Best 5kW Solar System in New Zealand (2026)

A 5kW solar system is the most common residential size quoted in New Zealand, and for good reason: it fits on most roofs, covers a large share of a typical household's daytime consumption, and lands at an installed price of about $11,000-13,000 (roughly $1.70-2.00 per watt, GST inclusive, indicative June 2026).

Actual generation depends on your region, roof orientation and shading, so insist that any proposal includes a site-specific yield estimate rather than a national brochure number.

Who should go bigger? An 8-10kW system runs about $15,000-18,000 installed and makes sense if:

• You have or plan an EV and want to charge it on solar
• You are adding a hot water heat pump on a daytime timer
• You are considering a battery later and want surplus to fill it
• You have the roof space: the per-watt price improves with scale

Panels: Jinko or Trina (Tier-1 volume manufacturers)

Inverter: Sungrow or GoodWe string inverter

Installed cost: toward the lower end of the $11,000-13,000 range

Why this combo works: Jinko and Trina ship more panels globally than almost anyone, with proven reliability and solid 25-year performance warranties. Sungrow and GoodWe string inverters are widely installed in NZ with good support. This combination delivers most of a premium system's output for meaningfully less money.

Best for: most households. If you want dependable solar at the best price, start here and spend the savings on better usage habits (or a hot water heat pump).

Panels: LONGi or Canadian Solar

Inverter: Fronius or SolarEdge

Installed cost: mid-range of the $11,000-13,000 band

Why this combo works: LONGi and Canadian Solar offer slightly better efficiency and degradation figures than the budget tier. Fronius (Austrian-built string inverters, hybrid-ready models available) and SolarEdge (panel-level optimisers) both bring stronger monitoring and future battery flexibility. If you expect to add a battery within a few years, a hybrid-ready inverter now saves replacing the inverter later.

Best for: buyers planning staged upgrades (battery, EV charger) who want the electronics to be ready.

Panels: SunPower or REC

Inverter: Enphase microinverters (one per panel)

Installed cost: top of the $11,000-13,000 range, and sometimes beyond it for complex roofs

Why this combo works: SunPower's product warranty is the longest in the industry and its degradation rate the lowest; REC's cells perform strongly in heat. Enphase microinverters remove the single point of failure of a string inverter and let each panel work independently, which is the difference-maker on shaded or multi-aspect roofs.

Best for: limited roof space (maximum output per square metre), complex or partially shaded roofs, and owners who intend to hold the asset for decades.

The inverter converts the panels' DC output into the AC your home uses. It works hard every daylight hour and is the component most likely to need replacement during the system's life, and the one most often cheapened to win a quote on price.

String inverters (Sungrow, GoodWe, Fronius): one unit handles all panels. Simple, cost-effective, reliable. Best for unshaded, single-aspect roofs.

Optimised and micro systems (SolarEdge optimisers, Enphase microinverters): per-panel electronics that stop one shaded panel dragging down the rest, with panel-level monitoring. Cost more; worth it on complicated roofs.

Red flags in quotes:

• An inverter brand you cannot find independent reviews for
• A quote that says "inverter included" without naming brand and model
• Warranty terms materially shorter than the market norm

Stick to the established names above and you cover the overwhelming majority of quality NZ installations.

1. An itemised quote. Panel brand, model and wattage; inverter brand and model; mounting system; all labour and electrical work, GST inclusive. Anything vague is not comparable.
2. A real site assessment. Roof condition, orientation, shading analysis and structural suitability, before the price is locked. A quote produced without looking at your roof is a guess.
3. Who does the electrical work. The grid-connection work must be done by an EWRB-registered electrician, and your network company's connection process must be followed. Ask the installer to walk you through both.
4. Switchboard capacity. Older boards may need upgrading; this belongs in the quote, not as a surprise.
5. Warranties in writing. Panel product and performance warranties, inverter warranty, and the installer's workmanship warranty. The Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 applies to the goods and the installation on top of all of these.
6. Buyback plan. Your export rate is set by your electricity retailer (currently 7-12c/kWh across the market). Check our buyback guide and pick a plan before the system goes live.

The easiest way to compare is to get up to 3 free quotes and put the itemised breakdowns side by side.