 1 MW, the Clean Energy Regulator says the system must have its panels, batteries or inverters listed on the Clean Energy Council list of approved components and meet Solar Accreditation Australia install guidelines. Ask for the accreditation number on your Cairns quote and check the panel and inverter models against the listed products.