Tasmania has the highest average installer rating in our directory at 4.91 stars, and the Australian Capital Territory has the lowest at 4.77. That gap is 0.14 of a star, which is smaller than most people expect, and Tasmania’s figure rests on just 19 companies.
This post breaks our directory of 1,611 Australian solar companies down by state and territory. For each one we show how many companies we track, the average rating, the average and total number of Google reviews, and how many hold a perfect five-star score. All figures are as at 2 August 2026.
The short version: average ratings are nearly identical everywhere. What changes is how much choice you have and how much review evidence sits behind each company. Those two things matter far more to your shortlist than a few hundredths of a star.
The full state scorecard
Here is every state and territory in our directory, plus the “National” group of companies that list themselves as servicing the whole country rather than one state.
| State or territory | Rated companies | Avg rating | Avg reviews per company | Total reviews | Companies at 5.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 332 | 4.82 | 105 | 35,015 | 169 |
| Victoria | 283 | 4.80 | 80 | 22,777 | 127 |
| Queensland | 188 | 4.82 | 100 | 18,736 | 88 |
| Western Australia | 158 | 4.78 | 129 | 20,319 | 63 |
| South Australia | 110 | 4.89 | 77 | 8,480 | 57 |
| National | 43 | 4.78 | 73 | 3,126 | 24 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 38 | 4.77 | 96 | 3,632 | 13 |
| Northern Territory | 30 | 4.81 | 54 | 1,626 | 11 |
| Tasmania | 19 | 4.91 | 63 | 1,195 | 10 |
Source: Solar Cobber company directory, n=1,611, queried 2 August 2026.
The first thing to notice is how flat the rating column is. Every state and territory sits between 4.77 and 4.91. Nobody is failing. Nobody is running away with it either.
Who leads on rating, and how much to trust it
Tasmania comes first at 4.91 stars. South Australia comes second at 4.89. Those are the only two above 4.85.
South Australia’s number is the one we would lean on. It comes from 110 rated companies, which is a real sample, and it sits 0.07 of a star above New South Wales and Queensland (both on 4.82). That is a small edge, but it holds across a decent number of businesses, so it is unlikely to be a fluke of two or three unusual listings.
Tasmania’s number is different. It comes from 19 companies. With a group that small, one weak rating can move the state average noticeably, and one new five-star listing can move it back. We are not saying Tasmanian installers are poor. We are saying 4.91 is not stable enough to build a claim on. Run the same query in three months with a few new listings added and Tasmania could easily sit third or fourth. So South Australia has the best rating average we can stand behind, and Tasmania has the highest number on the board with the weakest evidence behind it.
The ACT sits lowest, but only just
The ACT has the lowest average rating of any region we track, at 4.77 stars across 38 companies. Western Australia and the National group both sit at 4.78.
Before anyone in Canberra takes that personally, look at the size of the gap. The ACT is 0.14 of a star behind Tasmania and 0.05 behind New South Wales. On a public Google listing, the difference between 4.77 and 4.82 is invisible. Both read as “nearly five stars” to a customer.
There is a sample problem here too, though a milder one. Thirty-eight companies is more than Tasmania’s 19 but well short of the hundreds in the bigger states. We would describe the ACT as at the low end of a very narrow range, not as the worst state for solar installers, because the data does not support the second phrasing. Its review depth is more interesting anyway: ACT companies average 96 reviews each, close to Queensland’s 100 and above Victoria’s 80.
Review depth is where states really differ
The rating column is flat. The review column is not. This is the most useful finding in the data.
| State or territory | Avg reviews per company | Difference vs South Australia |
|---|---|---|
| Western Australia | 129 | +52 |
| New South Wales | 105 | +28 |
| Queensland | 100 | +23 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 96 | +19 |
| Victoria | 80 | +3 |
| South Australia | 77 | baseline |
| National | 73 | -4 |
| Tasmania | 63 | -14 |
| Northern Territory | 54 | -23 |
Western Australia is the clear standout at 129 reviews per company. South Australia sits at 77. A typical WA listing carries roughly two-thirds more customer feedback than a typical SA listing, even though SA has the better average score.
We cannot prove why from this data, so here are the plausible explanations rather than one confident answer.
Company size. A market served by fewer, larger installers shows higher reviews per company, because each business handles more jobs. WA has 158 rated companies against South Australia’s 110, but 20,319 total reviews against SA’s 8,480. The gap in total volume is far bigger than the gap in company count, which points towards larger average operations in WA.
How long firms have traded. Reviews accumulate. A company installing since 2012 will have more of them than one that opened in 2023. If WA’s listings skew older, its average rises without anything else changing.
Market maturity. Rooftop solar has been common in both states for a long time, so this is not a case of one adopting earlier. But the shape of a market matters. Fewer big players concentrate reviews. Lots of small local operators spread them thin.
Review-chasing habits. Some installers ask every customer for a review at handover. Some never ask. That is a business habit, not a quality signal.
We cannot separate those four causes with the data we hold. What it means for a buyer is simpler. In Western Australia you can usually find several companies with a hundred or more reviews, so you can judge on a solid body of feedback. In South Australia and Tasmania you will more often see a shorter review history, so you need to weigh warranty terms and trading history instead.
New South Wales dominates on scale
New South Wales is the biggest market in our directory by a clear margin: 332 rated companies and 35,015 total reviews. That is more than a quarter of all rated companies and more review volume than any other state. Victoria is second (283 companies, 22,777 reviews) and Queensland third (188 companies, 18,736 reviews).
Scale changes the shopping experience. In NSW you are filtering a long list, not choosing between the three companies that will drive to your suburb. With 19 rated companies in Tasmania and 30 in the Northern Territory, the job is reversed and widening the search radius matters more.
The five-star share moves more than the average
Every state has companies sitting on a perfect 5.0. What differs is how big that group is as a share of the state’s rated companies.
| State or territory | Rated companies | Companies at 5.0 | Share at 5.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | 43 | 24 | 55.8% |
| Tasmania | 19 | 10 | 52.6% |
| South Australia | 110 | 57 | 51.8% |
| New South Wales | 332 | 169 | 50.9% |
| Queensland | 188 | 88 | 46.8% |
| Victoria | 283 | 127 | 44.9% |
| Western Australia | 158 | 63 | 39.9% |
| Northern Territory | 30 | 11 | 36.7% |
| Australian Capital Territory | 38 | 13 | 34.2% |
Shares calculated from the counts in the scorecard table above.
The spread is 21 percentage points, from 34.2 per cent in the ACT to 55.8 per cent in the National group. That is far wider than the 0.14 star gap in average ratings, which is why this column is the more interesting one.
It needs a caution attached. Across the directory, 571 of 1,222 rated companies hold a perfect five, and 217 of those have fewer than 10 reviews. A five-star score built on four reviews is not the same claim as one built on 200, so a state with a high five-star share may simply hold more young or small listings.
That reading fits the pattern. Western Australia has the lowest five-star share of the mainland states at 39.9 per cent and the highest reviews per company at 129. It is hard to keep a flawless score once a lot of customers have rated you. The ACT does not fit as neatly, and we do not have an explanation for that in this data.
What this means for you, state by state
New South Wales
You have the most choice in the country: 332 rated companies and 35,015 reviews to read. Half of them (50.9 per cent) sit on a perfect five, so a five-star badge tells you little on its own here. Use it as a first filter, then sort by review count. With this much supply you can insist on a real review history and still have plenty of options. Browse top solar installers in New South Wales or the NSW directory.
Victoria
Victoria is second largest with 283 rated companies and 22,777 reviews. Its 4.80 average is a touch below NSW and Queensland, and 80 reviews per company is low for a big state. That combination suggests a market of many smaller operators rather than a few dominant ones, so expect more filtering than the company count implies. Start with top solar installers in Victoria or the Victorian directory.
Queensland
Queensland looks healthy on every measure: 188 rated companies, a 4.82 average, 100 reviews per company and 18,736 reviews in total. It is the best balance of choice and evidence outside New South Wales. It also has the most crowded postcode in our directory, with 21 companies serving 4350, so regional buyers may have more local options than they assume. See top solar installers in Queensland or the Queensland directory.
Western Australia
WA has 158 rated companies, the lowest average of the big states at 4.78, and by far the deepest review evidence at 129 per company. Read those two facts together. WA companies are judged by more customers, and scores drift down slightly when that happens. A WA company on 4.7 with 300 reviews is a stronger signal than one on 5.0 with six. Shortlisting is easier here because the evidence is there to read. Start at top installers in Western Australia or the WA directory.
South Australia
South Australia has the best rating average we can stand behind, 4.89 across 110 rated companies, and just over half its companies hold a perfect five. The catch is review depth at 77 per company, below Victoria and well below WA. You get a market that scores well but gives you less feedback to read, so ask harder questions at the quote stage. See top installers in South Australia or the SA directory.
Tasmania
Tasmania has 19 rated companies, and that number should shape how you use everything else on this page. Its 4.91 average is the highest in the country and we would not rely on it. What we can say plainly is that choice is limited. Check whether any of the 43 National companies service your area, look at installers based elsewhere in the state, and do not rule out a company for having fewer reviews than a mainland equivalent. Few reviews is normal in a market this size, not suspicious. See top installers in Tasmania or the Tasmanian directory.
Australian Capital Territory
The ACT has 38 rated companies, the lowest average at 4.77, the lowest five-star share at 34.2 per cent, and a solid 96 reviews per company. Our read is that Canberra has a small but established set of installers, and the low five-star share reflects companies with enough reviews that a perfect score is hard to hold. Choice is limited, so check which NSW-based companies service the ACT. Filter the company directory by location.
Northern Territory
The NT has 30 rated companies, a 4.81 average and the lowest review depth in the country at 54 per company, from 1,626 reviews in total. With a sample this small we will not rank the NT against anywhere else, and neither should you. Expect a short shortlist, and put more weight on warranty terms, trading history and whether the company has done systems like yours nearby.
Companies that service nationally
Forty-three companies list themselves as servicing Australia rather than one state, averaging 4.78 stars with 73 reviews each. If you are in Tasmania, the NT or the ACT, this group widens your options. National coverage is a logistics claim, not a quality claim, so ask whether the crew on your roof is their own or a local subcontractor.
What the numbers do and do not support
| Claim | Does the data support it? |
|---|---|
| South Australia has the strongest rating average of the larger states | Yes, 4.89 across 110 companies |
| Tasmania is the best state for solar installers | No, 19 companies is too small a sample |
| The ACT is the worst state for solar installers | No, it is 0.14 stars off the top of a very narrow range |
| WA companies carry the most review evidence | Yes, 129 per company, clearly ahead of second place |
| NSW offers the most choice | Yes, 332 rated companies and 35,015 reviews |
| A five-star rating means more in some states than others | Partly, five-star share ranges from 34.2% to 55.8% |
| Ratings vary a lot between states | No, every region sits between 4.77 and 4.91 |
Methodology
What the data is. Aggregated public Google Business listing data for solar companies in the Solar Cobber directory. Each record holds a company’s state, its star rating and its review count as published on its Google Business profile.
Sample size. The directory holds 1,611 companies. Of those, 1,222 carry a star rating and are included in every rating and review figure here. The state rows cover 1,201 of those rated companies and 114,906 of the directory’s 130,526 total reviews.
When and how it was collected. All figures were queried on 2 August 2026 by direct database query against our own directory. We did not visit any company, request quotes, contact any business or accept payment for inclusion.
Honest limitations:
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This is not a census. It is our directory of 1,611 companies, a large sample of the Australian market but not all of it. Companies without a Google Business listing, or with one we have not indexed, are missing. If they differ from the ones we hold, our state averages are off.
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Small samples cannot carry rankings. Tasmania has 19 rated companies and the Northern Territory has 30. Both are too few to rank confidently against states with hundreds, and we have flagged this every time either appears.
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Ratings are not audited. Google star ratings reflect who chose to leave a review, not a representative survey of customers. Companies that actively ask for reviews look different from companies that do not, and that has nothing to do with installation quality.
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Averages hide the individual company. A state average of 4.82 tells you nothing about the business quoting on your roof. Every figure here is a market-shape signal, not a recommendation.
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We do not track accreditation. Nothing here reflects whether a company is a Clean Energy Council approved retailer or uses accredited installers. Check the New Energy Tech Consumer Code approved seller directory for the retailer, and Solar Accreditation Australia’s status check for the individual installer, yourself.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Western Australia have a lower rating but more reviews?
Most likely because they are connected. Across our directory, companies with 500 or more reviews average 4.75 stars while companies in the 50 to 199 bracket average 4.83. More customers means more chances for a bad day to be recorded. A WA company on 4.78 with 150 reviews has been tested harder than one on 5.0 with five.
How much should I trust a perfect five-star rating?
Less than it looks. As at 2 August 2026 our directory holds 571 companies at exactly 5.0, and 217 of those have fewer than 10 reviews. Check the review count before the score. A 4.8 across 200 reviews is stronger evidence than a 5.0 across four.
Is Tasmania really the best state for solar installers?
We cannot say that and we would not. Tasmania’s 4.91 average comes from 19 rated companies. A couple of listings changing could reorder the whole table. Treat it as a number worth noting, not a ranking worth acting on.
What if my state has very few installers?
Widen the net. Check the 43 companies that service nationally, look at installers based elsewhere in your state, and accept that fewer reviews per company is normal in a small market. Then lean harder on what you can verify directly, such as warranty length, trading history and whether the crew is in-house. Our guides on choosing a solar installer and comparing solar quotes cover what to ask. Three quotes is a sensible floor anywhere, even where it takes more work to get them.
Related reading
- The Australian Solar Installer Report 2026
- where Australians have the most installers to choose from
- where regional Australia runs out of installers
- why solar installer ratings tell you almost nothing
About this research
This is independent desk research by Solar Cobber. We did not visit sites, request quotes or accept payment for inclusion. Figures are dated and sourced, and pricing and policy details change, so confirm current terms directly before you sign anything.