Your Details
4.5 peak sun hours/day
Your electricity usage
You need
How we calculated this
*Cost estimate after federal STC rebate. Based on 440W panels and 4.5 peak sun hours/day in New South Wales. Actual costs vary by installer and equipment.
Get an exact quote for your roof
A site assessment will confirm the right panel count for your roof angle, shading, and usage.
Get Free Quotesarrow_forwardFrequently Asked Questions
How many solar panels does a typical Australian home need?
Most Australian homes need between 15 and 20 solar panels (a 6.6kW system) to cover their electricity usage. Larger homes with pools, air conditioning, or electric vehicles may need 22 to 30 panels (10-13kW).
How much roof space do I need for solar panels?
Each standard 440W solar panel takes up about 2m² of roof space. A typical 6.6kW system (15 panels) needs roughly 30m² of unshaded, north-facing roof. East and west-facing panels produce about 10-15% less.
Does my location affect how many panels I need?
Yes. Homes in sunnier states like Queensland and Western Australia (5+ peak sun hours) need fewer panels than homes in Tasmania or Victoria (3.5-4 hours). A Melbourne home may need 18 panels where a Brisbane home needs 14 for the same output.
Should I get more panels than I need?
Slightly oversizing your system (by 10-20%) is common practice. It accounts for panel degradation over time, cloudy days, and allows headroom if you add a battery or EV charger later. The cost per extra panel is relatively small.
How This Panel Calculator Works
Enter your daily electricity usage (from your bill) or quarterly bill amount, select your state, and choose what percentage of your usage you want to offset. The calculator uses state-specific peak sun hours and standard 440W panel specs to recommend a system size and panel count.
The number of panels you need depends primarily on your electricity consumption and your location. Queensland and WA homes need fewer panels than Victorian or Tasmanian homes to produce the same energy, because they receive more peak sun hours per day.
Common Questions
How many solar panels does a typical Australian home need?
Most Australian homes need 15 to 20 panels (a 6.6kW system) to cover their electricity usage. This suits a 3-4 person household using 15-25kWh per day. Larger homes with pools, ducted AC, or an EV may need 22-30 panels (10-13kW).
How much roof space do I need for solar panels?
Each standard 440W panel takes about 2m2 of roof space. A 6.6kW system (15 panels) needs roughly 30m2 of unshaded roof. North-facing is ideal, though east and west-facing panels produce about 10-15% less. Your installer will assess usable roof area during the quoting process.
Can I add more panels later?
Yes, but it depends on your inverter capacity. If you installed a 5kW inverter, you can connect up to 6.6kW of panels under the CEC 133% oversizing rule. To go beyond that, you would need a larger inverter or a second inverter. Planning for future expansion at install time is more cost-effective than retrofitting.