Solar Feed-in Tariff Comparison by State (2026)

The solar feed-in tariff (FiT) landscape in Australia has evolved significantly over the last 10 years. Granted, rooftop solar continues to experience a steady increase in popularity, and yet the export payments keep falling across most of Australia's states, all with an increase in grid supply being way ahead of solar adoption.

So, what does this mean for households in Australia? Well, it means that they will need to choose a solar plan without necessarily focusing too much on the buyback rate, but instead on optimising self-consumption, utilising smart storage solutions, and staying away from poor contract terms, all of which will help safeguard future returns.

In this post, we take a look at the FiT rates for each state, understand how tariffs work, and look at how Australians can protect their solar investments in the low-buyback energy market.

How Do Solar Feed-in Tariffs Work in Australia for 2026?

The solar feed-in tariff (FiT) is the price your electricity retailer pays for exporting excess solar energy into the grid. The 2026 rates sit between 1c and 10c for every kilowatt hour (kWh), of course, depending on the retailer, location, and plan structure.

Flat FiTs will pay a consistent rate regardless of export volume or time, while Variable FiTs have higher rates for the first section of the export each day. For instance, 12c/kWh for the first 8–10kWh, then a lower rate thereafter. The Time-of-use (ToU) FiTs will reward exports during the high peak periods, which are often from 4 pm to 9 pm, during which wholesale electricity prices are higher.

The FiT rates will go down nationwide since Australia is now producing more solar energy in the day than the grid is able to absorb. Due to the oversupply, the wholesale prices are pushed down, which consequently causes the exported electricity to become less attractive to retailers.

Note that the high FiT offers will often come with greater electricity usage or daily charges. Therefore, a more balanced plan that combines buyback rates with import pricing is able to deliver long-term savings compared to going after headline FiTs alone.

Which States Offer the Best Buyback Rates in 2026?

Solar Feed-in Tariff Comparison Table (2026)

Rates are indicative based on early 2026 retailer offers and can change. Always verify with your retailer and use comparison tools.

New South Wales (NSW)

New South Wales has some of the most competitive FiTs, with retailers like Alinta and ENGIE able to provide rates of up to 10c/kWh. However, these are often capped at the first 8–10 kWh that is exported daily. After the cap, the rates will often go down to 3–5c/kWh, which often benefits households with modest systems or typical daytime export patterns.

Queensland (QLD)

Queensland still offers relatively competitive FiTs compared to southern states, with retailers such as AGL and GloBird offering FiTs for up to 10c/kWh, often capped at 10kWh. Granted, Queensland doesn't offer generous rates anymore, but it does offer some competitive retailer plans, which makes exports a great option for homes that don't have battery storage.

Victoria (VIC)

Previously regulated but largely deregulated from mid-2025; FiTs rates are now fully retailer-driven and often low. In Victoria, FiTs rates sit around 1.1 c/kWh. However, there are some retailers, such as ENGIE, that advertise limited plans of up to 11c/kWh under some strict export caps and higher usage pricing.

South Australia (SA)

South Australia, on the other hand, offers standard FiTs of between 2 and 10c/kWh with some virtual power plants (VPPs) as well as time-based plans paying rates during peak hours as much as 45c/kWh for exporting during evenings.

Western Australia (WA)

Western Australia works under the Distributed Energy Buyback Scheme (DEBS), which gives priority to evening and afternoon times. The rates will go up to 10c/kWh during the peak times and reward the households that export power during the times it is most needed by the grid.

How to Navigate Deceptive Contract Terms and Caps?

Not all feed-in tariffs are the same, and in 2026, a lot of the solar plans offer attractive advertising, all while quietly limiting the amount of energy that qualifies for such payments. Among the more common restrictions is the system size eligibility, with some retailers only offering their highest FiTs to systems that are under 10kWh. This means that households that install larger systems could automatically find themselves on the lower-paying export plans.

Another big issue is the daily export caps. While one retailer could advertise a 10c/kWh FiT, they could only pay this to the first 8–10kWh that is exported per day, with the remaining paid at 2 or 3c/kWh. This reduces the real earnings significantly for, say, a household that exports 20–30kWh each day.

It is also a good idea to search for "market-linked" FiT plans. Such rates will fluctuate depending on the wholesale electricity prices, and during times of oversupply, the rates can drop to almost zero. This is especially the case on mild, sunny days during times of peak solar generation.

Another very common trap is the temporary FiTs, with some retailers offering high buyback rates for the initial 12 months, and then the tariffs drop significantly unless the customer frequently changes the plans. Many households are unaware of such a change and, as a result, end up losing hundreds of dollars.

Lastly, you should never evaluate FiTs in isolation, as the retailers will often offset generous export rates by charging high rates for electricity use as well as high daily supply charges. With time, those high rates will outweigh the FiT benefits.

The smartest approach in 2026 is to compare total bill outcomes rather than headline rates. Use an energy comparison tool like Energy Made Easy to model your annual import costs, export earnings, and system eligibility. This reveals the plan that truly minimises your net energy spend.

Why "Self-Consumption" is the Ultimate 2026 Strategy

Solar feed-in tariffs are now consistently much lower than the cost of importing electricity from the grid (typically 28c–49c/kWh). This price gap makes self-consumption far more valuable than exporting.

For example, a household that exports daytime solar at 1–5c/kWh and then buys power at night at 30c+ is effectively selling cheap and buying expensive.

With battery storage, this issue can be solved through capturing the solar energy during the day for use at night, which helps reduce dependence on the grid. For those living in apartments or townhouses who have limited solar installation space, getting a portable power station like the BLUETTI Elite 300 can offer a good solution. It offers a 3014 Wh capacity, and thanks to its solar compatibility, households can store excess solar energy during the day for nighttime use without the need for expensive installations.

The Elite 300 features a 10 ms uninterruptible power supply (UPS), which also helps to ensure that work-from-home setups stay powered during times of outages or when the grid is unstable. For a low FiT market, it pays to store solar energy instead of exporting it.

Maximising Your FiT Returns and Energy Independence

As the feed-in tariffs continue to decline, Australians now explore the use of portable power stations and how they can reduce their dependence on, or, if possible, completely replace reliance on the grid. For the larger households, businesses, and properties situated in rural areas, scalable power storage systems offer a great alternative to exporting solar energy at low value.

The BLUETTI Apex 300 is designed to handle higher energy demands with its modular build that can be expanded from 2.7 kWh to 58kWh. And when connected to the SolarX 4K, it can handle 4000W of high-voltage solar input and can charge up to 13x quicker than the usual portable power systems. With such a setup, one can easily store excess solar power without the need to export it at low FiT rates.

As for mobile workers or travellers who are looking to avoid electricity fees at campsites, the BLUETTI Elite 200 V2 gives you 2600W of output with a 2073 Wh capacity. This is enough to power your appliances, electronics, and tools.

You can improve your efficiency when on the move with the BLUETTI Charger 2, which simultaneously draws 1200W from the vehicle's alternator as well as the solar panels. What this means is that the batteries are able to recharge while driving, ensuring that you have enough energy stored before arriving at your destination.

These systems thus work together to ensure Australians maximise solar value instead of exporting power cheaply to the grid, and can help households achieve energy independence.

Summary: Is Your Solar Plan Still Working for You?

With feed-in tariffs trending lower across much of Australia, the best returns now come from storing and self-consuming your solar energy rather than exporting it cheaply.

Prioritising self-consumption, balanced energy use, and suitable storage (including portable options) often leads to faster payback periods and stronger long-term savings.

Use a solar calculator to model your specific situation and see how a high-capacity system like the BLUETTI Apex 300 can support your transition toward greater energy independence.