Price per panel by brand
Each row is a module with a fetched datasheet (checked 27 October 2026); the supply price is the wholesale per-watt band for its tier, ex GST, times the module wattage, so it is the price of the panel on a pallet, before the inverter, racking, labour, GST and the STC discount. The cheapest panel on the list is the 435 W LONGi Hi-MO X6 Explorer at $161 to $196; the dearest is the 470 W REC Alpha Pure-RX (heterojunction, lead free) at $282 to $376.
| Brand | Series | Watts | Efficiency | Product / performance warranty | Per panel, supply ex GST | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jinko Solar | Tiger Neo N-type 54HL4-(V) | 440 W | 22.53% | 25 / 30 yrs | $163 to $198 | Budget |
| Trina Solar | Vertex S+ (dual glass n-type i-TOPCon) | 515 W | 23.2% | 25 / 30 yrs | $191 to $232 | Budget |
| LONGi | Hi-MO X6 Explorer | 435 W | 22.3% | 15 / 25 yrs | $161 to $196 | Budget |
| Canadian Solar | TOPHiKu6 (n-type TOPCon, black frame) | 445 W | 22.3% | 25 / 30 yrs | $222 to $227 | Mid range |
| Risen Energy | n-type TOPCon 108 half-cell, black frame (AU) | 440 W | 22.5% | 25 / 30 yrs | $220 to $224 | Mid range |
| AIKO | Neostar 3P54 (n-type ABC back contact, Gen 3) | 470 W | 23.5% | 15 / 30 yrs | $235 to $240 | Mid range |
| REC | Alpha Pure-RX (heterojunction, lead free) | 470 W | 22.6% | 20 / 25 yrs | $282 to $376 | Premium |
| SunPower / Maxeon | Maxeon 7 (IBC back contact) | 445 W | 24.1% | 40 / 40 yrs | $267 to $356 | Premium |
| WINAICO | WST-NGX-D3 (n-type TOPCon, glass glass, Australian version) | 450 W | 23% | 30 / 30 yrs | $270 to $360 | Premium |
| Tindo Solar (Adelaide, Australian made) | Walara G4P (n-type, 108 half cells) | 440 W | 22.6% | 25 / 25 yrs | $264 to $352 | Premium |
What one solar panel costs, supply and installed
$161 to $376 is the supply price of one panel across the three tiers. Installed is a different number: the October 2026 index puts a 6.6 kW system at $6,774 on the standard installer offer and $8,084 on the premium offer, which is $452 to $539 a panel for 15 panels of 440 W, or $1.03 to $1.22 a watt installed after the STC discount. The gap between the panel on a pallet and the panel on the roof is the inverter, racking, the crew day, the grid connection and GST, which the quote breakdown takes apart line by line.
| Size | Panels at 440 W | Standard offer | Per panel | Premium offer | Per panel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 kW | 12 | $5,550 | $462 | $6,630 | $552 |
| 6.6 kW | 15 | $6,774 | $452 | $8,084 | $539 |
| 8 kW | 19 | $7,983 | $420 | $9,527 | $501 |
| 10 kW | 23 | $9,810 | $427 | $11,700 | $509 |
| 13 kW | 30 | $12,465 | $416 | $14,866 | $496 |
The three tiers: per watt, per panel and share of the system price
Budget panels sell at 37 to 45 cents a watt ex GST, premium at 60 to 80 cents, so 15 panels for 6.6 kW cost $2,442 to $2,970 at the budget band and $3,960 to $5,280 at the premium band: a gap of $1,518 to $2,310 in panels alone. With GST, the panels are 40 to 86 per cent of the $6,774 standard offer. The index premium offer sits $1,310 above the standard offer, which covers that panel gap and a dearer inverter; what else moves the price is on the price drivers page.
| Tier | Per watt | Per 440 W panel | 15 panels (6.6 kW) | Share of standard offer | Brands on file |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | 37c to 45c | $163 to $198 | $2,442 to $2,970 | 40 to 48% | Jinko Solar, Trina Solar, LONGi |
| Mid range | 50c to 51c | $220 to $224 | $3,300 to $3,366 | 54 to 55% | Canadian Solar, Risen Energy, AIKO |
| Premium | 60c to 80c | $264 to $352 | $3,960 to $5,280 | 64 to 86% | REC, SunPower / Maxeon, WINAICO, Tindo Solar (Adelaide, Australian made) |
Reading the panel line on a quote
A quote names the panel brand, model and count and prices the system as one figure; divide the system price by the panel count and compare with the installed per-panel column above, and check the model against the list for its wattage and warranty. A 6.6 kW quote under $6,774 with a premium-tier panel named is worth questioning, because the panels alone are $4,356 to $5,808 with GST; the cheap solar page shows what a floor-price system leaves out. A model not on this list is not a mark against it: the list is the modules with a datasheet fetched for the index, not the whole market.
Panel price questions
How much does one solar panel cost in Australia?
$161 to $376 supply only, ex GST, in October 2026: $163 to $198 for a 440 W budget-tier panel and $264 to $352 at the premium band. Installed in a 6.6 kW system the same panel is $452 to $539 after the STC discount, because the inverter, racking, labour and connection are priced into the system.
What is the cheapest solar panel brand?
$161 to $196 a panel for the LONGi Hi-MO X6 Explorer 435 W is the lowest on the list; Jinko and Trina sit in the same 37 to 45 cents a watt budget band, so the cheapest brand is whichever of the three the installer buys in volume that month.
How much is a 440 W solar panel?
$163 to $198 ex GST at the budget band, $220 to $224 mid range and $264 to $352 premium, supply only; 15 of them make a 6.6 kW system.
Are premium solar panels worth the extra money?
$1,518 to $2,310 ex GST is the panel-only gap between budget and premium on 6.6 kW, and the index premium offer is $1,310 above the standard offer. The premium band buys a longer product warranty (20 to 40 years against 15 to 25) and slower degradation (0.25 to 0.4 per cent a year against 0.4 to 0.4), which matters most on a roof you will keep for 25 years; the savings guide shows the yearly saving the extra has to earn back.
Does an Australian-made solar panel cost more?
$264 to $352 a panel is the supply band for the 440 W Tindo Walara, made in Adelaide and priced in the premium tier, against $163 to $198 for a 440 W budget panel; the warranty is 25 years product and 25 years performance.
What does cents per watt mean on a panel price?
37 cents a watt times 440 W is $163: the per-watt figure is the panel price divided by its wattage, which is how wholesalers list modules and how two panels of different wattage are compared. The installed figure for the whole system is $1.03 to $1.22 a watt, as the cost per watt page shows by city.