Updated November 2026·Independently researched·11 min read
Commercial solar in Melbourne runs $22,000–$33,000
for a 30 kW system installed, after STCs, GST included - other sizes and site works below
Across Melbourne a 30 kW commercial solar system costs $22,000–$33,000 installed after STCs, $27,000 typical. A Dandenong South factory sizing up to 100 kW looks at $70,000–$110,000; a Fitzroy cafe or Chapel Street boutique at 10 kW looks at $8,000–$12,000.
-1.6%Commercial Solar costs in Melbourne are down around 1.6% over the past year, re-verified against 90+ sources in November 2026.Year on year
Typical 30 kW commercial system in Melbourne
$27,000
30 kW installed after STCs, Melbourne 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
Kilowatts set the first number on a Melbourne commercial solar quote. A 10 kW system for a small shop or office is $8,000–$12,000 installed after STCs, a 20 kW system $15,000–$26,000, 30 kW $22,000–$33,000, 50 kW $35,000–$55,000 and 100 kW $70,000–$110,000. Expressed per watt the range is $0.70–$1.20, and the big Laverton North and Truganina sheds sit at the cheap end of it.
Melbourne's building stock then pulls the quote one way or the other. Tilt-frame arrays on Docklands and Collins Street tower roofs need a structural engineering report at $800–$2,000 and crane or cherry picker hire at $1,000–$3,000 a day; a sawtooth roof on a Collingwood or Brunswick factory conversion often needs the structural report too, and its 1960s switchboard an upgrade at $1,500–$5,000. Flat Colorbond on a Derrimut or Campbellfield shed is the easy case.
Any system over 30 kW can be asked to pay for network upgrade or connection works at $2,000–$10,000, and commercial panel cleaning once the array is running costs $5–$15 a panel. All prices include GST.
Quick answerCommercial solar in Melbourne 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 Melbourne quotes →
Commercial Solar Prices in Melbourne 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 Melbourne? Get a quote from a local commercial contractor - free, no obligation.
Prices include GST. Melbourne metro, November 2026.
What does a 30 kW commercial solar system cost in Melbourne?$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 Melbourne 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 — Melbourne
Three Melbourne jobs priced from the rows on this page: a Truganina logistics shed, a Collingwood warehouse conversion and a Mornington Peninsula winery. Each line says which row it uses; your own quote prices your roof, board and network connection.
Truganina logistics shed. A 3PL operator in Truganina fits a 100 kW system to a new tilt-slab warehouse at $70,000–$110,000, with $88,000 the typical price. The size puts it over 30 kW, so network upgrade or connection works are quoted separately at $2,000–$10,000, and a crane at $1,000–$3,000 a day lands the panel pallets on the roof.
Collingwood warehouse conversion. A design studio in a converted Collingwood warehouse installs 20 kW on the sawtooth roof at $15,000–$26,000. The heritage trusses get a structural engineering report at $800–$2,000 before any frame goes up, and the original switchboard is replaced at $1,500–$5,000 so the inverter can be connected.
Mornington Peninsula winery upkeep. A cellar door at Red Hill runs a 30 kW array installed at $22,000–$33,000 across the winery shed and budgets commercial panel cleaning at $5–$15 a panel after each vintage, when dust from the vineyard tracks has settled on the glass.
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Scoping commercial solar work in Melbourne? Get a quote from a local commercial contractor - free, no obligation.
Prices include GST. Melbourne metro, November 2026.
Commercial Solar Costs by Sector in Melbourne
Melbourne commercial solar runs from the western logistics belt at Laverton North, Truganina and Derrimut, through the south-east manufacturing heartland at Dandenong South and Clayton, to the CBD and Docklands towers, the inner-north warehouse conversions in Collingwood and Brunswick, retail on Chapel Street and Bridge Road, and the farms and wineries of Werribee South, the Yarra Valley and the Mornington Peninsula.
Western logistics sheds - Laverton North, Truganina and Derrimut carry the biggest roofs in Melbourne: a 100 kW system at $70,000–$110,000 is the common size, and the per-watt figure sits at the $0.70 floor of the $0.70–$1.20 range.
Dandenong South and Clayton manufacturing - Factories with three-phase loads take 50 kW to 100 kW, $35,000–$55,000 to $70,000–$110,000, and usually see network upgrade or connection works at $2,000–$10,000 because they sit over 30 kW.
CBD and Docklands towers - Tilt frames on concrete plant decks need a structural engineering report at $800–$2,000 and a crane or cherry picker 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.
Inner-north and Chapel Street retail - A cafe, bar or boutique fits a 10 kW system at $8,000–$12,000; converted shopfronts in Fitzroy and Brunswick often add a switchboard upgrade at $1,500–$5,000 because the board predates the kitchen.
Werribee South, Yarra Valley and Peninsula farms - Packing sheds, coolrooms and cellar doors take 30 kW to 50 kW at $22,000–$33,000 to $35,000–$55,000, with commercial panel cleaning at $5–$15 a panel booked after harvest dust.
What a Compliant Commercial Solar Quote Includes — Cost in Melbourne
Before comparing Melbourne 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 Melbourne: logistics sheds, factories and tower roofs
For a Melbourne small business the entry point is a 10 kW system at $8,000–$12,000 installed after STCs, typically $10,000; 20 kW is $15,000–$26,000 and 30 kW $22,000–$33,000. Manufacturing and logistics sites buy 50 kW at $35,000–$55,000 and 100 kW at $70,000–$110,000, and those big arrays are what drag the installed cost per watt down to the bottom of $0.70–$1.20.
The roof decides the rest. New tilt-slab sheds in Truganina and Dandenong South have clean metal decks and modern three-phase boards, so the quote is close to the system price. Towers along Collins Street and in Docklands put panels on tilt frames over concrete, which means a structural engineering report at $800–$2,000, crane or cherry picker hire at $1,000–$3,000 a day and dock and lift bookings. The inner-north's converted warehouses and the brick shopfronts along Sydney Road and Chapel Street are where a switchboard upgrade at $1,500–$5,000 most often lands on the quote.
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. For a Melbourne job make sure the STC line is shown on its own, the installer names who lodges the network application on anything over 30 kW, where $2,000–$10,000 of connection works can apply, and that upkeep such as commercial panel cleaning at $5–$15 a panel is priced per visit.
Commercial solar cost by system size in Melbourne
Quick answerMelbourne prices move in kilowatt steps: a Chapel Street boutique or Fitzroy cafe fits the $8,000–$12,000 10 kW bracket, a Clayton workshop or Yarra Valley cellar door at 20 kW to 30 kW pays $15,000–$26,000 to $22,000–$33,000, and a Laverton North or Dandenong South shed at 50 kW to 100 kW pays $35,000–$55,000 to $70,000–$110,000.
Every extra panel on a Melbourne roof lowers the per-watt figure, which runs $0.70–$1.20 across the range with the 100 kW Truganina sheds at the bottom. The fixed costs do not follow: a structural engineering report is $800–$2,000 whether the array is 20 kW or 50 kW, and a switchboard upgrade at $1,500–$5,000 depends on the age of the board, not the size of the array.
Access is the other lever on a Melbourne job of any size. CBD and Docklands towers need crane or cherry picker hire at $1,000–$3,000 a day plus induction and dock slots; bayside sites at Port Melbourne, St Kilda and Brighton need corrosion-rated fixings. 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 a running cost at every size.
Frequently Asked Questions — Commercial Solar Cost in Melbourne
What is the price of commercial solar in Melbourne?
From our Melbourne 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 Melbourne?
A 30 kW commercial solar system in Melbourne costs $22,000–$33,000 installed after STCs, with $27,000 typical. A Docklands tenancy adds a structural engineering report at $800–$2,000 and crane or cherry picker hire at $1,000–$3,000 a day for the tilt frames; a Werribee South packing shed on a metal roof usually needs neither.
What does a 100 kW commercial solar system cost in Melbourne?
Going by our Melbourne table, expect $70,000–$110,000 for a 100 kW commercial system installed after STCs; the typical price is $88,000. Laverton North, Truganina and Dandenong South sheds are the usual Melbourne buyers, with network upgrade or connection works at $2,000–$10,000 quoted on top because the system is over 30 kW.
What is the installed cost per watt for commercial solar in Melbourne?
$0.70–$1.20 per watt installed after STCs on our Melbourne 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 Melbourne 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 turns up most in Collingwood and Brunswick warehouse conversions and the older shopfronts along Sydney Road. 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 Melbourne need a structural engineering report?
A structural engineering report costs $800–$2,000 on our Melbourne table, typically $1,200. Owners of CBD and Docklands towers usually ask for one before tilt frames go onto a concrete deck, and heritage sawtooth roofs in the inner north get one too; a new Derrimut shed rarely needs it.
What does commercial solar panel cleaning cost in Melbourne?
Commercial panel cleaning in Melbourne costs $5–$15 a panel, with $10 a panel typical. Sites near the bay at Port Melbourne and Brighton, and farms in the Yarra Valley after harvest, book it more often; have the quote price it per visit.
Do Melbourne 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 Melbourne quote and check that the panel and inverter models match the listed products.