Australian households install more solar panels and large batteries

Australians registered 41% more rooftop solar capacity between January and October 2026 compared to the same period in 2025.

SunWiz data shows that rooftop systems under 100 kilowatts added 305 megawatts of capacity in October. This figure represents a 16% increase over October 2025 and an 11% increase over October 2024. New South Wales led the country with 89.9 megawatts of new installations, while Victoria saw the fastest month over month growth.

The increase in solar capacity is driven by residents installing new systems and existing solar owners upgrading their panels to work with batteries. The average size of a rooftop system rose to 10 kilowatts as homeowners seek to generate more electricity for their homes. Residential battery installations also reached a milestone, with 1,043 megawatt-hours of capacity installed in October.

Warwick Johnston, the managing director of SunWiz, says much of this growth comes from large batteries sized at 20 kilowatt-hours and above. These larger units accounted for 85% of the storage capacity installed in October.