Solar panels in Brisbane
PVGIS climate data puts Brisbane at roughly 1,469 kWh per kWp each year, so a typical 6 kWp roof makes around 8,816 kWh. Postcode 4000 falls in STC zone 3 (zone rating 1.382) in the Clean Energy Regulator table. Three verified local rules and their sources are listed below. Year-one savings come to about AUD 1,169, for a simple payback of 5.8 years. On yield, Brisbane is 3rd of our 4 Australia cities. For comparison, Perth reaches 1,618. Across all 41 cities on Solar Figures it sits 11th for yield. Year to year, output varies by about 4% (one standard deviation over 2005 to 2023). Output peaks in August (816 kWh) and bottoms out in June (644 kWh).
Month by month in Brisbane
Modelled output of a 6 kWp system at 35° facing north (towards the equator), from PVGIS climate data (PVGIS-ERA5, 2005 to 2023).
| Month | kWh | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| January | 710 | 8.1% |
| February | 661 | 7.5% |
| March | 724 | 8.2% |
| April | 738 | 8.4% |
| May | 722 | 8.2% |
| June | 644 | 7.3% |
| July | 723 | 8.2% |
| August | 816 | 9.3% |
| September | 808 | 9.2% |
| October | 797 | 9.0% |
| November | 748 | 8.5% |
| December | 725 | 8.2% |
- Best month: August (816 kWh). Weakest: June (644 kWh), a 1.3x difference.
- August, September, October produce 27.5% of the year; January, February, June produce 22.9%.
- Year-to-year variation: about 318 kWh (3.6%, one standard deviation).
- Sunlight reaching the panels: 1,980 kWh per m² a year.
Local rules and support in Brisbane
Rules set by the city or its region, on top of the national scheme. Each one was checked against the official source on the date shown.
- Postcode 4000 (Brisbane)
STC postcode zone 3
Postcode 4000 falls in STC zone 3 (zone rating 1.382) in the Clean Energy Regulator table.
Source: Clean Energy Regulator, Postcode zone ratings and zones for solar (photovoltaic) systems (as of 1 January 2020) (checked 2026-09-25)
- South East Queensland
Market feed-in tariffs in SEQ
In South East Queensland there is no regulated feed-in tariff: retailers voluntarily offer competing rates. The Queensland Competition Authority monitors these offers, and the regulated regional feed-in tariff applies only outside SEQ.
Source: Queensland Government, Market feed-in tariffs in South East Queensland (checked 2026-09-25)
- South East Queensland
Default Market Offer 2026-27
The AER's Default Market Offer caps standing offer prices in South East Queensland. For 2026-27 the residential flat-rate DMO fell 7.2%, and retailers must also offer a regulated Solar Sharer Offer for smart-meter customers.
Source: Australian Energy Regulator, AER releases final Default Market Offer 2026-27 (26 May 2026) (checked 2026-09-25)
How Brisbane compares
Brisbane ranks 3 of 4 for yield among the cities we model in Australia, and 11 of 41 across every country on Solar Figures. Within one country the prices are the same, so a payback gap between these cities comes from sunshine alone.
| City | kWh per kWp / yr | Payback (AUD) |
|---|---|---|
| Perth | 1,618 | 5.3 yrs |
| Sydney | 1,502 | 5.7 yrs |
| Brisbane | 1,469 | 5.8 yrs |
| Melbourne | 1,382 | 6.4 yrs |
| National reference point (country page) | 1,498 | 5.7 yrs |
Closest yield abroad: Naples (1,449 kWh per kWp), Mumbai (1,446 kWh per kWp), Barcelona (1,508 kWh per kWp).
What moves the payback in Brisbane
Power you use yourself is worth the retail price (A$0.33 per kWh); power you export earns A$0.05. So the share you use at home, by running appliances in daylight or adding a battery, changes the payback. The system cost stays the same in every row (a battery would add to it).
| Used at home | Year-1 savings | Payback |
|---|---|---|
| 20% | A$925 | 7.5 yrs |
| 30% (our default) | A$1,169 | 5.8 yrs |
| 50% | A$1,658 | 4.0 yrs |
| 70% | A$2,147 | 3.1 yrs |
- Net system cost after incentives: A$6,522 for 6 kWp.
- Incentive modelled: A$1,578 (SRES STC point-of-sale rebate (~263 AUD/kWp: Zone 3 1.382 x 5-yr deeming (2026) x ~38 AUD/STC); declines one deeming year each 1 Jan to 2030).
- 25-year net savings at our default: A$30,561.
Best panel angle in Brisbane
At latitude 27.47°S, PVGIS finds the fixed tilt and direction that maximise yearly output. Our figures use a common 35° roof; the table shows what the optimum adds.
| Setup | Tilt | Facing | kWh per kWp / yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard roof (used on this page) | 35° | north | 1,469 |
| PVGIS optimum (tilt only, facing the equator) | 29° | north (1°) | 1,476 |
The optimum adds 0.5% a year over the standard roof in Brisbane. Most of a roof's value comes from its direction: a roof facing away from the equator loses far more than a few degrees of tilt.
See the full Australia picture on our Australia solar page, or the national incentives in our Australia solar guide.
Sources and method
Figures computed 2026-09-25 for a 6 kWp system, 35° tilt, 14% system losses, terrain shading on. An estimate, not a quote: your installer's quote will be exact.
- PVGIS 5.3 PVcalc (PVGIS-ERA5), European Commission JRC (checked 2026-09-25)
- Australia tariff and incentive inputs (see DATA_SOURCES.md) (checked 2026-06-21)
- Australia tariff and incentive inputs (see DATA_SOURCES.md) (checked 2026-06-21)
- Queensland Government: Market feed-in tariffs in South East Queensland (checked 2026-09-25)
- Australian Energy Regulator: AER releases final Default Market Offer 2026-27 (26 May 2026) (checked 2026-09-25)
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