High installation counts can reflect price, retailer product ranges, rebate-program participation, supply availability, bundled packages or timing. Use installation volume as market context, then assess the actual product, warranty, compatibility and support separately.
What does this dataset actually cover?
Solar Victoria's product files count individual products installed with support from a Solar Homes rebate and/or loan. They do not include every solar or battery installation in Victoria.
The files are updated quarterly. Solar Victoria says installation records can be corrected or backdated, multiple products can be installed at one property, and product information is supplied by participating retailers. That means a later release can revise historical counts.
Solar panel installation data
| Current official file | Coverage | How Melbourne Solar Guide uses it |
|---|---|---|
| Solar PV modules, June 2026 ↗ | Solar Homes-supported PV module models through Q2 2026 | Aggregate model counts by the published PV module brand field, then sort by cumulative installed module count. |
The source counts individual modules, not just household systems. A property with 15 panels contributes 15 module installations to the product count.
Solar inverter installation data
| Current official file | Coverage | How Melbourne Solar Guide uses it |
|---|---|---|
| Inverter models, June 2026 ↗ | Solar Homes-supported inverter models through Q2 2026 | Aggregate the model-level counts by published inverter manufacturer/brand without merging brands unless the source data itself supports the mapping. |
Do not compare inverter counts directly with panel counts. A solar installation normally contains many panels but far fewer inverters.
Battery installation data
| Current official file | Coverage | How Melbourne Solar Guide uses it |
|---|---|---|
| Battery models, June 2026 ↗ | Battery models installed with Solar Homes support through Q2 2026 | Aggregate source rows by the published battery brand/manufacturer field and preserve the underlying model data for auditability. |
The Solar Victoria battery dataset is especially important to interpret carefully because the former Victorian battery-loan program closed to new applications, while current battery installations are now strongly influenced by the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program. Historical Solar Homes counts do not represent the whole 2026 Victorian battery market.
Equipment manufacturers covered by Melbourne Solar Guide
When a manufacturer appears in a verified data table, the name should link to its equipment profile rather than to a sales landing page. Current profiles include:
| Panels | Inverters / batteries |
|---|---|
| AIKO ↗, Jinko ↗, Risen ↗ | Fronius ↗, GoodWe ↗, Sungrow ↗, Sigenergy ↗, Fox ESS ↗, ESY ↗ |
The profile library will be expanded when a high-volume manufacturer in the verified dataset does not yet have a dedicated page. Browse all manufacturer profiles ↗.
How will this page be refreshed each quarter?
- Check Solar Victoria's reporting page for the newest panel, inverter and battery product files and record the publication date.
- Keep the source files unchanged for auditability.
- Identify the official brand/manufacturer, product/model and quarterly count columns.
- Convert count fields to numbers and treat blanks according to the source format, without guessing suppressed or malformed values.
- Aggregate model rows by the exact published manufacturer name.
- Sort manufacturers by cumulative installations for the requested product category.
- Compare totals with the previous refresh and investigate material naming changes before merging aliases.
- Link manufacturers to Melbourne Solar Guide equipment profiles where a relevant profile exists.
- Publish the data period, source publication date and refresh date with the table.
Editorial rule: if the raw spreadsheet rows cannot be reliably parsed and checked, we publish the official source link and methodology but do not manufacture a ranking from memory. That is why this first version does not display an unverified June 2026 leaderboard.
What are the limitations of the Solar Victoria equipment data?
- It covers Solar Homes-supported installations, not the entire Victorian market.
- Product files count individual products, so panel, inverter and battery totals are not directly comparable.
- Multiple products may be installed at one location.
- Historical data can be updated or backdated after the initial installation date.
- Product data is supplied by participating retailers, and Solar Victoria states it does not guarantee the accuracy of every product record.
- Installation volume does not measure failure rate, warranty quality, efficiency, customer satisfaction or technical suitability.
Sources and further reading
Editorial references checked: 5 October 2026Source labels identify who published each reference, not an independent endorsement. Confirm current requirements and exact product terms before purchasing.
- Government sourceSolar Victoria: Solar Homes Program reporting ↗: Official quarterly panel, inverter and battery files; publication dates; dataset coverage and limitations.
- Government sourceDataVic: Solar Victoria datasets ↗: Victorian open-data catalogue for Solar Victoria product and installation datasets.