In short
- An aged care facility runs around the clock, so it uses almost all the solar a well-sized system makes. The payback is among the best of any site type.
- A medical clinic runs 8 to 6 on weekdays, which still suits solar well, on a much smaller system.
- Solar does nothing for the overnight load. A battery is a demand-charge question, not an overnight one.
Yes, solar pays back for an aged care facility that runs 24/7, usually in about two years on a well-sized system in 2026, and for a medical clinic in about two to three years. The facility's hot water, air conditioning, kitchen and laundry run through the day, so there is always a load ready to use what the panels make. What solar can't touch is the night, and that decides the size.
| Quick facts | Aged care | Medical clinic |
|---|---|---|
| Hours | 24 hours, every day | about 8am to 6pm, weekdays |
| Typical system | 100kW and up | 20kW to 50kW |
| Share of solar used on site | often 85–90% | about 70–75% |
| Part of the bill solar can cut | daytime energy, sometimes the demand charge | most of the weekday bill |
| What to send | one recent bill; we get the interval data from it | the same |
What does an aged care facility's power use look like?
A residential aged care home never closes. Air conditioning runs in every wing, hot water runs for showers and the laundry from early morning, the kitchen serves three meals, and lighting, nurse call systems and medical equipment run through the night. The daytime load is high and steady, and the overnight load is still substantial.
That is the same shape as a cold store, and it suits solar the same way. A well-sized system is used almost in full, because the air conditioning is working hardest on the sunny afternoons when the panels make the most. The overnight load stays on grid power whatever size goes on the roof.
What does a medical clinic's power use look like?
A GP practice, dental surgery or specialist clinic runs 8am to 6pm on weekdays, sometimes Saturday mornings. Air conditioning, lighting, computers and sterilisers run all day, and imaging equipment adds short, sharp draws. Outside those hours there is a vaccine fridge, a server and standby. It is a tidy weekday profile that uses a 20kW to 50kW system well, with weekends the only waste.
How much will solar save an aged care facility?
Here is a worked example with made-up figures. These are example figures, not our prices or a real facility.
A Brisbane aged care home puts in a 100kW system, which makes about 145,000 kWh a year at 1,450 kWh per kW.
- The facility uses about 90% of the solar itself, because the air conditioning, hot water and kitchen are always running when the panels are.
- At $0.28 for each kWh it no longer buys and $0.05 for exports: 130,500 kWh × $0.28 = $36,540, plus 14,500 kWh × $0.05 = $725. Yearly saving $37,265.
- At an example price of $73,000 after the STC discount, that pays back in about 2.0 years.
Larger facilities often have the load for 200kW to 500kW. Since 1 October 2026 a system in that range still gets the upfront STC discount, and the connection process with the network becomes the thing that sets the timetable. The same assumptions give other site types for comparison on commercial solar cost.
How much will solar save a medical clinic?
A Brisbane clinic puts in a 30kW system, which makes about 43,500 kWh a year.
- The clinic uses about 70% of the solar itself across its weekday hours. Weekends go to the grid.
- 30,450 kWh × $0.28 = $8,526, plus 13,050 kWh × $0.05 = $653. Yearly saving $9,180.
- Against the 30kW range on commercial solar cost of $21,000 to $29,000 after STCs, that pays back in about 2.3 to 3.2 years.
Should an aged care facility add a battery?
Not for the overnight load. In the 100kW example only about 10% of the solar is spare, about 14,500 kWh a year. Stored and used at night instead of exported, each kWh is worth $0.28 instead of $0.05, a gain of about $3,300 a year before losses. Compare that with the battery price in the quote.
The demand charge is the better test. A facility's peak often lands when the kitchen, the laundry and the air conditioning all run at once in the early afternoon, or on a hot evening. If the interval data shows a sharp peak, a battery that trims it can pay. Backup during an outage is a separate decision with its own value for a facility that cares for residents, and it should be costed on its own line rather than folded into the solar sums. See commercial solar batteries and demand charges.
What does each state offer?
The federal STC discount applies everywhere and comes off the invoice. Since 1 October 2026 it covers eligible systems up to 1MW. The states add little for solar itself.
| State | What matters for aged care and clinics |
|---|---|
| NSW | No rebate on solar panels. The Peak Demand Reduction Scheme discounts batteries from 20 kWh to 30 MWh, larger when new solar goes in within 90 days. Worth testing against an aged care facility's demand charge. |
| VIC | Victorian Energy Upgrades gives an upfront discount on business solar systems between 30kW and 200kW through an accredited provider. Larger systems can use its project-based activities. |
| QLD | No state rebate for commercial solar. Feed-in credits in the south-east are set by retailers. |
| SA | No state government rebate. Some councils, such as the City of Adelaide, run their own. Export value is weak, so size to what the site uses. |
| WA | No state rebate for business solar. The buyback scheme doesn't cover commercial systems, so the return comes from what the site uses. |
| ACT | No solar rebate. The Sustainable Business Program co-funds energy efficiency upgrades up to $10,000. Solar isn't a listed item. |
Not-for-profit aged care providers sometimes have access to grants that commercial operators don't. We haven't verified any current round, so treat that as something to ask about. We haven't checked Tasmania or the Northern Territory yet. Full detail and dates are on commercial solar rebates.
What should an aged care facility or clinic send for a proposal?
Just one recent bill, every page. Using the meter number on it, the team gets your interval data, which shows what the site draws in every half hour of the year, including overnight. That is what the system gets sized to. There is nothing to request from your retailer. A facility with several buildings on separate meters sends a bill for each.
Questions to ask an installer
- What share of the solar do you expect the site to use, and is that from our interval data?
- What does the system save at our real rate per kWh, not a typical one?
- Does the proposal cover the daytime load or the whole bill, and is the overnight load shown separately?
- If you suggest a battery, what does it do to our demand charge, and is backup costed separately?
- How is the installation scheduled around residents, and how is the roof work kept clear of clinical areas?
Send a bill and an accredited installer prepares a costed proposal sized to how the site uses power. It's free, with no obligation. Already have a quote? Compare it line by line with our checklist.