Solar incentives in New Zealand: what's real, what's promised
New Zealand has no government solar rebate or subsidy today. Both major parties have proposed schemes, but they are election policies for after the 7 November 2026 election. Neither exists yet, and neither can be applied for.
What is genuinely available right now: green home loans from the major banks at around 0% to 1%, a newly doubled 10kW export limit, and new rules requiring fairer payment for the power you export. Those three things are worth more to most households today than either election promise.
Three things that already changed in 2026
While the election policies get the headlines, the changes that actually affect your system and your payback have already happened this year. Most solar sites have not caught up.
Green loans at 0% to 1%
Every major bank now lends up to $80,000 as a green top-up on your mortgage, typically around 1% p.a. fixed for three years. This is the real mechanism that removes the upfront cost today, and it is available regardless of who wins the election.
Export limit doubled to 10kW
From 11 May 2026 the default export limit across every lines company rose from 5kW to 10kW. For years a 6.6kW or 8kW system had to throttle its output. That cap is gone, which changes what size system is worth installing.
Fairer pay for exported power
From 1 April 2026 distributors must pay solar exporters for peak supply. From 1 July 2026 retailers with more than 5% market share must offer plans that reward peak exports. Buy-back rates across NZ retailers currently run roughly 7 to 17 cents per kWh.
The export limit change matters more than it sounds. Under the old 5kW cap, larger systems generated power they were not allowed to sell. Removing it improves the economics of every system above 5kW, which is now most of them. The average system installed in New Zealand in 2026 is around 7.9kW, up from roughly 5kW a few years ago.
What each party has proposed
Both major parties announced solar policies in mid-2026. They are more similar than the debate suggests: both are built on low-interest loans repaid through your rates, and both would remove the council consent requirement. The differences are in scale and in who gets helped.
| National — Home Energy Fund | Labour — SolarSaver | |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 25 June 2026 | 8 July 2026 |
| Headline cost | $7m Crown equity for a 20% shareholding in a new entity, with councils funding the balance | $160m over four years, funded by repurposing the gas security fund |
| Main mechanism | Low-interest loans secured against your property, repaid through rates over about 10 years | Two options: the same rates-based loan, plus Crown-underwritten loans through lines companies repaid via your power bill |
| Direct subsidy | None | Up to $3,000 kickstart for low and middle income households |
| Renters | Not covered | Kickstart subsidy extended to plug-in solar for renters |
| Covers | Solar, batteries, insulation, heat pumps | Solar, batteries, plus a $30m community battery fund |
| Consent change | Yes, removes council consent for solar installs | Yes |
| Key condition | Requires roughly 20% home equity. Councils opt in voluntarily | Income thresholds not yet confirmed |
| Detail | Read the full explainer | Read the full explainer |
Where the other parties stand
ACT opposes solar subsidies, arguing that if solar stacks up financially, households will invest without government help. The Green Party has called for a loan scheme of this kind for several years, and both Local Government New Zealand and Rewiring Aotearoa have advocated for the Ratepayer Assistance Scheme model that sits underneath both major parties' policies.
What happens after the election
Whichever party forms a government, a scheme still has to be legislated, an entity has to be established, and in both cases individual councils have to opt in. Realistically, nothing is available to households on day one. We will update this page as soon as anything becomes real, and if you are quoting now, your quote should stand on today's numbers rather than on a promise.
Sources: RNZ, interest.co.nz, 1News, NZ Labour.
Common questions
This page summarises publicly announced political party policy for general information. It is not political endorsement, financial advice or a guarantee that any scheme will proceed. Policy details may change. Finance is subject to lender approval, and green loan rates and terms are set by the lender, not by Solar.co.nz.
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