Solar and batteries on Ergon in Townsville
Approvals, export limits and feed-in tariffs in plain English — and the Ergon paperwork a local installer handles for you.
Townsville is Ergon country
If you live in Townsville, your poles and wires are almost certainly on the Ergon Energy Network. Any rooftop solar or home battery needs Ergon Network approval before it’s installed — export or not. Ergon Energy Retail then pays any feed-in tariff you qualify for.
Getting connected with Ergon in 3 steps
Approval is a gate, not a formality. Here’s what happens before your system is switched on.
Lodge the application
A network connection application goes to Ergon Network — for solar and batteries, whether you’ll export or not.
Get your connection offer
Ergon assesses your local feeder and inverter size, then issues an offer — basic or negotiated, depending on size and network conditions.
Install, meter, then export
Installation and commissioning go ahead under that approval. The right meter must be in place before the inverter is left exporting.
Basic vs dynamic export
Ergon Network sets how much you can send back to the grid at your connection point. There are two common paths.
Basic connection
A fixed export limit
Typical basic offer on the main grid
- One fixed limit, all day, every day.
- Single-wire (SWER) country feeds are often lower.
- Where the network is already heavy with rooftop solar, Ergon may offer a lower limit — including very low or zero export in some cases.
Dynamic connection
Export flexes with the network
When the network has room, with compatible equipment
- When the network is under pressure, your system can be asked to turn export down.
- In normal constraint periods, Ergon describes a floor of around 1.5 kW still allowed (emergencies can be stricter).
- If communication with Ergon’s system is lost for a prolonged period, export may fall back to a default limit (commonly about 1.5 kW).
What Ergon Retail pays for your exports
For eligible exports, set by the Queensland Competition Authority (QCA) and paid by Ergon Energy Retail.
Typical eligibility (confirm with Ergon Retail for your account)
- Inverter capacity no more than 30 kW
- Using less than 100 MWh a year
- Ergon Retail customer on the Ergon network
- Grid-connected with an approved network agreement
- Only one solar system at the premises receiving the tariff
- Not also receiving the old 44c Solar Bonus Scheme tariff
Still on the 44c Solar Bonus Scheme?
Ergon Network advises that if you want to export energy from a battery, you generally can’t keep the 44c arrangement. The scheme is closed to new customers and legislated to end on 1 July 2028.
Tell us before we design anything — keeping or leaving 44c should be a deliberate decision.
How do I read solar lines on an Ergon bill?
Here’s a real Ergon bill from one of our solar and battery customers, with their details removed. Power bought from the grid sits under New charges. Solar sent back to the grid sits under New credits, paid at your feed-in rate. The solar the home used itself isn’t printed anywhere, and that’s usually the biggest saving.
- A
Account details
Account number, supply address, NMI and issue date. We’ve blacked them out. Do the same before you share a bill with anyone.
- B
How much do I owe?
This home is in credit, so page 1 shows $0.00 due. The credit balance is in the bill summary (11).
- 1
Meter reading
Interval (smart) meter, actual readings. No estimates on this bill.
- 2
Plan summary
Every tariff at the home: Tariff 11 flat rate, Tariff 33 economy (controlled supply), and Solar Exports at the regional feed-in rate.
- 3
Balance brought forward
$717.85 CR carried over from earlier bills. CR means credit, money in your favour.
- 4
Start and end reads show 0
Normal on a smart meter. Ergon bills from the data recorded across the whole period, not from two reads.
- 5
Power bought from the grid
24.29 kWh over 30 days at 26.268c a kWh (before GST) = $6.38, or $7.02 with GST.
- 6
Daily service fee
30 days × $1.64098 = $49.23, or $54.15 with GST. Charged every day, solar or not. On this bill it’s the biggest charge.
- 7
New charges total
$61.17 including GST. Tariff 33 used 0.00 kWh this month, so it cost nothing.
- 8
New credits: solar sent to the grid
917.27 kWh exported × 6.006c = $55.09 credit. 6.006c is the regional feed-in rate (1 July 2026 – 30 June 2027). On the old Solar Bonus Scheme it’s 44c. The minus sign on the rate means Ergon is paying you.
- 9
Compare your usage
One bar per bill for power bought, dots for solar exported. Bought power drops from April 2026, when the battery went in.
- 10
Daily averages
0.80 kWh bought from the grid a day, 30.57 kWh sent back a day.
- 11
Bill summary
$717.85 CR + $61.17 charges − $55.09 credits = $711.77 CR. Still in credit, nothing to pay.
Your bill only shows the solar you didn’t use
Every kWh your home uses straight from the panels (or the battery) is a kWh you didn’t buy. To see it, use Ergon’s own check:
On the bill above, 917.27 kWh went to the grid. Everything the system made on top of that ran the house and charged the battery, which is why only 24.29 kWh had to be bought all month. Ergon says a smaller solar credit is often a good sign: more of your power is staying at home.
Lines that catch people out
- Start and end readings show zero? Normal on a smart meter. It bills from the data recorded across the whole period, not two reads.
- “Feed-in-Tariff payment – Direct credit” under Other charges? Not a fee. It’s built-up solar credit being paid into your bank account by EFT, once a year from your solar meter anniversary.
- New system, no solar credit? If the inverter was switched on before the right meter was in, Ergon bills on estimated reads with no export. That’s why we sort metering before export is turned on.
Not sure what yours is telling you? Send us a recent Ergon bill. Black out your name, address and account number first, and we’ll walk you through it.
What Barra handles for you
On a typical Townsville solar or battery job, here’s what our local crew takes care of.
You still deal with Ergon Retail for tariffs and billing — we help translate the jargon. Adding storage? Check how we assess a battery retrofit, see our battery systems, or read about Ergon community batteries and home batteries in Townsville.
Frequently asked questions
Good to know.
Want to model your own bills first? Try the Solar & Battery Savings Calculator.
01Do I need Ergon approval before installing solar or a battery in Townsville?
Yes. On the Ergon network, solar and battery systems need network approval before installation, whether they export or not. Your installer usually lodges this for you.
02What is the regional solar feed-in tariff for Ergon customers right now?
From 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027 the QCA regional feed-in tariff is 6.006 cents per kWh for eligible exports. Confirm eligibility with Ergon Retail.
03What is the difference between a basic and a dynamic Ergon connection?
A basic connection uses a fixed export limit (often around 5 kW per phase on the main grid). A dynamic connection can allow higher export when the network has capacity and reduce export when the network is constrained.
04Will adding a battery affect a 44c Solar Bonus Scheme tariff?
It can. Under the Queensland rules, you lose the 44c if a battery can export to the grid or can run while your solar is generating (other than in a blackout). Replacing your inverter with a bigger one, or adding panels beyond its rating, also ends it. The scheme closes on 1 July 2028. Tell your installer you are on 44c before any design starts.
05Does Barra handle the Ergon paperwork?
Yes. For a typical install Barra designs the system and lodges the Ergon Network connection application, then installs and commissions once the approval path is clear.
Solar, a battery, or both — on Ergon
Start with a conversation about your bills and goals. We handle the Ergon paperwork, so you see your export offer before anyone drills the roof.
Call the Garbutt team07 4401 5122Sources & disclaimer: Queensland Competition Authority (regional feed-in tariff 2026–27); Queensland Government regional feed-in tariff eligibility; Ergon Energy Network connection, Dynamic Connections and battery storage guidance; Ergon Energy Retail solar pages. This guide is general information for homeowners and small businesses, not legal or financial advice. Rules and rates change — check the latest with Ergon and the QCA.
Get in touch
Talk to the team.
Tell us what you’re after. Our own Townsville team will be in touch, usually the next business day (allow up to 3 business days when busy).
Your details are only used to respond to your enquiry, as set out in our privacy policy.