For homeowners who already have solar

Your premium feed-in tariff is ending. Now what?

If your system is getting on in years, quietly underperforming, or barely exporting anyway — the maths is about to change. Here's an honest look at whether it's worth keeping, upgrading, or replacing. No spin.

Built for South Australian households. Independent guidance — we're not an installer.

What "losing the premium tariff" really looks like

A rough picture of what each kWh you export is worth — before vs after your legacy rate ends.

~44cLegacy feed-in tariff~3–5cTypical rate today
The lay of the land

The deal that made your solar pay has quietly shifted

When many older systems went in, exporting power to the grid was where the money was. That world is gone. Today the value is in what you use, not what you send out — and a lot of older setups were never built for that.

Premium tariffs are ending

Legacy schemes that paid generous rates for exported power are closing. Once yours ends, every unit you send to the grid is worth a fraction of what it used to be.

Old panels fade — and shrink

Panels lose a little output every year, and a 10–15 year old system may run on tech that's been outclassed. Some are now too small to cover a modern household's daytime use.

Exporting is now restricted

In SA, newer connection rules can limit or curtail how much you're allowed to export. If you're already barely sending power out, the tariff change may matter far less than you fear.

Sometimes the right answer is "leave it alone"

We make our money connecting people who genuinely need solar work with vetted local installers — so we have no reason to talk you into anything. If your system is still doing its job, we'll tell you to keep it. The tool below is built to give you that answer just as readily as any other.

The honest self-check

Keep it, upgrade it, or replace it?

Four quick questions. No email required to see your result — just a straight read on where your system stands.

Question 1 of 4

How old is your solar system?

Question 2 of 4

Is it still generating like it used to?

Question 3 of 4

Are you actually exporting much power?

Question 4 of 4

What's driving you to look into this now?

Your read

What we'd suggest doing next

    Read the signs

    When a system probably isn't worth keeping

    None of these on its own is a death sentence. But if you're nodding along to two or three, it's time for a proper look rather than another year of hoping.

    The inverter has died once already

    Inverters are the part that fails first. A second failure on an old, small system often costs more than it's worth to fix.

    Generation has clearly fallen off

    If sunny days produce noticeably less than they did a few years ago, panels or wiring may be degrading faster than normal.

    It's too small for how you live now

    A 1.5–3kW system from a decade ago can't keep up with today's air-con, EVs and working-from-home loads.

    No monitoring, no warranty left

    If you can't see what it's doing and the warranties have expired, you're flying blind on an asset that's quietly aging.

    The new maths

    Why the value moved from exporting to using

    The whole game has flipped. Power you draw from the grid costs many times more than what you're paid to export it. So the win is no longer "send more out" — it's "buy less in."

    ~3–5c
    Paid per kWh you export

    Once your legacy tariff ends, this is roughly what each exported unit is worth — and it keeps drifting down.

    ~40c+
    Cost per kWh you buy back

    That's the price of grid power at peak times. Every unit your own system covers is worth far more than one you export.

    8–10×
    The gap that changes everything

    Using your own power can be worth many times more than selling it. That's why a battery, or a right-sized system, now makes sense where it once didn't.

    Figures are indicative SA-style ranges to show the shape of the decision, not a quote. Your real numbers depend on your retailer, tariff, usage pattern and roof. A vetted installer can model your actual position.

    If you decide to act

    How First Step Solar helps from here

    We're not an installer and we don't do the work ourselves. We connect you with vetted local SA installers and make the comparison honest and easy.

    1

    Tell us about your system

    A few details about your current setup, your roof and what you're trying to fix. Takes a couple of minutes.

    2

    We match you locally

    We connect you with vetted South Australian installers suited to your situation — repair, upgrade or replace.

    3

    Compare with clear eyes

    You get honest options and real numbers to weigh up. No pressure, and no obligation to go ahead.

    Find out what your old system is really worth

    Get an honest assessment from vetted local installers — whether that means a simple repair, a smart upgrade, or knowing it's fine to leave as is.

    Get my free system assessment Free · No obligation · South Australian installers only
    First Step Solar — independent solar guidance for South Australian homeowners. Figures shown are indicative and not a quote.