Australian Feed-in Tariff Calculator
How much will your solar system earn from feed-in tariffs? Enter your FIT rate and production — get your annual income.
How to Use This Calculator
Enter your system size and production
Start with your system size in kW and daily solar production in kWh. You can find daily production in your inverter app (Fronius Solar.web, SolarEdge, SMA Sunny Portal, etc.) or on your monitoring platform. If you don't have monitoring data yet, a rough guide: a 10 kW system in Sydney produces about 38–42 kWh/day averaged over the year.
Set your self-consumption percentage
The self-consumption percentage is the most impactful field after your FIT rate. It represents how much of your solar production you use at home rather than exporting. Working from home all day? 50–70%. House empty during the day? 15–25%. With a battery, self-consumption can reach 80–90%. The calculator uses this to split your production between what saves money (displacing grid purchases) and what earns FIT payments.
Enter your feed-in tariff rate
Your FIT rate is what your electricity retailer pays you per kWh exported to the grid. Australian FIT rates vary significantly by state and retailer — typically 5–15c/kWh in 2026. Check your electricity bill (look for "feed-in credit" or "solar export") or your retailer's website. Queensland's Ergon and Energex networks have government-mandated minimum rates; other states are deregulated.
Add your electricity buy rate
Your buy rate (what you pay per kWh from the grid) is used to calculate the value of self-consumed solar. Since self-consumed solar displaces grid electricity at your full retail rate, it's usually worth much more than exported solar at the FIT rate. This is why maximising self-consumption is often more valuable than chasing a high FIT.
The Formula
The key insight: self-consumed solar is worth more than exported solar. If you pay 30c/kWh from the grid but earn only 10c/kWh FIT, each kWh you self-consume is worth 3x more than exporting it. This is why running your dishwasher, washing machine, and pool pump during peak solar hours — typically 10am to 3pm — dramatically increases the value of your solar system.
Example
The Williams family — Brisbane, QLD
The Williams family has a 10 kW system in Brisbane producing an average of 42 kWh/day. They work from home 3 days a week, giving them 40% self-consumption. Their Origin Energy plan pays 10c/kWh FIT and charges 28c/kWh.
Result
If the Williams family shifted 20% more consumption to solar hours — total self-consumption to 60% — their annual benefit jumps to about A$3,073, and payback drops to 3.9 years. Smart appliance timers and EV charging during the day are the fastest ways to boost solar value in Australia.
Australian FIT Rates by State (2026)
Feed-in tariffs in Australia are set by individual electricity retailers (except in some regulated networks). Typical ranges:
- New South Wales: 6–15c/kWh, with some retailers offering time-varying FIT (higher during peak demand)
- Victoria: Minimum 4.9c/kWh (Solar Victoria mandated), premium plans up to 15c/kWh
- Queensland: Regional QLD guaranteed 8.4c/kWh; South East QLD varies by retailer, typically 6–12c/kWh
- South Australia: 5–14c/kWh; SA Power Networks export limits may apply for larger systems
- Western Australia: Synergy Distributed Energy Buyback Scheme (DEBS) 2.25–10c/kWh depending on rate type
- ACT: Retailer-determined, typically 6–12c/kWh
- Tasmania: Hydro Tasmania plans vary; typically 7–10c/kWh
- Northern Territory: Power Water feeds in at 8.3c/kWh for eligible systems
Always check your current retailer plan — FIT rates can change annually. Comparison sites like Energy Made Easy (AEMC) and Victorian Energy Compare help compare plans including FIT rates.