Solar panels in Wellington, engineered for Wellington
Wellington is the most technically demanding city in New Zealand to install solar in, and we would rather be upfront about that than pretend otherwise. Wind loading, terrain shading and steep sites all matter here in a way they do not elsewhere. Done properly, it works well.
Get your honest estimate
See what a system looks like for your home — no sign-up.
Indicative only — your exact price depends on your roof, usage and retailer. We confirm it in your free, engineer-checked quote.
A 6.6kW solar system in Wellington costs from $11,990 installed and generates roughly 8,200 kWh a year. Most Wellington homes reach payback in seven to nine years. Wind-zone engineered mounting is required across much of the region, and installations connect through Wellington Electricity.
What size system does a Wellington home need?
Output below is calculated for Wellington's sunshine hours specifically. The same system in Invercargill produces meaningfully less, and in Nelson slightly more. These are the four sizes we install most often.
- Panels
- ~12
- Wellington output
- ~6,200 kWh/yr
- Suits
- 1-2 people, smaller home
- From (installed)
- $9,990
- Est. annual saving
- ~$1,300
- Panels
- ~15
- Wellington output
- ~8,200 kWh/yr
- Suits
- 3-4 people, most popular
- From (installed)
- $11,990
- Est. annual saving
- ~$1,750
- Panels
- ~18
- Wellington output
- ~9,950 kWh/yr
- Suits
- 4-5 people, or an EV
- From (installed)
- $14,490
- Est. annual saving
- ~$2,050
- Panels
- ~23
- Wellington output
- ~12,450 kWh/yr
- Suits
- Large home, EV, heat pumps
- From (installed)
- $17,490
- Est. annual saving
- ~$2,500
Indicative installed prices, GST included, for a standard single-storey Wellington roof. Output modelled on 2,000 annual sunshine hours. Savings depend on how much you use during the day, your retailer's buy-back rate and your plan. Your tailored quote confirms the real numbers before you commit to anything.
Why 5kW and 6.6kW became the standard sizes
There is a specifically New Zealand reason those two numbers appear everywhere. Until 2025, most lines companies including Wellington Electricity applied a 5kW export limit to residential single-phase connections. A home with a 6.6kW or 8kW system had to throttle its inverter so it never pushed more than 5kW to the street, even on a brilliant January afternoon. Systems were sized around that ceiling.
That ceiling has lifted. From 11 May 2026 the default export limit across every New Zealand lines company rose to 10kW, and distributors now have to justify any lower limit on safety or reliability grounds. Lines companies can also offer dynamic limits that flex above or below 10kW depending on real-time network conditions.
The practical effect for Wellington homeowners is that an 8kW or 10kW system can now export at full output. If you are weighing up sizes, the old advice to stop at 6.6kW is out of date. It usually costs less per watt to go bigger at the outset than to add panels later, since a second install means new scaffolding, more labour and possibly a bigger inverter.
The standards your install must meet
- AS/NZS 4777.2:2020 for the inverter, with volt-var and volt-watt response modes enabled.
- AS/NZS 5033 for the installation and safety of the PV array itself.
- AS/NZS 5139 where a battery is included.
- Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010 compliance, with all electrical work by an EWRB-registered electrician.
Systems with total inverter capacity under 10kW and single-phase inverters under 5kVA can generally use the simplified Part 1A connection process, which the distributor must process within 10 business days. Wellington city, Porirua and the Hutt Valley connect through Wellington Electricity, and Kāpiti through Electra. We lodge the correct application for your address.
Why solar works here
Wind is the defining factor
Much of Wellington sits in a high or very high wind zone, which changes the mounting specification, the fixing pattern and sometimes the panel choice. This is engineering, not an upsell, and a quote that does not address wind loading is not a quote for a Wellington roof.
Terrain shading is real
Wellington's hills mean many properties lose direct sun earlier than the raw sunshine hours suggest, especially south-facing slopes and valley sites. We model your actual roof rather than the regional average, and if your site is genuinely poor we will tell you.
Wellington Electricity's network
Wellington city, Porirua and the Hutt Valley connect through Wellington Electricity, serving around 400,000 consumers. Kāpiti sits with Electra. We lodge the correct application for your address.
Where it works very well
Flat northern suburbs, the Hutt Valley floor, Porirua and much of Kāpiti have good aspect, gentler sites and strong output. Wellington is not one market, and the answer depends heavily on which part you are in.
Most residential solar installations in Wellington do not require building consent. Heritage overlays and some character areas are the exception, and we will tell you at quote stage if yours is affected.
The Wellington crew
Our installers are employed, not subcontracted, and they live in the region they work in. These are the people who will be on your roof.
EWRB Reg. #PLACEHOLDER
EWRB Reg. #PLACEHOLDER
SEANZ accredited
Placeholder names and registration numbers. Replace with real crew before launch. This block is a required field on the region content type.
What a Wellington install looks like
6.6kW system, Lower Hutt
A 1960s weatherboard home on the Hutt Valley floor with good aspect and a gentle site. Fifteen panels on wind-zone engineered mounting across a north-facing plane, with the Wellington Electricity application lodged as part of the job.
Placeholder case study. Replace with a real Wellington install before launch. This block is a required field on the region content type.
Where we install across Wellington
Covering Wellington, the Hutt Valley, Porirua and the Kāpiti Coast. Not sure if we reach you? Call the team on 0800 5 SOLAR (0800 576 527).
Wellington solar questions
Prices shown are indicative, installed, GST inclusive, for a standard single-storey roof and are not a formal quote. Output modelled on Wellington's annual sunshine hours. Actual pricing, savings and payback depend on your home, roof, shading, power use and electricity plan, and are confirmed in your tailored quote. Electrical work is carried out by EWRB-registered electricians to AS/NZS 5033 and AS/NZS 4777.2. Finance is subject to lender approval.
Ready to stop overpaying for power?
Get a free, no-obligation quote from a local NZ team.