NZ rooftop solar potential

Rooftop Solar Potential

Assuming roof coverage from solar panels:

Heat map estimate

All buildings in view

–

Panel density 80%

Just a few panels

Blanket the roof

For buildings in map view (0)

Disclaimer: This is a rough estimate made with the help of AI and still being tested. Expect mistakes. Read more

The 3D data used to map rooftops comes from a different year (sometimes many years apart) from the imagery. Therefore sometimes buildings are missing, or buildings show where they have since been knocked down.
The solar irradiance data is based on satellite estimates that may not be perfectly accurate for an individual building’s sunlight conditions.
The panel placement, and detection of roof obstructions, requires reconciling 3D data, 2D data, and building outline records, which do not always match, so there are plenty of examples where panels can be placed incorrectly.
Solar economics change based on individual building consumption patterns, electricity contracts and more. These are only rough estimates, with customisable assumptions to show you how the estimate is made.

Assumptions & pricing

Panel rated power

Panel efficiency

Inverter efficiency

System losses

Panel area follows from power and efficiency, so a bigger panel covers more roof and fewer of them fit.

Installed cost by system size

$ per kW installed. The rate for a system is set by the band its own size falls in.

Electricity pricing — homes

Retail price paid

Export / buyback

Electricity pricing — businesses

Retail price paid

Export / buyback

A building counts as a business if its roof or its system is commercial-scale — either one is enough. Roof area is the real test; the system-size backstop sits high on purpose, because system size follows the coverage setting and a home should not become a business when you slide it up.

Business if roof over

...or system over

Export rate over time

Buyback is expected to fall. Payback and lifetime value follow this year by year, they are not a flat figure.

Export falls by

Self-consumption

Set by the site's daytime load, not by a share of output: a bigger array does not make the building use more. Whatever the load cannot absorb is exported, so the self-consumed share falls as systems grow.

Daytime load — homes

Daytime load — businesses

Daylight hours it runs for

Financial

System life

Panel degradation

Retail electricity inflation

Discount rate

Export is deliberately not inflated — the buyback schedule above already sets it year by year.

Inverter replaced in year

Inverter cost

Indicative only — not a quote. Real pricing depends on roof access, switchboard work and installer.

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Includes the building & view you're looking at automatically.