Every new financial year presents an opportunity to invest in your company’s future – using that new budget to take steps to ease cost pressures, navigate the economic trickiness and get closer to your sustainability goals.
In 2026, could solar be your next big investment?
Your competitors may have already started, and they’re reaping the rewards. Rooftop solar now accounts for 11.2% of Australia’s electricity generation (Clean Energy Council), and commercial solar had its best year yet in 2025 as leaders grew more confident in solar as a mainstream business investment (Sunwiz).
Need convincing? These are the top five reasons we think every business should consider solar:
1. Energy prices aren’t going down
We’ve all seen it on the monthly statement – energy prices feel like they only go one way: up.
That’s true again this year, with the average Australian electricity bill having risen 8% by the time of writing, and even more so in certain states (rising 24% in QLD and 23% in SA). On top of that, the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) recently released its Default Market Offer (DMO) for the next financial year, indicating prices could go up as much as an additional 8.5%.
Could a commercial solar and battery installation help?
There are many benefits of going solar as a business, but the big three when it comes to your overheads are:
- Generate your own energy
- Avoid peak tariff times
- Claim tax deductions
Keep reading – we’ll cover each of those in more detail below.
Learn more: Should your business invest in commercial solar?
2. Solar helps you save
The cost benefits of commercial solar are pretty simple: if paying for electricity from the grid is harming your bottom line, then any amount of power you generate improves cash flow. The more you generate, and the more you consume of that generated power, the more you could save.
The big question then is… how much are we talking here?
How much can solar save businesses?
With a rooftop solar installation, our experience tells us that your organisation could save as much as 50% on its energy bills per year (depending on your setup, local conditions and usage).
By adding solar battery capacity on top, these savings could get as high as 90% – this is especially true if you operate outside of daylight hours, as batteries would allow you to generate power during the day and store it for use later.
With these savings, we expect the average solar payback period in Australia to be less than seven years.
Case study: Blair’s Tyres
Ben Pommery, from Blair’s Tyres, was spending about $6,000 per quarter on his energy bills. By partnering with Think Renewable, he invested in a 40 kW solar system comprising Longi panels and a Sungrow inverter, which halved his company’s bills straight away.
He’ll have paid off the investment in a few years, and to use Ben’s words: “After that, it’s basically free money.”
3. It’s perfect for 9-5 businesses
Solar often works best when energy usage overlaps sunlight hours. For households without battery storage, this often isn’t easy (as we’re all out working during the day). But for most commercial users, it’s ideal – the exact hours you need to run your business are the perfect hours for maximising your solar usage.
Offices, warehouses, service providers, retailers, cafes … if your business needs to be open during the day, there’s a good chance solar can help keep the lights on, run your equipment and cut HVAC costs.
To reference our case study above again, Blair’s Tyres (a day business) knocked its bills down 50% and expects to save tens of thousands of dollars within the decade. Ben has since re-invested all those savings, upgrading equipment, hiring more staff and taking the pressure off cash flow.
4. It’s more affordable than you might think
It’s a lot easier to invest in solar and a battery than you probably realise – there’s a lot of help available. By utilising available state and government solar rebates, plus commercial solar financing options, you may even be able to get it cash flow positive from the very start!
What help is available for investing in commercial solar?
- Government solar rebates: If you’re investing in a commercial system of 100 kW or less, you can likely apply for the government’s Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme, which provides an up-front discount of approximately $350 per kW installed (depending on market conditions).
- State solar rebates: Different levels of financial support are also available at the state level in some parts of Australia, offering further discounts on solar and batteries. These include rebates, grants and loans.
- Commercial solar financing options: Many private finance brands offer solar-specific services, including interest-free loans. A lot of companies are really willing to invest in renewable tech, so it’s always worth a look.
Here at Think Renewable, helping you discover what options are available for your commercial property is a big part of our consultation service. Just let us know where you are and what you’re hoping to achieve, and we’ll do all the research.
Learn more: How to maximise your solar battery rebates in Australia
5. Tax advantages make it even smarter
Even better, some organisations can use solar as a tax advantage.
Eligible small businesses may be able to use the ATO’s instant asset write-off scheme to claim an immediate deduction on the cost of their new asset (up to $20,000 in value), rather than depreciate it over several years.
Or, if your system will come out at more than $20,000, you could still add the investment to your general small business depreciation pool – claiming 15% of the cost in the first year and 30% in subsequent years to accelerate the deprecation process and smooth out your cash flow.
Of course, this is one you’ll need to talk to your financial advisor about.
Putting it all together…
Commercial solar is an increasingly popular business investment, not just for going green, but as a smart financial move too. By generating your own power, you could help save big on your daily consumption while avoiding peak tariff times and those 8% price hikes.
The next step is to figure out what type and size of solar setup is right for your business – and that’s where we come in.
At Think, we’re an award-winning commercial solar installer with expert electricians stationed right across Australia. Learn more about how we help businesses here, or get in touch to get a free quote.
