Solar buy-back rates for businesses: export is not the prize
Michael Wilkins · Updated 13 June 2026
The short answer
NZ retailers pay roughly 7 to 17 cents per kWh for exported solar as at mid 2026, and commercial sites above about 10 kW need a negotiated export agreement. Self-consumed generation avoids a 25 to 45 cent retail rate instead, which is why systems are sized to daytime load. From 1 July 2026 large retailers must offer time-varying export plans.
What retailers actually pay
New Zealand has no government feed-in tariff: every retailer sets its own buy-back rate, and as at mid 2026 the going range is 7 to 17 cents per kWh, with premium battery plans paying more for evening-peak export. Comparison sites refresh the league table constantly because the rates churn. Check them on the day you decide, and then weight the result correctly: not very much.
The commercial catch above 10 kW
Advertised buy-back rates are residential products, and most cap eligibility around 10 kW of inverter capacity. A commercial array of 30 kW or more usually needs a negotiated export agreement with the retailer, at a rate that may differ from anything advertised (published commercial examples sit around 14 cents). If a vendor proposal leans on a residential buy-back rate for a 100 kW system, that is a red flag about the rest of the model.
Why export is not the prize
EECA's Kaiwaiwai Dairies case study makes the ratio concrete: the farm earns roughly $267 a year from export and saves $17,000 to $20,000 a year through self-consumption, with more than 90 percent of generation used on site. Export revenue is a by-product, not a business case. Systems should be sized so most generation lands on your own load, which is exactly how our sizing approach works: we target covering most of your daytime consumption and treat the export tail as noise.
The 2026 rule changes, and who they actually help
Two Electricity Authority changes land this year. From 1 April 2026, distributors must pay rebates for power exported into network peaks. From 1 July 2026, every retailer with at least 5 percent market share must offer a plan with time-varying export rates that pass a genuine financial benefit to the customer. Both reward export at evening peaks, when the sun is down.
Read that carefully: the new rules mainly reward batteries, which can hold midday generation and discharge it into the peak windows. They do not change the core economics of panels, and they are not a reason to oversize an array today. They are a reason to design battery-ready, and to revisit storage as prices fall.
What this means for sizing
We size systems to cover around 90 percent of daytime consumption rather than maximising the array, because the marginal panel that mostly exports earns 7 to 17 cents while the panels serving your load avoid 25 to 45. The full decision framework, including costs and payback by system size, is in the commercial solar guide.
Run your own numbers
Conservative assumptions, fully disclosed, no contact details needed.
Your indicative numbers
Conservative, ex GST, modelled not promised
System size
69 kW
Sized to your daytime load
Installed cost
$108,823 to $148,646
Confirmed with certified installers
Investment Boost, year one
about $7,209
A 20% immediate tax deduction, worth this in cash at the 28% company rate. Not a discount.
Estimated annual saving
$18,779 to $22,257
80% of generation used on site
Indicative payback
4.5 to 7.5 years
Net of the Investment Boost benefit
Asset life
25+ years
Panels keep producing long after payback
ASB Smart Solar Loan: 0% for 5 years
Your current bill
$4,000/month
Loan repayment
$2,146/month
Estimated saving
$1,710/month
Reverts to a floating business rate after five years.
On these numbers the monthly repayment of $2,146 sits at or below your current bill of $4,000 while the loan runs, and the power keeps getting cheaper after it ends.
How this is modelled (assumptions v2026-06-v3)
- Power valued at $0.25 to $0.30/kWh ex GST (savings are never valued at the top of the commercial tariff range).
- Export credited at $0.08/kWh, the conservative end of current buy-back rates.
- Installed cost interpolated from 30 kW ($1,800 to $2,600/kW) down to 500 kW ($1,100 to $1,500/kW), 2025/26 working ranges.
- Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes yield modelled at 1260 kWh per kW per year.
- Self-consumption capped by your daytime usage profile and held below typical vendor claims; sizing targets 90 percent of daytime load.
- Investment Boost stated as the year-one cash value of the 20 percent immediate deduction at the 28 percent company rate. It is a tax timing benefit, not a discount.
- No power price escalation and no panel degradation in simple payback; omitting escalation outweighs degradation, so the net effect is conservative.
Indicative only; not financial or tax advice. The feasibility study models your site from twelve months of actual bills.
Get these numbers checked properly
The real model is built from twelve months of your bills. Send your details and we will do it for you; we reply within one working day, no obligation.
Straight answers
What do power companies pay for exported solar in NZ?
Typically 7 to 17 cents per kWh as at mid 2026, set by each retailer rather than any government feed-in tariff, with some premium battery plans paying more for evening-peak export. Rates churn constantly, so verify on the day. For comparison, the commercial retail rate you avoid by using solar on site is usually 25 to 45 cents.
Which power company pays the most for solar export?
It changes month to month and depends on your plan, region and whether you have a battery: comparison sites track the league table. For a commercial site it is usually the wrong question. Export earns 7 to 17 cents while self-consumption avoids 25 to 45 cents, so plan choice matters far less than sizing the system to your daytime load.
Can a business export solar on a normal buy-back plan?
Usually only up to about 10 kW of inverter capacity. Above that, most retailers require a negotiated commercial export agreement with its own rate (published examples sit around 14 cents). If you are installing 30 kW or more, treat advertised residential buy-back rates as irrelevant and get the commercial terms in writing.
What changes for solar export in 2026?
Two Electricity Authority rule changes: from 1 April 2026 distributors must pay rebates for power exported at network peaks, and from 1 July 2026 retailers with at least 5 percent market share must offer plans that pay time-varying export rates. Both reward evening-peak export, which mainly benefits sites with batteries.
Should I oversize my solar system and sell the surplus?
No. At 7 to 17 cents export against a 25 to 45 cent avoided retail rate, surplus generation earns a fraction of what self-consumed generation saves. EECA's Kaiwaiwai Dairies case makes it concrete: about $267 a year from export beside $17,000 to $20,000 from self-consumption. Size to your daytime load and let export be a by-product.
More from this guide
- Commercial solar in New Zealand: costs, payback and how to decide
- Investment Boost on solar: what the 20 percent deduction is actually worth
- What a commercial solar feasibility study includes, and when you need one
- Solar finance for NZ businesses: loans, PPAs and what actually stacks
- Solar power for dairy farms: the honest numbers
- Solar for wineries and vineyards: Marlborough to Central Otago
Size it to your load, not the league table
The calculator models self-consumption first and treats export at the bottom of the published range. Conservative on purpose.