Rooftop solar installations in Australia declined sharply in January, with small-scale technology certificate (STC) volumes down 32% month on month after four consecutive months of growth, according to market analyst SunWiz. It says the result was broadly in line with seasonal norms and does not signal a trend for 2026.
Image: SunWiz
From pv magazine Australia
Installed rooftop solar capacity in December 2025 totaled 224 MW, comparable with outcomes in recent years. However, SunWiz cautioned against extrapolating December volumes into the year ahead.
Average system sizes also fell, reversing a four-month increase. The average dropped from more than 11.5 kW in December to 10.83 kW in January, reflecting a sharper contraction in larger systems.
By size segment, the 50 kW to 70 kW category recorded the steepest decline, down 57%. Smaller residential systems fell by 24%, contributing to the overall reduction in average system size.
All states and territories recorded month-on-month declines. Victoria proved the most resilient, down 19%, followed by Western Australia at 22% and the Australian Capital Territory at 34%. Queensland fell 35%, South Australia and New South Wales each declined 37%, Tasmania dropped 38%, and the Northern Territory contracted by 69%, although average system sizes there remained elevated.
SunWiz said capacity eased most noticeably in the mid-range segments, with installations in the 10 kW to 15 kW band falling to 82 MW and the 8 kW to 10 kW range sliding to 23 MW. Installations in the 6 kW to 8 kW segment were unchanged at 37 MW, while the top three rankings by segment remained stable month on month.
This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com.
More articles from Ev Foley
Please be mindful of our community standards.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Comment *
Name *
Email *
Website
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.


Δ
By submitting this form you agree to pv magazine using your data for the purposes of publishing your comment.
Your personal data will only be disclosed or otherwise transmitted to third parties for the purposes of spam filtering or if this is necessary for technical maintenance of the website. Any other transfer to third parties will not take place unless this is justified on the basis of applicable data protection regulations or if pv magazine is legally obliged to do so.
You may revoke this consent at any time with effect for the future, in which case your personal data will be deleted immediately. Otherwise, your data will be deleted if pv magazine has processed your request or the purpose of data storage is fulfilled.
Further information on data privacy can be found in our Data Protection Policy.
Legal Notice Terms and Conditions Data Privacy © pv magazine 2026
Δ
This website uses cookies to anonymously count visitor numbers. View our privacy policy. ×
The cookie settings on this website are set to “allow cookies” to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click “Accept” below then you are consenting to this.
Close

source