Commercial Solar Adelaide
SAA-accredited commercial solar design and installation for Adelaide businesses — sized around your actual energy usage, not a generic package.
SAA Accredited Installers
Licensed SA Electrical Contractor
Local Adelaide-Based Team
The Commercial Solar Rebate Cap Just Jumped from 100kW to 1MW
The Federal Government has confirmed the biggest expansion of the commercial solar rebate since the scheme began in 2011. From 1 October 2026, the eligibility threshold for Small-scale Technology Certificates rises tenfold, from 100kW to 1MW, opening the rebate to the warehouses, factories, schools, cold storage sites and office buildings across Adelaide that were previously locked out. Government estimates put the value at roughly 20% off the upfront cost of an eligible system.
If your business has a system in mind above the old 100kW cap, this changes the numbers significantly, and it’s worth checking where your project sits before you get a quote. We’ve broken down what’s changing, who qualifies, and how the rebate is applied on our dedicated New Commercial Solar Rebate page.
Why commercial solar works especially well in Adelaide
Most businesses use the bulk of their electricity during the day — running equipment, lighting, refrigeration, HVAC and machinery during trading or operating hours. That’s exactly when a solar system generates the most power, which is what makes commercial solar a fundamentally better financial proposition for businesses than for many households: you’re using your own generation directly rather than exporting it to the grid for a lower return.
Adelaide’s high average solar irradiance compounds this further — South Australian businesses are generating from some of the best solar conditions of any Australian capital, on top of already having some of the highest commercial electricity prices in the country to offset.
We design every commercial system around your actual load profile — pulled from your electricity bills and, where useful, your business’s operating hours and seasonal patterns — rather than sizing a system to fill available roof space and hoping the numbers work out. See our solar panel and solar inverter pages for the underlying technology we specify at commercial scale.
Is Commercial Solar Right for Your Business?
Commercial solar makes the strongest financial sense for businesses that share a few characteristics. It’s worth being honest about this upfront rather than pushing every business toward the same answer:
Good fit indicators
- High electricity usage during business hours (retail, manufacturing, warehousing, hospitality, offices)
- Large, relatively unshaded roof area, or space for a ground-mount or carport system
- Three-phase power supply, common in most commercial premises
- You own the premises, or have a lease structure that supports the investment
- Refrigeration, HVAC or machinery loads that run consistently through the day
Worth discussing in detail
- Businesses with mostly overnight or evening operating hours
- Heavily shaded roofs, or very limited roof structural capacity
- Short-term leases without a clear system-ownership arrangement
- Very low daytime electricity usage relative to roof space available
None of this rules a business in or out on its own — it’s exactly what we work through together during a site assessment and bill review before recommending a system, or telling you honestly if the numbers don’t stack up yet.
System Sizing: From Small Business to Industrial Scale
Small Business
Retail shops, cafes, small offices and trades premises with a single-phase or lighter three-phase supply. Typically sized to offset a large share of daytime consumption without exporting significantly.
Medium Business
Larger offices, medical and allied health centres, hospitality venues and light industrial units on three-phase supply, often with more roof area than a small system would use.
Large / Industrial
Warehousing, manufacturing, cold storage and multi-tenant commercial buildings, often exceeding 100kW and involving network connection approval and engineering assessment.
Many Adelaide businesses also size their system deliberately around network export limits for their connection type, to avoid additional network approval steps and keep the project timeline shorter. We check what applies to your specific site and supply as part of the initial assessment, rather than assuming a standard limit applies to your connection.
Commercial Battery Storage
Battery storage isn’t automatic for every commercial system, but it can make a real difference for businesses with demand charges on their tariff, operations that need backup power during outages, or usage patterns that extend into the evening after solar generation drops off.
We assess whether battery storage genuinely pays for itself in your situation, based on your tariff structure and load profile, rather than defaulting to recommending one on every quote.
See our solar battery page for the technology we install, and our EV charging page if you’re also considering charging for staff or fleet vehicles alongside your solar and battery system.
How a Commercial Solar Project Works
Bill & Site Review
We review your energy bills, roof, supply type and operating hours.
System Design & Quote
A system sized to your actual usage, with a fixed-price proposal.
Approvals & Installation
We manage any required network approvals, then install with minimal disruption to your operations.
Compliance & Monitoring
Full compliance certification and system monitoring set up before we hand over.
Understanding Payback and Return on Investment
The single biggest driver of commercial solar payback is how much of your generated power you actually use, versus how much gets exported to the grid at a lower rate. This is why load profile matters more than roof size alone — a smaller system that a business uses almost entirely can outperform a larger system that exports half its output.
Other factors that affect the numbers: your current electricity rate (businesses on higher commercial tariffs generally see faster payback), whether demand charges apply to your account, seasonal variation in your usage, and whether battery storage is added to capture more of your own generation.
We model this using your actual bills rather than assumptions, so the payback estimate in your quote reflects your business, not an industry-average scenario. For current Small-scale Technology Certificate and business energy incentive eligibility, see our SA Solar Rebates & Incentives page, which we keep updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the new commercial solar rebate for Adelaide businesses?
From 1 October 2026, the federal government is expanding solar rebate eligibility from 100kW to 1MW, opening upfront Small-scale Technology Certificate discounts to most commercial rooftops for the first time. See our New Commercial Solar Rebate page for the full breakdown of eligibility, timing and estimated savings.
How much does commercial solar cost for a business in Adelaide?
Commercial solar is priced per kilowatt installed, and the total depends heavily on system size, roof type and complexity, and whether battery storage is included. Because every business’s usage profile is different, we provide a fixed-price quote after assessing your energy bills and site rather than a generic figure.
What size solar system does my business need?
System size is based on your business’s average daytime energy consumption, available roof space, and supply type. As a guide, smaller retail or office premises often suit a system in the tens of kilowatts, while larger warehouses, manufacturing or cold-storage sites may need well over 100kW. We size this from your actual usage data during the site assessment.
Does commercial solar work with three-phase power?
Yes, most commercial and industrial sites are supplied three-phase, which supports larger inverter capacities than typical single-phase residential connections. Three-phase supply is one of the first things we confirm, along with any network export limits that may apply to your specific connection.
How much roof space do I need for commercial solar?
As a rough guide, allow around 6-7 square metres of usable, unshaded roof space per kilowatt of panels. The right figure for your site depends on roof orientation, shading and structural capacity, all of which we assess on-site before recommending a system size.
What's the payback period for commercial solar in Adelaide?
Payback depends on your system size, how much of the generated power your business uses during the day versus exports, and your current electricity rate. Businesses with high daytime consumption generally see faster payback because they use most of what they generate rather than exporting it at a lower rate.
Are there rebates or incentives for commercial solar in South Australia?
Commercial solar can be eligible for Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs) or, for larger systems, Large-scale Generation Certificates (LGCs), along with any current state or federal business energy incentives. Eligibility and value change over time, so we confirm the current position as part of your quote.
Can I add battery storage to a commercial solar system?
Yes. Commercial battery storage can reduce demand charges, provide backup power during outages, and store excess solar generation for use after the sun goes down. Whether it makes financial sense depends on your load profile and tariff structure.
How is commercial solar different from residential solar?
Commercial systems are typically larger, often three-phase, and sized around a business’s specific daytime load profile. They also more commonly involve engineering assessments for roof structure, network connection approval, and integration with existing switchboards or backup requirements.
Do you install EV chargers for staff and fleet vehicles?
Yes, we design and install multi-charger, load-managed EV charging for staff car parks and business fleets, and can pair it with your commercial solar system so vehicles charge from your own generation during the day.
Do you work with businesses that lease their premises?
Yes, though leased premises usually require landlord consent and, where relevant, a clear agreement on who benefits from the system. We can talk through what’s needed for your specific lease arrangement as part of an initial consultation.
Ready to see what solar can do for your business?
Send us a recent electricity bill and we’ll come back with a system sized to how your business actually uses power, not a generic package.