13.2 kW Solar System in the Northern Rivers: Roof Space, Inverter, Battery and Price

Checked and updated by our licensed electricians: October 2026

A 13.2 kW solar system on our Northern Rivers jobs is usually 26 to 30 panels on a single 10 kW battery-ready hybrid inverter, and most of them run on ordinary single-phase power. It needs roughly twice the sunny roof of a 6.6 kW system. With Jinko panels (13.30 kW, 28 panels) it starts from $11,600 after the estimated solar rebate, or $12,900 with AIKO (13.10 kW, 27 panels). 16 of the 22 systems of 12 to 14.5 kW we have designed since January 2025 include a home battery, and three or four battery modules are the most common.

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Who goes to about 13 kW of solar?

About 13 kW is for homes where 10 kW would leave a gap, or where the owners would rather design the roof once than come back later. On our jobs it often suits:

• bigger homes and big households, with high use day and night;
• an EV and a pool together, both drawing power on the same sunny day. See charging your EV from solar and a battery;
• heavy air conditioning, such as ducted systems running through a Northern Rivers summer;
• a home business, office or workshop running machines or computers through the day;
• future-proofing: planning an EV, a second EV or an all-electric home. Adding panels to a connected system later usually means a new connection application with Essential Energy, so many people size the roof once. See home EV charger installation.

We size every system from 1 or 2 of your recent power bills, not the size of your roof. If your use is lower, see what a 10 kW solar system looks like on our jobs or a 6.6 kW system, or read how big a solar system do I need?

What about 13 kW looks like on our jobs

We went back over the 22 solar designs of 12 to 14.5 kW we have drawn up for homes across 18 Northern Rivers towns and localities since January 2025, from Murwillumbah, Ocean Shores and Huonbrook to Bangalow, Alstonville and East Lismore.

• Panels: most often 26 panels of about 475 to 510 W, or 28 to 30 panels of about 440 W. Half used AIKO solar panels and most of the rest Jinko solar panels.
• Inverter: of the 13 designs that list the inverter, 9 put all the panels on a single 10 kW hybrid inverter. One used a 15 kW three-phase inverter, and 3 used two inverters.
• Phase: 19 of the 22 used single-phase equipment. The other 3 used three-phase equipment.
• Battery: 16 of the 22 included one, and 8 of the 10 designed this year did. One also included a Sigenergy DC EV charging module.

How much roof space does 13.2 kW need?

The Australian Government says a common 6.6 kW system might take 29 to 32 square metres of sunny roof. On the same basis, 13.2 kW needs roughly twice that, about 58 to 64 square metres. That is more than one face of most house roofs, so at this size the panels usually spread over two or three faces, and sometimes a shed, carport or pavilion roof as well. East and west faces make more of their power in the morning and afternoon, which can suit homes that use power through the day. We check each roof face, its pitch and shading on the design, and again at the face-to-face site visit before every install.

Why most 13 kW systems sit on a 10 kW inverter

On our designs at this size, the most common combination is about 13 kW of panels on one 10 kW inverter. Two things lead there:

• Panels rarely make their full rated output. Heat, roof angle, time of day and panels facing different ways all keep the real output below the label, so the panel total can be more than the inverter size.
• The network limits the inverter size it connects. The Australian Government explains that a connection limit restricts the inverter size, and gives the example of 10 kW per phase: a single-phase home could connect a 10 kW inverter, and a three-phase home a three-phase inverter of up to 30 kW. Your connection offer from Essential Energy states what applies to your property.

We check what Essential Energy allows for your property before settling the panel and inverter combination. See single-phase vs three-phase solar and batteries.

Single-phase or three-phase at 13 kW?

Most Northern Rivers homes are single-phase, and on our designs most 13 kW systems still are: 19 of 22 used single-phase equipment. Three-phase homes, often bigger homes or rural properties with sheds and pumps, can use a three-phase inverter, which the Australian Government notes can have higher connection and export limits where those are set per phase. At this size phase also decides the battery. A single-phase battery on a three-phase home only backs up the circuits on its own phase, so for whole-home backup on three-phase we usually look at a three-phase battery. Both Sigenergy and GoodWe make single-phase and three-phase systems.

Please don’t open the switchboard to check: we confirm your phase on the site visit, along with the switchboard and any RCBO upgrades. See whole-home vs essential-circuits backup.

Export limits on a 13 kW system

Essential Energy, the network for most of the Northern Rivers, commonly limits export to 5 kW and sometimes lower; your connection offer states yours. It limits what you send to the grid, not how much solar you install for your own use. With 13 kW on the roof, a sunny middle of the day can produce far more than a 5 kW limit lets out, so this size works best when the power has somewhere to go at home:

• a battery that charges from the solar the limit holds back;
• daytime loads, such as EV charging, a pool pump, air conditioning or a workshop;
• battery settings made for export-limited sites, which some systems have.

Essential Energy is also bringing in flexible export limits for new and upgraded systems from late 2026, up to 10 kW for single-phase homes, with equipment that can talk to the network. They are optional. We tell you on the site visit what the equipment you are considering supports. See solar export limits in the Northern Rivers and what is my export limit?

Which battery goes with 13.2 kW of solar?

A bigger array can fill a bigger battery, even on shorter winter days. On our designs of about 13 kW, the most common battery is three modules, and four modules come next, more often than on smaller systems. In public module sizes that is:

• GoodWe ESA (mid-tier, very high quality): 8 kWh modules, so 24 or 32 kWh at three or four modules (8 to 40 kWh in all).
• Sigenergy (premium): 9 kWh modules, so 27 or 36 kWh at three or four modules (9 to 45 kWh in all).
• We also install Sungrow, Solax and Tesla batteries.

We size the battery from your evening and overnight use, not the panel count. A typical install backs up the whole home in a blackout unless you ask us to leave some circuits out, such as an EV charger. See what size battery do I need? and home battery prices by size.

How much power does 13.2 kW make?

The Australian Government says 1 kW of panels typically makes 3.5 to 5 kWh a day averaged over a year in Australia, depending on location, slope and direction, with more in summer and less in winter. On those figures 13.2 kW makes roughly 46 to 66 kWh a day on average. That is a general range, not a promise for your roof: your design shows an estimate for your own roof faces and shading.

13 kW solar prices

These are the same typical prices as on our solar system prices by size page, inc GST, after estimated rebates:

• 13.30 kW with Jinko panels (28 panels): from $11,600 ($15,000 before the solar rebate of about $3,460).
• 13.10 kW with AIKO panels (27 panels): from $12,900 ($16,300 before the solar rebate of about $3,420).
• 13.2 kW with a GoodWe ESA battery: 16 kWh from $16,300 ($23,800 before rebates), 24 kWh from $18,400 ($27,100 before), 32 kWh from $21,100 ($30,500 before).
• 13.2 kW with an 18 kWh Sigenergy battery and Gateway: from $19,700 ($27,300 before).

Assumptions: a single-storey tin roof, single phase, no switchboard upgrade or extras, installed in 2026. Tile, two-storey and steep roofs cost a little more, and three-phase equipment and bigger Sigenergy batteries are priced from your bills and roof. Your final price is confirmed after the site visit. For a range for your own home, try the solar and battery price calculator.

Rebates and the NSW 0% loan

• Solar rebate (STCs): about 13 kW of panels creates more certificates than a smaller system, taken off at the point of sale, and we do the paperwork. The number drops every January. See how solar STCs work.
• Federal battery rebate (Cheaper Home Batteries): also taken off at the point of sale. It steps down on 1 January 2027 and again on 1 July 2027, set by the install date. See the battery rebate step-down.
• NSW 0% loan: the NSW Home Energy Saver program offers a 0% interest loan of up to $15,000 for solar and batteries, over up to 10 years, with rebates taken off first. You pay the same price whether you use the loan or pay yourself. See the NSW Home Energy Saver loan FAQ. Loans by Brighte. Eligibility and lender approval apply.

How we do it

1. A free energy assessment from 1 or 2 recent power bills, so the system is sized to your use, not your roof.
2. A custom design with the rebates built in, laid out over your roof faces.
3. A face-to-face site visit before every install: roof faces, phase, compliant battery position, switchboard and RCBO check, so there are no surprises on the day.
4. We handle the grid application and export approval, the install and monitoring set-up, then grid connection (typically 1 to 3 weeks later) and a sign-off call.

• Our own in-house team designs every system and does every install. 25 years in solar and large commercial electrical work. No subcontractors.
• SAA-accredited installer, Sigenergy-approved and NETCC accredited.
• Warranties: 25-year workmanship on our installation work, 10-year inverter replacement, 25-year panel performance, 10-year battery.

See it on real jobs near this size: 12.22 kW of AIKO solar and a Sigenergy battery on a 10 kW inverter in Wilsons Creek, and an off-grid home with 13.3 kW of solar, a 16 kWh Sigenergy battery and a generator in the Mullumbimby hinterland (off the grid, so no export limit applies there). More in our recent installs.

We install across the Northern Rivers, including Ocean Shores, Alstonville and Murwillumbah.

Questions we get asked

How many panels is a 13.2 kW solar system?

On our recent Northern Rivers designs of about 13 kW, it is most often 26 panels of about 475 to 510 W, or 28 to 30 panels of about 440 W. The exact count depends on the panel model and how much sunny roof you have.

How much roof space does a 13 kW solar system need?

The Australian Government says a 6.6 kW system might take 29 to 32 square metres of sunny roof. On the same basis, about 13 kW needs roughly twice that, around 58 to 64 square metres, so it usually spreads over more than one roof face. We check every face, its pitch and shading on the design and at the site visit.

Can I put 13 kW of solar on single-phase power?

Usually, yes. 19 of the 22 systems of 12 to 14.5 kW we have designed for Northern Rivers homes since January 2025 used single-phase equipment, most often a single 10 kW inverter. Your connection offer from Essential Energy sets what your property can connect and export, and we check it before the design is final.

Why put 13 kW of panels on a 10 kW inverter?

Panels rarely make their full rated output, because of heat, angle and time of day, so the panel total is often more than the inverter size. The network also sets a limit on the inverter size it will connect, and the Australian Government gives 10 kW per phase as an example. A 10 kW inverter with about 13 kW of panels is the most common combination on our designs at this size.

How much does a 13 kW solar system with a battery cost?

About 13 kW of solar (13.2 kW) with a 16 kWh GoodWe battery starts from $16,300 after estimated rebates ($23,800 before), $18,400 with 24 kWh ($27,100 before) or $21,100 with 32 kWh ($30,500 before). With an 18 kWh Sigenergy battery and Gateway it starts from $19,700 ($27,300 before). Prices include GST and the final price is confirmed after the site visit.

Is 13 kW of solar too much with a 5 kW export limit?

Not if the power has somewhere to go. Essential Energy limits what you send to the grid, not how much solar you install for your own use. With a battery and daytime loads such as an EV, a pool pump or air conditioning, most of the extra solar is used at home. Without them, more of the midday solar is held back, so we size from your bills rather than fill the roof.

Get your 13 kW system designed from your bills

Sources

Last checked 20 October 2026. Our design figures come from our own design software (22 designs of 12 to 14.5 kW for Northern Rivers homes, January 2025 to October 2026). Everything else comes from the government’s or the network’s own documents.

• energy.gov.au: Size your solar system
• energy.gov.au: Solar panels
• energy.gov.au: Inverters
• Essential Energy: Small Scale Solar Connections customer summary
• Essential Energy: Flexible export limits fact sheet
• NSW Government: Home Energy Saver program

More from Sun Connect Solar

• Solar system prices by size
• 10 kW solar system in the Northern Rivers
• 6.6 kW solar system in the Northern Rivers
• Home battery prices by size
• Residential solar systems
• Sigenergy vs GoodWe vs Tesla

Prices are for typical systems and include GST. Rebates are estimated and depend on your system and install date. Final price confirmed after the site visit.