Best Solar Feed-in Tariff SA 2026: Rates Compared

The best solar feed in tariff SA households could find in November 2026 was a capped 12c/kWh for solar-only homes and about 27c/kWh for battery exports between 5pm and 9pm, according to published plan data. Those are headline rates, not typical ones: the Essential Services Commission of South Australia (ESCOSA) found that 92.1 per cent of residential offers paid 3c/kWh or less at 30 June 2026, and South Australia has no minimum feed-in tariff. The highest feed-in tariff is rarely the cheapest plan.

Regulator and network facts were read from ESCOSA and SA Power Networks in November 2026. Retailer rates were read on 13 November 2026 from the retailers’ own plan data published through the Australian Energy Regulator’s Energy Made Easy data feed.

Key facts

• South Australia has had no regulated minimum retailer feed-in tariff since 1 January 2017, when ESCOSA decided not to set one; it monitors retailer offers instead.
• ESCOSA’s Energy Retail Price Offers Comparison Report 2025-26 found residential retailer feed-in tariffs ranged from 0 to 5.5c/kWh at 30 June 2026, and up to 16c/kWh for specific periods of the day.
• ESCOSA reported that about 92.1 per cent of residential offers with a solar feed-in tariff paid 3c/kWh or less at 30 June 2026, and the most common offer was 2c/kWh (40.3 per cent).
• SA Power Networks’ export tariff has applied since 1 July 2025 and charges the retailer 1c/kWh for exports between 10am and 4pm above 9 kWh a day on interval meters; whether the customer pays depends on the retailer.
• SA Power Networks’ Flexible Exports option lets a new or upgraded solar system with an internet-connected inverter export up to 10 kW per phase, against a fixed limit of 1.5 kW per phase (or 0 kW in some areas).
• Amber Electric says that on the SA Power Networks Residential Electrify tariff (RESELE) it passes through a 13.2c/kWh bonus for exports from 5pm to 9pm, November to March, on top of the wholesale price (page updated 11 November 2026).

Best solar feed-in tariffs in SA (November 2026)

The highest solar-only rate reported for South Australia was 12c/kWh on a daily cap, and the highest battery rate was 27c/kWh in the evening. The table shows residential feed-in tariffs in the retailers’ own plan data, which each retailer lodges with the Australian Energy Regulator for Energy Made Easy. We queried that data for plans sold on the SA Power Networks network on 13 November 2026. Plan records were last updated by the retailers between 30 September and 12 November 2026, so confirm the rate on the retailer’s own plan page before you switch.

Rates are as lodged by each retailer. Origin and GloBird describe their amounts as GST inclusive (if any), EnergyAustralia describes its Solar Max amounts as excluding GST, and the other retailers give no consistent GST wording, so treat small differences as approximate. A retailer may sell several variants of one plan, and these rows show the highest-rate variants.

Uncapped standard rates in the same data are lower: 3c/kWh for EnergyAustralia, CovaU and Diamond Energy (3.1c/kWh), 2c/kWh for Origin, and 1c/kWh for AGL, ENGIE, GloBird, Lumo and Powershop. Amber Electric lists an estimated 12 month average of about 6.9c/kWh on its wholesale-linked plan, but pays the live wholesale price, which varies.

What is the highest solar feed in tariff in Adelaide?

For an Adelaide home without a battery, the highest rate reported was 12c/kWh on Origin Solar Partner Plus, but only on the first 8 kWh a day and only for systems bought through an Origin approved installer. Every rate above 3c/kWh in the table has a cap, an evening window or both.

The regulated or benchmark rate in South Australia

South Australia has no regulated minimum feed-in tariff, and ESCOSA monitors offers rather than setting a price. ESCOSA’s 2025-26 comparison report says its last minimum, in force to 31 December 2016, was 6.8c/kWh.

The table shows what ESCOSA recorded.

The old 44c/kWh distributor tariff continues for systems approved from 1 July 2008 to 30 September 2011, until 30 June 2028, but ends if a battery is added, per SA.GOV.AU. Our SA rebate guide covers the closed schemes.

Why the highest feed-in tariff is not the best plan

A higher feed-in rate is worth less than a small difference in usage rates or supply charges. ESCOSA says the feed-in amount alone does not reveal an offer’s full value.

Worked example 1: a capped 12c plan against a flat 3c plan. Assume a household with a 6.6 kW system that exports 15 kWh a day and buys 12 kWh a day, using the published caps above.

• The 12c plan pays 8 kWh x 12c plus 7 kWh x 2c = 110c a day, about A$401 a year.
• A flat 3c plan pays 15 kWh x 3c = 45c a day, about A$164 a year.
• The gap is about A$237 a year. Divided by 4,380 kWh bought a year, that is 5.4c/kWh.

If the 12c plan charges more than 5.4c/kWh extra on usage, or about 65c a day more in supply charges, the advantage disappears. These illustrations use reported feed-in rates only. For import prices by time of day, see our guide to peak and off-peak electricity times.

Worked example 2: the network export charge. A home exporting 15 kWh a day, all between 10am and 4pm, sends 6 kWh above the free 9 kWh. At 1c/kWh that is 6c a day, about A$22 a year, if the retailer passes it through in full.

Time-varying feed-in tariffs and export charges

South Australia’s network now has a small midday export charge and an optional evening reward. Both are SA Power Networks charges billed to the retailer.

What is the SA Power Networks export tariff?

The SA Power Networks export tariff charges retailers 1c/kWh for exports between 10am and 4pm above a free 9 kWh a day on interval (smart) meters, and 0.75c/kWh above 11 kWh a day on older accumulation meters. It started on 1 July 2025 and covers residential and small business inverters up to 30 kW AC, including customers on Flexible Exports, according to SA Power Networks.

Exports from 4pm to 10am are free on interval meters, and unused free export rolls over within the billing period. SA Power Networks estimates about A$1.50 a month for an average residential customer.

The Residential Electrify tariff (RESELE) adds a credit: SA Power Networks says it pays the retailer 12 to 13c/kWh for exports from 5pm to 9pm, November to March, and customers must ask their retailer whether they can access it. Amber Electric lists 13.2c/kWh and a RESELE peak import rate of 36.0c/kWh, against 21.3c/kWh on standard time-of-use, so it suits homes whose batteries cover the evening.

What are SA Power Networks flexible exports?

SA Power Networks flexible exports are a connection option that lets an internet-connected inverter export up to 10 kW per phase, turned down when the local network has too much solar. The alternative is a fixed limit of 1.5 kW per phase, or 0 kW in some areas, as set out on SA Power Networks’ Flexible Exports page.

It is a standard option for new or upgrading solar customers and meets the state’s dynamic export requirements from 1 July 2023. Full capacity is not guaranteed: SA Power Networks says some sites may never reach 10 kW, and it offers a Service Performance Checker by area. A higher export limit is only worth money if your retailer pays for those kilowatt-hours, which at 2c/kWh is not much.

If you have a battery

A battery is how South Australian households reach the 15c to 27c evening rates, because it exports after 5pm when panels cannot. ESCOSA’s 16c/kWh AGL offer for 5pm to 9pm was the highest period-specific rate it recorded.

Worked example 3. A 10 kWh battery exporting 5 kWh a night at 15c/kWh earns 75c a night, about A$274 a year, against about A$37 at 2c/kWh, a gap of about A$237.

A virtual power plant (VPP) is a retailer-run program that controls many home batteries together and pays owners for the energy or access. Our VPP guide explains the trade-offs. Two retailers we have reviewed suit batteries: Amber Electric and GloBird Energy. See what a solar battery costs and our Adelaide battery installers.

How to compare and switch

Compare the estimated yearly cost of the whole plan, not the feed-in rate.

1. Check your meter type (interval or accumulation) and 12 months of import and export kWh on your bills.
2. Enter them into the Australian Government’s Energy Made Easy site and sort by estimated annual cost.
3. Read the plan’s fact sheet for the daily export limit, time windows and system size limit.
4. Ask the retailer whether it passes on the SA Power Networks export charge or credit.
5. Recheck every July, when many retailers change rates.

Our South Australian installer directory and best solar companies in Adelaide guide list local installers, and the national feed-in tariff tracker compares states.

Not checked

Rates in the table come from the plan data retailers lodge with the Australian Energy Regulator, not from each retailer’s own web page, which we did not open for every plan. The following were not checked in November 2026:

• Retailer web pages. We did not compare the table against each retailer’s own plan page, so check the rate, cap and conditions there before you switch.
• Kogan, Momentum, Dodo, 1st Energy, Discover Energy and smaller retailers. We did not query their plan data, so some retailers may pay more than shown.
• AGL Battery Rewards Plan. An earlier search listing suggested a rate above 15c, but no such plan appeared in AGL’s South Australian plan data we queried.
• Plans not sold in South Australia’s residential market, and plans needing a specific network tariff. Some battery rates depend on an eligible network tariff, so a plan may not be available at your address.

FAQ

What is the best solar feed in tariff in SA?

The best reported solar-only feed-in tariff in South Australia in November 2026 was 12c/kWh on Origin Solar Partner Plus for the first 8 kWh exported a day, and the best battery rate was 27c/kWh from 5pm to 9pm on Origin Battery Starter. These come from retailer-lodged plan data read on 13 November 2026, so confirm them on the retailer’s page. ESCOSA found most offers paid 3c/kWh or less.

Is there a minimum solar feed in tariff in SA?

No, South Australia has no minimum solar feed-in tariff. ESCOSA stopped setting one from 1 January 2017 and now monitors offers.

What is the average solar feed in tariff in South Australia?

ESCOSA found residential feed-in tariffs generally ranged from 0 to 5.5c/kWh at 30 June 2026, with 2c/kWh the most common offer.

How much is the SA Power Networks export charge?

The SA Power Networks export charge is 1c/kWh on exports between 10am and 4pm above 9 kWh a day on interval meters, billed to the retailer from 1 July 2025. Whether you pay it depends on your retailer.

What is SA Power Networks flexible exports?

Flexible Exports is an SA Power Networks connection option that lets an internet-connected inverter export up to 10 kW per phase, reduced when the network is congested. The fixed alternative is 1.5 kW per phase, or 0 kW in some areas.

Is a higher feed-in tariff worth switching for?

Only if the whole plan costs less over a year. In our example, a capped 12c plan earns about A$237 a year more than a flat 3c plan, which a usage rate about 5.4c/kWh higher would cancel.

Sources

• ESCOSA: Energy Retail Price Offers Comparison Report 2025-26
• SA Power Networks: Export tariff
• SA Power Networks: Flexible Exports
• SA.GOV.AU: Solar feed-in payments
• Amber Electric: SA Power Networks residential two-way tariff (RESELE) FY2026-27
• Origin Energy: Solar Boost plan
• Australian Energy Regulator: Consumer Data Right energy plan data, as published for Energy Made Easy (queried 13 November 2026)
• Energy Made Easy

About this guide

Written by the Solar Cobber editorial team from independent desk research checked in November 2026. No retailer was contacted or paid to be included. Solar Cobber is a free directory that may earn referral or advertising fees from installers, and commercial relationships never affect content. This is general information, not financial advice. Corrections: contact us.