Rooftop solar powers up
Rooftop solar now accounts for 11.2 per cent of Australia’s electricity supply, with households and businesses playing a leading role in Australia’s renewable energy transition, according to a report published this week.
The Clean Energy Council’s new Rooftop Solar and Storage Report* also shows that rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) system installations reached 20 GW of total capacity across Australia in 2023.
New South Wales broke the record for the highest annual installed capacity of any state, with 970 MW of new rooftop solar systems. Not to be outshone by its rival to the south, however, Queensland was the first state to surpass a total of one million rooftop solar installations during 2023.
Clean Energy Council Policy Director of Distributed Energy Con Hristodoulidis said that rooftop solar is experiencing rapid growth in Australia’s clean energy mix, with an estimated one in three households and businesses installing the technology.
“The sheer scale and pace of rooftop solar in Australia is unparalleled anywhere else in the world, due to an abundance of sunshine and the inherent benefits including lower energy bills and feed-in tariffs”, Hristodoulidis said.
“Last year saw 2.9 GW of new capacity installed from 314,507 units, marking the second-biggest year for the uptake of rooftop solar, solidifying its position as the second-largest source of renewable generation and the fourth-largest source of all electricity generation in Australia.
“More than three million Australians understand that their rooftop solar systems are providing them with substantial savings, greater value and peace of mind.
“The recent announcement by the Federal Government of the $1 billion Solar Sunshot manufacturing support program is a positive sign for future progress, as we leverage world-leading research and innovation to make more solar products right here in Australia.”
Fifty-seven thousand behind-the-meter batteries were also installed in 2023. When combined with the future uptake of behind-the-meter batteries, households have even more to gain, all the while supporting Australia’s timely transition to a renewable energy future.
“It is clear that now is the time to back home batteries, build on their growing popularity among households and write the next chapter of Australia’s solar success story,” Hristodoulidis said.
“This is why the Clean Energy Council has led calls for a national Home Battery Saver Program of up to $6500 per household to provide more Australians with cost-of-living relief and the added flexibility of storing, using and trading lower-cost electricity generated at home, tailored to their needs”, he concluded.
* developed with data provided by solar consultancy SunWiz