Brisbane · Queensland
Brisbane gets a bigger rebate than the southern states
The STC zone rating means the same system costs a Brisbane business less after the discount than it costs one in Melbourne. That advantage is worth understanding before you compare quotes across states.
Zone 3
STC rating, the higher of the two bands on this site
1,450
kWh per kW a year, typical Brisbane roof
None
State commercial rebate currently available
What Queensland actually offers
Queensland has no standing rebate for commercial solar. Federal STCs do the work, and they're worth more here than in Melbourne or Adelaide because Brisbane sits in a higher-rated zone.
Feed-in tariffs in South East Queensland are set by retailers rather than the government, so what you're paid for exports depends on your contract. It's usually low enough that a system should be sized to your own daytime load first.
How the certificates are created and why the 100kW ceiling matters is covered on the cost and rebates page.
Heat is the thing Brisbane quotes get wrong
Solar panels are rated in a laboratory at 25 degrees. Brisbane roofs in February are a long way from that, and panel output falls as cell temperature climbs. On the hottest afternoons a system produces measurably less than its rating suggests, at exactly the moment your air conditioning is working hardest.
It isn't a reason to avoid solar in Queensland, which still generates more per kilowatt than anywhere south of it. It's a reason to check that the yield figure in a proposal has been derated for local conditions, and to prefer mounting that leaves an air gap under the panels on a hot metal roof. Ask which figure you're being shown. A quote built on laboratory ratings will disappoint in its first summer.
Connecting through Energex
Energex covers Brisbane and South East Queensland. Ergon Energy takes over in regional Queensland, and the rules differ, so a site outside the south-east needs checking separately.
Energex handles connections up to a threshold under a standard arrangement, above which a site moves to a negotiated connection with an export assessment.
Brisbane's summer heat cuts panel output on the hottest afternoons. A well-designed proposal accounts for that in the yield estimate rather than quoting a headline figure from a spec sheet.
- Network operator
- Energex
- Regional Queensland
- Ergon Energy, different rules
- STC zone
- Zone 3
- Annual yield
- 1,450 kWh per kW
- Feed-in tariff
- Set by your retailer
Brisbane questions
Why is the rebate bigger in Brisbane than in Melbourne?
The STC scheme divides Australia into four zones by how much sun a location gets, and Brisbane sits in a higher-rated zone than Melbourne or Adelaide. The same 50kW system creates more certificates in Brisbane, so the discount taken off the invoice is larger. Nothing about it is Queensland-specific policy. It's federal, and it's geography.
Is there a Queensland rebate for commercial solar?
There's no standing state rebate for commercial systems. Queensland programs have come and gone, so the current position is worth checking on the state government site, but budget on the assumption that federal STCs are the whole of the upfront support.
Does Brisbane heat reduce solar output?
Yes, and it's a real effect rather than a technicality. Panels lose efficiency as they heat up, so a 40 degree February afternoon produces less per panel than a mild 25 degree day with the same sunlight. A properly built yield estimate for Brisbane accounts for temperature derating. One that quotes the panel's laboratory rating does not.
What feed-in tariff do Brisbane businesses get?
In South East Queensland the rate is set by your retailer as part of your contract, not by the government, so it varies. It's usually low enough that a commercial system should be sized around what you consume during the day rather than what you could sell.
Send a Brisbane bill and we'll check the STC value on it
One recent bill is enough to size a system and price it. It costs nothing, there's no obligation, and you'll hear back within 48 hours.