Is Tasmania Self-Sufficient in Electricity?

Tasmania is very close to powering itself entirely with renewable electricity — renewables supplied 97.5% of the electricity generated in the state in calendar year 2025, according to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. But “self-sufficient” is a more complicated question than it sounds, because Tasmania is plugged into the mainland grid, trades electricity both ways across Bass Strait, and still relies on that connection to keep the lights on at times. Here’s what it all means for your household — and for your solar decisions.

Is Tasmania self-sufficient in electricity?

Almost, but not quite, and not in the way most people imagine. Hydro alone accounted for 71.8% of electricity generated in Tasmania in 2025, with wind and rooftop solar making up most of the rest of the 97.5% renewable share (figures from energy.gov.au). That’s a remarkable position — no other Australian state comes close.

But Tasmania isn’t an island grid in the electrical sense. Basslink, the undersea cable connecting Tasmania to Victoria, became a regulated transmission network service on 1 July 2026, according to the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO). That formalises what has long been true in practice: Tasmania imports and exports power depending on prices, rainfall, and demand. In Q3 2026, AEMO reports that average flows into Victoria increased by 149 MW year-on-year to 190 MW, while daytime southbound flows into Tasmania rose by 91 MW to average 220 MW. In other words, we send power north at some times and buy it back at others.

So the honest answer is: Tasmania generates nearly all its own electricity renewably, but it uses the mainland as a trading partner and a backstop. True self-sufficiency at the household level — generating and storing your own power — is a separate question, and one you have more control over.

What is Tasmania’s renewable energy target?

Tasmania has a legislated target of 21,000 GWh of renewable generation by 2040 — equivalent to 200% of 2020 demand, according to the state’s Renewable Energy Coordination Framework (recfit.tas.gov.au). There’s also an interim target to produce 15,750 GWh of electricity in one year by 2030.

Why 200%? Because the plan is to generate far more renewable electricity than Tasmanians currently use, with the surplus available for export and for new loads like electrified transport and heating. That’s a state-level ambition — but it mirrors what individual households are doing on their own roofs: building generation capacity ahead of demand.

Does solar work in winter Tasmania?

Yes — solar works in Tasmania, including winter, though output is genuinely lower in the colder months. Tasmania’s latitude means long summer days (excellent for solar) and short winter days (modest output). The federal Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme treats Tasmania as STC Zone 4, which reflects that slightly lower solar resource compared with northern Australia.

The practical reality for most Tasmanian homes is that winter is when you’ll lean hardest on the grid, and summer is when your system will produce well beyond your needs. A well-sized system still makes sense across the whole year — you’re banking value in the sunny months to offset the dark ones. And because Tasmania’s overall grid is overwhelmingly renewable, the electricity you buy in winter is cleaner than in almost any other state.

What is a tariff in electricity?

A tariff is simply the pricing structure your retailer uses to charge you for electricity — how much you pay per kilowatt-hour (kWh) at different times, plus any daily supply charge. In Tasmania, tariff numbers (like 31, 41, 93 and 97) refer to specific regulated pricing structures, and which one you’re on makes a big difference to how much your solar is worth.

What is Tariff 93?

Tariff 93 is Tasmania’s residential time-of-use tariff, and it’s the default: since 1 July 2024, every new or upgraded residential connection is assigned to it. Peak periods are weekdays 7–10am and 4–9pm (8–11am and 5–10pm during daylight saving); everything else, including all weekend, is off-peak.

Under Aurora Energy’s standing-offer prices from 1 July 2026 (GST inclusive), Tariff 93 peak is 36.19 c/kWh and off-peak is 17.02 c/kWh, plus a supply charge of about 172 cents a day. If you’re on Tariff 93, solar you use at home in the middle of the day saves you the off-peak rate — about twice the feed-in tariff — while solar or battery energy used in the evening peak saves the peak rate, about four times the feed-in tariff.

The legacy pair, Tariff 31 (flat-rate general light and power, 27.95 c/kWh under Aurora’s standing offer) and Tariff 41 (a separately metered lower flat rate of 21.12 c/kWh for hard-wired heating and hot water), closed to new installations on 30 June 2024, though existing homes can stay on them. Aurora states that once a home switches to a different tariff, it can’t return to Tariffs 31 and 41 — so check your bill and think carefully before changing. There’s also a new flat Tariff 32 (24.75 c/kWh plus 182 cents a day) from 1 July 2026 for homes with a smart meter.

One more worth knowing: Tariff 97 is the new opt-in tariff for homes with solar, a battery or an EV. It’s the only Tasmanian tariff with a super off-peak rate (midnight–4am every day, including weekends), but its evening peak runs an hour longer than Tariff 93’s, and it carries an excess demand charge above 8.5 kW (TasNetworks says about 97% of homes stay under that threshold). Whether a Tariff 97 retail plan is available depends on your retailer — Aurora Energy doesn’t currently offer one.

How many solar panels do I need Tasmania?

For most Tasmanian homes, the smart default is now a much bigger system than the old 6.6 kW standard — around 13 kW of panels on a 10 kW inverter, using the 133% inverter oversizing rule. TasNetworks allows a 10 kW single-phase inverter in Tasmania, so most homes don’t need three-phase power.

Why go bigger? Because the savings from solar come from self-consumption — using your own power instead of buying it — and future-you will use more electricity than today-you if you electrify: an EV, a heat pump for heating, an induction cooktop. Panels are cheap relative to the rest of the system, so oversizing the array while you’re on the roof is usually the future-proof move.

That said, be honest with yourself about your usage. A very low-use home with no battery, no EV and no electrification plans may suit a smaller system. There’s no prize for buying capacity you’ll never use.

How long do solar panels last?

Quality solar panels typically keep producing for decades, with output declining gradually rather than stopping suddenly — most manufacturers’ performance warranties run for 25 years or more. Inverters and batteries have shorter working lives than panels and will likely need replacing at least once over the life of the system.

What is an inverter?

The inverter is the box that converts the direct current (DC) your panels produce into the alternating current (AC) your home and the grid use. It’s the workhorse of the system — and its size (not your panel count) is what your network connection rules are based on. That’s why the 10 kW inverter with 13 kW of panels arrangement matters: you get more generation without needing a bigger grid connection.

What size solar battery do I need?

The honest Tasmanian answer: size your battery to your evening and overnight usage, not to your dreams. A battery’s job is to shift your solar from midday (when it’s worth the off-peak rate you’d avoid, or the modest feed-in tariff if exported) into the evening peak (when it can offset the Tariff 93 peak rate of 36.19 c/kWh — about four times the feed-in tariff).

The federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program (from 1 July 2025) takes roughly 30% off an eligible battery, paid in certificates per usable kWh — 6.8 for batteries installed and certified May–December 2026 (roughly $255–$270 per usable kWh depending on certificate prices), stepping down every six months to 2030. The full rate applies to the first 14 kWh, with reduced rates above that, and the battery must be paired with solar. There’s no separate Tasmanian state battery rebate.

Be aware that Tasmania’s relatively cheap power and fair feed-in tariff mean a battery generally pays back more slowly here than on the mainland — often in the range of 7–12 years for the battery portion, compared with roughly 4–6 years for solar alone. For a typical household on Aurora tariffs without spot-price exposure, the value is self-consumption plus outage backup. No vendor or retail virtual power plant program operates in Tasmania, though some households on spot-passthrough retail plans can benefit from automated battery control that charges when wholesale prices are low or negative and avoids peak imports.

So what does all this mean for your home?

Tasmania is nearly self-sufficient in renewable electricity at a state level — but that’s not a reason to sit back; it’s actually the context that makes household solar a deliberate, sensible choice rather than an urgent one. Here’s the practical takeaway:

• Your savings come from self-consumption, not export. The regulated feed-in tariff (9.276 c/kWh from 1 July 2026) is well below what you pay to buy a kWh — so use your own power where you can, and know your tariff before you predict your savings.
• Size for the electrified future. If an EV, heat pump or induction is on the cards, a ~13 kW system on a 10 kW inverter is the future-proof default.
• Add a battery for the right reasons. Evening self-consumption and blackout backup, with the federal rebate softening the cost — not as a get-rich-quick scheme, because in Tasmania it isn’t one.
• Check your bill and your tariff before anything else. Which tariff you’re on changes the maths more than almost any other single factor.

This guide is written by the Tasmanian solar team at Solar Generation Tasmania — we’re always happy to answer questions and help you think it through, no strings attached.

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Published by Solar Generation Tasmania. General information current as at publication — rebates, tariffs and prices change, so confirm current figures before deciding.