Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) for solar & battery, explained

A power purchase agreement (PPA) is a contract where a provider installs solar (and often battery) on your property, keeps ownership of the equipment, and sells you the energy at an agreed rate. It is the most common structure behind no-cost solar offers.

How does a solar PPA rate work?

Instead of a purchase price, you agree a price per kilowatt-hour. Pi's PPA uses a single flat $0.26/kWh anytime rate for all energy consumed — there are no peak or off-peak tiers, and property supply and network charges are passed through at cost with zero mark-up. Most Queensland households on standard residential tariffs pay materially more per kWh once peak rates and supply charges are included.

Who owns and maintains the system under a PPA?

The provider does — always. Panels, inverter, battery and monitoring hardware remain the provider's property for the life of the agreement, which means the provider carries all maintenance, monitoring and replacement obligations. You never receive a bill for a failed inverter or a degraded battery.

PPA vs buying outright vs financing

• Buy outright: highest upfront cost ($18,000–$25,000 for a premium system), you own the asset and carry maintenance.
• Finance/loan: no upfront cash but you take on debt and still own the maintenance risk.
• PPA: no upfront equipment cost, no maintenance risk; you pay per kWh and the provider keeps the asset working.

What happens if I sell my home?

Because the equipment stays installed and the provider retains ownership, a PPA typically transfers with the property or is resolved through agreed options. With Pi this is handled case by case rather than being a blocker to selling.