How much does commercial solar cost in Sydney?
Commercial solar in Sydney is priced by system size: $8,000–$12,000 for a 10 kW system on a small shop or office, $22,000–$33,000 for 30 kW, $35,000–$55,000 for 50 kW and $70,000–$110,000 for 100 kW, all installed after STCs. Per watt that works out to $0.70–$1.20 across the range, with the larger arrays at the low end.
What separates two Sydney quotes for the same kilowatts is usually the site, not the panels. A tilt-frame array on a Parramatta or CBD tower roof needs a structural engineering report at $800–$2,000, a crane or cherry picker at $1,000–$3,000 a day and lift and dock bookings; a flat Colorbond roof on an Eastern Creek shed takes the same panels with far less lifting. Older switchboards in Surry Hills terraces and Marrickville workshops add a switchboard upgrade at $1,500–$5,000.
Systems over 30 kW can trigger network upgrade or connection works at $2,000–$10,000, and once the array is up, commercial panel cleaning runs $5–$15 a panel. Prices include GST.
Commercial Solar Prices in Sydney 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 |
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Get Sydney quotes →Prices include GST. Sydney metro, November 2026.
Worked Commercial Solar Cost Scenarios — Sydney
Sydney examples priced from this page's rows: a Smithfield distribution shed, a Macquarie Park office floor and a Manly retail strip. Each line names the row it draws on; the quote you receive prices your own roof and switchboard.
- Smithfield distribution shed. A freight business in Smithfield puts a 100 kW array on a long north-facing Colorbond roof at $70,000–$110,000, with $88,000 typical. Because the system is over 30 kW the installer prices network upgrade or connection works separately at $2,000–$10,000, and a day of crane hire at $1,000–$3,000 lifts the pallets of panels onto the roof.
- Macquarie Park office floor. A tenant in a Macquarie Park building takes the roof licence from the owner and installs a 30 kW tilt-frame system at $22,000–$33,000. The body corporate asks for a structural engineering report first, at $800–$2,000, and the base-building switchboard needs an upgrade at $1,500–$5,000 before the inverter can connect.
- Manly retail strip running costs. A surf shop on The Corso in Manly already has a 10 kW system installed at $8,000–$12,000 and budgets the upkeep: commercial panel cleaning at $5–$15 a panel, booked twice a year because of salt spray, with the installer checking brackets at each visit.
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Get Sydney quotes →Prices include GST. Sydney metro, November 2026.
Commercial Solar Costs by Sector in Sydney
Sydney's commercial solar work spans a huge metro area: distribution sheds from Wetherill Park and Smithfield out to Eastern Creek, Erskine Park and Moorebank, freight forwarders around Port Botany and Mascot, labs and offices at Macquarie Park, tower tenancies in the CBD and Parramatta, retail strips at Bondi and Manly, and turf farms and market gardens in the Hawkesbury.
- Western Sydney distribution sheds - Long, flat Colorbond roofs at Eastern Creek, Erskine Park and Moorebank take the biggest arrays cheaply per watt: a 100 kW system costs $70,000–$110,000 installed, and the larger the array the closer it sits to the $0.70 per watt floor.
- Port Botany and Mascot freight forwarders - Container depots and cold stores near the port and airport usually land at 50 kW to 100 kW, $35,000–$55,000 to $70,000–$110,000, with network upgrade or connection works at $2,000–$10,000 on anything over 30 kW.
- Macquarie Park labs and offices - Tilt frames on concrete tower roofs 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.
- Bondi and Manly retail - A cafe or surf shop fits a 10 kW system at $8,000–$12,000; marine-grade clamps and more frequent commercial panel cleaning at $5–$15 a panel keep salt from eating into the output.
- Hawkesbury farms and nurseries - Sheds and packing houses in the Hawkesbury take 30 kW to 50 kW arrays at $22,000–$33,000 to $35,000–$55,000; a switchboard upgrade at $1,500–$5,000 is common where the board predates the pumps and coolrooms that run off it.
What a Compliant Commercial Solar Quote Includes — Cost in Sydney
Before comparing Sydney 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 Sydney: warehouses, retail strips and office roofs
Commercial solar cost in Sydney for a small business starts with a 10 kW system at $8,000–$12,000 installed after STCs (typically $10,000) and steps up through $15,000–$26,000 for 20 kW and $22,000–$33,000 for 30 kW. Larger sites at 50 kW and 100 kW pay $35,000–$55,000 and $70,000–$110,000, which is where the per-watt price of $0.70–$1.20 drops toward its floor.
Roof type matters as much as system size. Sheds in Wetherill Park and Eastern Creek have the long, unshaded metal roofs that keep installs simple. Office towers in the CBD, North Sydney and Parramatta put panels on concrete decks with tilt frames, so the owner or body corporate asks for a structural engineering report at $800–$2,000, and the installer prices crane or cherry picker hire at $1,000–$3,000 a day plus lift and dock bookings. Converted terraces in Surry Hills and older workshops in Marrickville often need a switchboard upgrade at $1,500–$5,000 before an inverter can be connected.
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. A good Sydney quote should show the STC line separately, name who lodges any network application for a system over 30 kW, where $2,000–$10,000 of connection works can apply, and price upkeep such as commercial panel cleaning at $5–$15 a panel per visit.
Commercial solar cost by system size in Sydney
A Sydney system gets bigger in panels, and the price per watt falls as it does: $0.70–$1.20 across the range, with 100 kW arrays on Eastern Creek and Moorebank sheds at the bottom of it. The fixed items do not scale the same way. A structural engineering report at $800–$2,000 costs about the same for 20 kW as for 50 kW, and a switchboard upgrade at $1,500–$5,000 is driven by the age of the board, not the array.
What moves a Sydney job of a given size is getting panels and people onto the roof. Towers in the CBD and Parramatta need crane or cherry picker hire at $1,000–$3,000 a day, induction and dock slots; harbourside and beachside sites at Mosman, Manly and Bondi need marine-grade fixings. Systems over 30 kW add network upgrade or connection works at $2,000–$10,000, and every size carries commercial panel cleaning at $5–$15 a panel once it is running.