To help consumers understand how much they could expect to receive from retailers for their solar exports, IPART publishes solar feed-in-tariff benchmarks each year.
We set our benchmarks based on our forecast of the wholesale price of electricity at the time solar electricity is exported to the grid.
In NSW, retailers can choose whether to offer solar feed-in tariffs to their customers, and the level of the solar feed-in tariff they offer.
Consumers should compare a solar feed-in tariff offered by a retailer to our benchmarks to see if that solar feed-in tariff is reasonable.
We have published our solar feed-in tariff benchmark ranges for 2024-25. You can see our benchmark ranges for 2024-25 here IPART’s solar feed-in tariff benchmarks.
We have also published a dashboard that shows the solar feed-in tariff offers available in the NSW and how they compare to our benchmark range. Use our Solar feed-in tariff dashboard.
IPART’s solar feed-in tariff benchmarks for 2025-26
The Australian Energy Regulator has approved export tariffs for Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy and Essential Energy; the Distribution Network Service Providers (DNSPs) in NSW.
Export tariffs comprise of:
- rebates for solar exports in the late afternoon and early evening
- charges for solar exports in the middle of the day, once a certain amount of solar exports has been exceeded (this is known as the basic export level).
Each DNSP in NSW has set different rebates, charges and basic export levels.
The timing for when export tariffs will come into effect is also varies across the DNSPs in NSW. For example, from 2025-26, all solar customers in the Ausgrid network will be subject to the export tariffs. While for customers in the Endeavour Energy network, only new solar customers will be subject to the export tariffs, and they will be able to opt out until 2029-30.
When export tariffs apply, they are charged to a customer’s retailer. The retailer then determines how they flow through their customers. This could be through the solar feed-in tariff offered by the retailer or through other price components of the electricity plan.
You can find out more about export tariffs in the Fact Sheet Export reward tariffs and you from the Australian Energy Regulator.
We will consult on our methodology to set our solar feed-in tariff benchmark ranges before we set new benchmarks for 2025-26. This consultation will consider whether we need to make changes to our methodology to account for export tariffs. You can subscribe to hear updates about this review.
Who this review affects
This review affects consumers and small businesses who have solar panels and/or battery systems or who are considering investing in solar panels and/or battery systems.
Our benchmarks can help you to:
- understand whether a retailer is offering a reasonable feed-in tariff
- decide whether to invest in solar panels and battery storage systems
- compare retail offers and choose the best energy plan.
Our benchmarks also provide guidance to retailers on what a reasonable rate is for solar feed-in tariffs for energy plans they offer.