How much does plug-in solar cost, and what will it save in WA?

Plug-in solar only saves money one way: every unit of power your panels make and your home uses at the same moment is a unit you do not buy from Synergy. There is no feed-in payment, so the saving depends on how much of the panel output you actually use. Plug-in solar is not legal in WA yet, and nobody can buy a certified kit, so every price on this page is a guide only.

Where does the $240 a year figure come from?

It comes from the WA Government’s FAQ for the consultation. It says a north-facing system would save the average Perth consumer “around $240 per year” on their bill, or around $500 a year with a battery, and that savings depend on the system’s orientation and type. The FAQ does not publish the inputs behind the estimate, such as panel size or how much of the output a household uses.

Other groups give different numbers. The ABC reported that Solar Citizens put the saving at $300 to $400 a year, and double that with a plug-in battery. Industry experts quoted in the same story put payback at four to 10 years.

How many kWh is $240 a year?

About 720 kWh a year, or roughly 2 kWh a day. That is my arithmetic using Synergy’s Home Plan (A1) electricity charge of 33.2621 cents per kWh, including GST, effective 1 July 2026 (checked on synergy.net.au on 5 November 2026).

Government estimate	Divided by A1 rate	Power you would need to use yourself
$240 a year (solar only)	$240 ÷ $0.332621	about 720 kWh a year, about 2.0 kWh a day
$500 a year (with battery)	$500 ÷ $0.332621	about 1,500 kWh a year, about 4.1 kWh a day
Extra from the battery	$260 ÷ $0.332621	about 780 kWh a year, about 2.1 kWh a day

The A1 supply charge of 119.2419 cents a day stays the same whatever your panels make, so plug-in solar cannot cut that part of the bill.

A rough estimate on the Perth output page suggests a north-facing, tilted 800 W kit could make well over 720 kWh a year, so the government figure looks reachable if your daytime use is high enough. A vertical kit on a balcony rail makes much less.

Why doesn’t exported power earn anything?

Because the proposal leaves it out. The FAQ says paying for exported power is not part of the proposal, as reprogramming or upgrading a meter would likely cost more than it returns, and the focus is on self-consumption. Any solar your home does not use at that moment flows into the grid for nothing.

What will a plug-in solar kit cost in WA?

Not known yet. No kit can be certified until the standard is final, and no retailer has announced a WA price for a compliant kit. Under the draft, kits would be certified as ordinary electrical appliances through the national EESS scheme, with type tests at NATA-accredited labs that the supplier arranges. Early prices may sit above overseas prices for that reason, but that is my expectation, not a known fact.

Overseas prices give a rough guide. These are in their own currency, as published, and I have not converted them because exchange rates and GST change the picture:

Country	Source and date	Price as published
Germany	Verbraucherzentrale, 24 July 2026	Two-module set €200 to €300 online and in hardware stores. Mounting usually extra, about €50 to €100 per module
UK	Which?, 16 September 2026	Listed kits from £449 (445 W) to £899 (890 W). A two-panel kit (2 x 460 W panels) at £669. One 930 W kit at £456
Australia (overseas kits)	ABC, 28 October 2026	“typically costing up to $1,300, plus extra for a plug-in battery”

Prices checked 5 November 2026. German sets are sold online and in hardware stores, and UK kits only became legal on 27 August 2026, so the UK list is still settling.

How long would plug-in solar take to pay for itself?

Divide the price by the yearly saving. The kit prices below are made-up examples to show the maths, not quotes or real WA prices.

Example price (not a real quote)	Yearly saving used	Simple payback
$700, solar only	$240 (government)	about 2.9 years
$1,000, solar only	$240 (government)	about 4.2 years
$1,400, solar only	$240 (government)	about 5.8 years
$2,000, solar only	$240 (government)	about 8.3 years
$1,000, solar only	$350 (middle of the Solar Citizens range)	about 2.9 years
$2,500, with battery	$500 (government)	about 5.0 years
$3,000, with battery	$500 (government)	about 6.0 years
$4,000, with battery	$500 (government)	about 8.0 years

These ignore panel and battery wear, future tariff changes, the cost of any electrician check, and the gap between what a kit makes and what you use. If the A1 rate rises, each kWh you make is worth more and payback shortens. If you are out all day and use little power at midday, the saving shrinks and payback stretches.

What makes the saving bigger or smaller?

• Direction and angle. North and tilted is best. East or west loses a little. A vertical panel on a rail loses a lot, and south-facing makes very little. See balcony solar output in Perth.
• Shade. A neighbouring building, a balcony above or a tree can cut output sharply.
• Daytime use. A home that runs a fridge, pool pump, washing machine or air con while the sun is up uses more of its own solar.
• A battery. It shifts unused midday power to the evening. See plug-in solar batteries.
• Your tariff. The higher your price per kWh, the more each self-used kWh is worth.

Are there rebates for plug-in solar?

None have been announced. The consultation paper says plug-in kits would not go through Clean Energy Council approval, and the existing state and federal battery rebates require Clean Energy Council listed products and accredited installers. The batteries page sets out what those scheme pages say.

How does this compare with rooftop solar?

Rooftop solar costs several times more but makes several times more power and earns a small feed-in credit. It is legal now, and the draft does not let you use both at one address. See plug-in solar vs rooftop solar.

To try your own numbers, use the calculator above with your own tariff, kit price and daytime use.