Solar in Napier, Hastings and Hawke's Bay: Complete Guide for 2026
Unison's 10kW export limit, 44.8c/kWh power rates, and 4.7-year typical payback. Among NZ's strongest solar economics, from central Napier to the Hastings plains.
Hawke's Bay solar: key takeaways
- Hawke's Bay pays about 44.8c per kWh for grid power, among the highest in New Zealand, which pushes typical payback down to about 4.7 years.
- A typical 6.6kW Hawke's Bay system generates around 9,430 kWh a year from 2,100 sunshine hours and saves roughly $2,960.
- Unison allows a default residential export of up to 10kW, up from the old 5kW cap, and may briefly curtail exports to manage the network.
- A 6.6kW system in Napier or Hastings typically costs $13,500 to $15,000 installed, with coastal homes paying a small premium for marine-grade mounting.
- Using a unit yourself avoids the full 44.8c retail rate, well above what exported power earns, so midday appliance timing matters more than maximising export.
Is solar worth it in Hawke's Bay?
Hawke's Bay is one of the warmest and sunniest North Island regions, with 2,100+ annual sunshine hours and average residential electricity rates of 44.8c/kWh. The combination of high local power costs and strong solar yield means typical 6.6kW system payback in Hawke's Bay sits around 4.7 years, among the fastest in the country. Unison (Napier, Hastings, Hawke's Bay) is the dominant network, and it now allows a default residential export of up to 10kW, up from its old 5kW cap, after the Electricity Authority required distributors to offer a 10kW default from 11 May 2026. The region's mix of urban, rural, and vineyard properties provides exceptional roof space for residential solar, and the 44.8c/kWh power costs mean every kWh of self-consumption drives stronger savings than most of the country. Whether you're in central Napier, the Hastings plains, Havelock North, or further into the wine country, this guide covers Hawke's Bay solar production data, Unison's pre-approval process, and Solar Scout-vetted installers operating across the region.
The local detail in Hawke's Bay is roof space. Vineyard, orchard and lifestyle properties around Hastings, Havelock North and the plains tend to have both bigger roofs and bigger daytime loads, which is exactly the combination that suits a larger array under Unison's 10kW default export. On a standard suburban Napier home, a 6.6kW system making 9,430 kWh a year is usually the right starting point, and the 44.8c retail rate means self-consumption does most of the work. For a clear look at how payback is actually calculated, our full NZ payback breakdown walks through every assumption behind the numbers.
Want a personalised estimate for your Hawke's Bay home? Answer a few quick questions and compare quotes from up to 3 Solar Scout-vetted installers.
How much solar will you generate in Hawke's Bay?
With 4.3 peak sun hours per day and a production factor of 1.08relative to the Auckland baseline, here's what a typical roof-mounted system generates in Hawke's Bay per year.
Savings figures assume a typical 70% self-consumption rate and use the local electricity rate of 44.8c/kWh. Your actual savings depend on roof orientation, shading, and your daily usage pattern.
For the national picture, see how Hawke's Bay stacks up against the other 15 NZ regions on annual generation per kW installed.
Electricity and buy-back rates
Hawke's Bay households pay an average of 44.8c per kWh for grid power (MBIE QSDEP, latest survey). Every kilowatt-hour you self-consume from your panels saves you that full retail rate. Excess generation flows back to the grid, and your retailer pays you a buy-back rate. Retailers set those rates nationally rather than by region, so the figures below apply in Hawke's Bay the same as anywhere else. Each card shows the headline rate and the rate you earn outside the peak windows, because for a household without a battery the second number is the one that does most of the work.
Buy-back conditions
Contact Energy
Contact publishes the Good Charge peak window (7am to 9am and 6pm to 10pm weekdays, for battery-and-solar customers) but not the peak rate: it prices by address, so there is no national figure to print, and your export rate is set when you register your solar. Powerswitch lists Contact's residential buy-back at 8c/kWh, the lowest here. So the 25c peak quoted all over the internet is a national number for a retailer that does not have one.
Buy-back conditions
Ecotricity
ecoSOLAR pays 21c/kWh peak and 16c/kWh off-peak on Ecotricity's own page. The peak WINDOW is not published, and neither is the GST basis. The off-peak rate is the strongest here, which matters more than the headline for a household without a battery.
Buy-back conditions
Electric Kiwi
Sources disagree and we will not pick one. Electric Kiwi's own solar page advertises a 23c/kWh buy-back and quotes 11.5c/kWh off-peak (incl GST). Its Powerswitch profile says MoveMaster pays 20c/kWh peak (weekdays 7 to 9am, 5 to 9pm) and 10c/kWh off-peak, and that the Everyday and GO250 plans pay 8c/kWh. Ask for the number in writing before you switch.
Buy-back conditions
Frank Energy
Flat 12.5c/kWh, and Frank's own FAQ says the credit is shown before GST. If you are not GST-registered you are not making a taxable supply, so 12.5c is what lands on the bill: the 15% is added only for GST-registered customers, via a buyer-created tax invoice.
Buy-back conditions
Genesis Energy
Genesis's Powerswitch profile states a flat 12.5c/kWh excluding GST for home and business connections, the same rate as its Frank brand. Paid at one rate all day: no peak window to chase.
Buy-back conditions
Mercury
Two plans. The flat plan pays 11.1c/kWh. The Flex plan is seasonal AND time-of-use: winter (1 May to 30 Sep) 20.38c peak and 15.75c off-peak; summer (1 Oct to 30 Apr, the seven months a roof exports most) 10.44c peak and 9.17c off-peak. Peak is 7 to 11am and 5 to 9.30pm. The 9.17c shown here is the rate that applies for most of the hours a roof actually exports. Rates exclude GST. A further 6.9c/kWh for two years is available if you install through one particular installer: that is an installer arrangement, not a plan rate, and it is deliberately not folded into the rate above.
Buy-back conditions
Meridian Energy
15c/kWh year-round on the open-term Freedom and Night Saver plans, lifting to 24c/kWh in the winter peak windows only (7 to 10am and 5 to 9pm, July to September, weekdays). Exports bill at 15c and the extra 9c arrives as a separate credit; you need a communicating smart meter to get it. Fixed-term plans, including EV, get a flat 12c. Meridian's page says rates do not include GST.
Buy-back conditions
Octopus Energy
The Peaker plan pays 23c/kWh peak and 10c/kWh off-peak (peak: 7 to 11am and 5 to 9pm, weekdays). Octopus says on its own page that you are unlikely to make the most of the peak rate without a battery. The standard OctopusFlexi plan is 19c peak and 14c off-peak. Both are lower on the Northpower and Top Energy networks (Peaker 21c/8c, Flexi 17c/12c), so these are not national numbers. Powerswitch lists Flexi as a flat 17c: the two sources disagree and we have used Octopus's own page.
Self-consumption is the bigger saving: every kWh you use yourself is worth 2 to 3 times more than every kWh you export. For the full national retailer comparison, see our buy-back rates guide.
Unison export rules
Unison (Hawke's Bay including Napier and Hastings) allows a default residential export of up to 10kW, up from the old 5kW cap, after the Electricity Authority required distributors to offer a 10kW default from 11 May 2026. Most Hawke's Bay homes are still sized to maximise self-consumption rather than export, because the rate you avoid paying on power you use yourself is higher than the rate you earn selling it back. Vineyards and rural properties tend to size larger because of higher daytime loads.
For the full step-by-step from accepting a quote to switch-on, see our NZ solar installation process guide.
Typical system economics
Below is what a typical 6.6kW system looks like in Hawke's Bay from a financial perspective. Real numbers will vary with installer, brand, and roof complexity. For the full national pricing context, our NZ solar installed-cost guide shows what 6.6kW jobs typically include and how to spot a fair quote.
What you can expect in Hawke's Bay
System size
6.6kW
Installed cost
$13,800
Annual generation
9,430 kWh
Annual savings
$2,960
Payback period
4.7 yrs
After this point, the power is yours.
Estimates based on the regional production factor, average local electricity rate, and a typical 70% self-consumption profile. Your actual savings will vary with your roof, usage pattern, and retailer.
Sunshine by month in Hawke's Bay
Solar generation tracks closely with sunshine hours. Here's how Hawke's Bay's monthly sunshine hours look across the year (NIWA data).
How Hawke's Bay compares month-to-month
How Hawke's Bay compares with nearby regions
Here's how Hawke's Bay's solar numbers stack up against its neighbouring regions, on annual sunshine, typical output from a 6.6kW system, local power price, and payback period.
Choosing the right installer matters more than choosing a panel brand. Workmanship quality, paperwork handling, and how a company services warranty claims drive most of the long-term experience. Our guide to choosing a solar installer in NZ covers SEANZ membership, the questions to ask, and the red flags to avoid.
Solar Scout-vetted solar installers serving Hawke's Bay
Every installer in the Solar Scout network is independently vetted. We connect you with up to 3 operating in your area so you can compare quotes on price and fit, never an open auction.
- EWRB registration: Licensed to do electrical work in New Zealand
- Positive customer experiences and real references: Read and checked before they can quote you
- SEANZ or Master Electricians: Backed by an industry body
- 5 years of solar: Solar-specific experience, not just general sparky work
Hawke's Bay solar FAQs
How much does solar cost in Napier or Hastings?
A 6.6kW system in Hawke's Bay typically costs $13,500 to $15,000 fully installed. Coastal Napier homes may need marine-grade mounting hardware, adding a small premium.
What is Unison's export limit?
Unison allows a default residential export of up to 10kW, up from its old 5kW cap, after the Electricity Authority required distributors to offer a 10kW default from 11 May 2026. Systems above the default are still assessed individually. Most Hawke's Bay family homes find 6.6 to 9kW systems work well, because the rate you avoid paying on power you use yourself is higher than the rate you earn selling it back, so sizing for self-consumption usually beats sizing for maximum export.
Best Hawke's Bay suburbs for solar?
Napier Hill, Havelock North, Taradale, and Hastings central all have strong roof stock with clear orientations. Vineyard properties typically have the most generous roofs and best north-facing aspects.
Best buy-back rate for Hawke's Bay homes?
There is no single best rate, and in Hawke's Bay it is the wrong question to lead with. Retailers set buy-back rates nationally rather than by region, so the published figures are the same here as anywhere else, and most now pay well for a few peak hours and much less across the rest of the day. What is genuinely local is the retail price: Hawke's Bay households pay around 44.8c per kWh, so every unit you use yourself is worth the full 44.8c while every exported unit earns a fraction of that. Shifting the dishwasher, laundry and hot water into the middle of the day is worth more than chasing a slightly better export rate. Our buy-back rates guide has the full comparison.
How long does install take in Napier?
Typical 4 to 6 weeks from quote to switch-on. Unison's DG approval is generally 2 to 3 weeks. Local installers operate primarily out of Napier and Hastings.
How much will a 6.6kW solar system generate in Hawke's Bay?
Around 9,430 kWh a year for a well-oriented, unshaded roof. Hawke's Bay averages 4.3 peak sun hours a day and over 2,100 hours of bright sunshine a year, among the sunniest in the North Island. Output is seasonal: the region averages roughly 245 hours of sunshine in January against about 110 in June, so summer carries most of the annual total. A north-facing plane with clear sky in front of it gets you closest to the 9,430 kWh figure. Shading from mature trees, common on Havelock North and Taradale sections, is the most likely reason a real roof lands below it.
How long until solar pays for itself in Hawke's Bay?
About 4.7 years for a typical 6.6kW system costing around $13,800 installed and saving roughly $2,960 a year. That is among the faster paybacks in the country, and the reason is the power price rather than the weather. At 44.8c per kWh, Hawke's Bay households pay well above the national middle, so every unit of solar you use yourself is worth more here than it would be further south. The sunshine helps too, at over 2,100 hours a year, but the rate is doing most of the work. Shifting hot water, pool pumps and laundry into the middle of the day shortens the payback further.
Is solar worth it in Hawke's Bay compared with other regions?
Yes, and it stacks up better than most. A 6.6kW system here generates around 9,430 kWh a year against about 9,180 kWh for the same system in Auckland, and Hawke's Bay households pay 44.8c per kWh for grid power against Auckland's 42.6c. More generation plus a higher rate gives a typical payback of about 4.7 years, ahead of Auckland's 5.1. The honest caveat is that those are figures for a well-oriented, unshaded roof. A south-facing or heavily shaded roof lands well below them, which is why a site assessment on your actual roof matters more than any regional average.
Should I go bigger than 6.6kW in Hawke's Bay, say 10 or 12kW?
Often yes, if you have both the roof and the daytime load. Unison allows a default residential export of up to 10kW, up from the old 5kW cap, so a larger array no longer needs special approval to send surplus to the grid. Systems above the default are assessed individually. The real sizing question is self-consumption: a 6.6kW system makes around 9,430 kWh a year, and at 44.8c per kWh the power you use yourself is worth more than the power you sell back. Vineyards, orchards and lifestyle blocks with pumps and sheds running through the day are the clearest case for going larger.
Do I need building consent for solar in Napier or Hastings?
In most cases no. Since October 2025, most residential rooftop solar installs in New Zealand no longer need building consent, and a standard 6.6kW array on a Napier or Hastings home, around $13,800 installed, generally falls inside that exemption. Your installer still lodges the distributed generation application with Unison, which is generally 2 to 3 weeks, and arranges any meter change. The exemption covers the consent, not the engineering: an unusual roof structure, a very exposed site or a much larger array can still need sign-off. Ask your installer to confirm what applies to your specific roof before you sign anything.
Is solar different in Napier compared with Hastings?
Not in any way that changes the numbers. Napier and Hastings sit on the same Unison network with the same default residential export of up to 10kW, and both average 4.3 peak sun hours a day, so a well-oriented 6.6kW system makes around 9,430 kWh a year in either. The differences are physical. Coastal Napier homes, particularly on and around Napier Hill, should budget a small premium for marine-grade mounting hardware. Hastings, Havelock North and the plains tend to have larger sections and mature trees, so shading is the more common reason a real roof lands below the regional figure. Vineyard and orchard properties across the plains usually have both the roof space and the daytime load to justify going larger than 6.6kW.
How do I apply for solar approval with Unison?
Your installer lodges the distributed generation application with Unison, so you do not deal with the network directly. It needs your address and ICP number (printed on your power bill), the proposed system size and the inverter model, all of which your installer already holds. Approval is generally 2 to 3 weeks, and a typical Napier or Hastings install runs 4 to 6 weeks from quote to switch-on with 1 to 2 days of that on the roof. Because Unison allows a default residential export of up to 10kW, for most homes the application confirms the connection rather than deciding the system size; anything above the default is assessed individually. Your installer also arranges any meter change your retailer needs to make.
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