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Australia sets new summer rooftop solar record

Australia’s small-scale rooftop solar systems have set a new record this summer, supplying more of Australia’s electricity than brown coal.

Providing a record 14 per cent of Australia’s needs[1], rooftop solar also dispatched more energy to the grid than all other renewable sources, including grid-scale wind farms and solar farms.

Clean Energy Council Chief Executive Kane Thornton said the achievement was especially noteworthy, given this summer has enjoyed less sunshine than in an average year.

“There is no doubt with inflation and cost of living pressures, people are turning to rooftop solar in record numbers,” Thornton said.

“Thousands of Australians are switching to rooftop solar and seeing their benefits to their hip pockets and the environment. In fact, payback periods for rooftop solar are now at near record-low levels, at 3.4 years for a 7 kW system.

“We’re seeing a fundamental shift; consumers are becoming energy generators, making their own clean energy, reducing their bills and taking on the electricity companies.”

Thornton said these figures measure only what enters the grid.

“Even more clean, low-cost generation was produced and used by households themselves, taking pressure off our strained system,” he said.

“Australia is a world leader in rooftop solar.”

The total output for rooftop solar for summer was 8046 GWh, up by 19.5 per cent on the previous year.

Energy bills have risen by between 15 and 20 per cent since mid-2022 sparking a surge in small-scale solar installations.

State

GWh

GWh change compared to previous summer

Contribution to Generation (%)

Contribution change compared to previous summer

NSW

2,216

+30.5%

13.1

+35.0%

QLD

2,039

+17.7%

12.5

+14.7%

SA

969

+18.5%

27.6

+12.7%

TAS

105

+16.7%

5.4

+31.7%

VIC

1,590

+16.2%

12.2

+16.2%

WA

374

+7.5%

21.4

+15.7%

Australia

8046

+19.5%

14.0%

+19.7%

More than three million homes and businesses now keep costs down using rooftop solar. Rising power prices are reducing the projected time for newly installed systems to pay for themselves.

A state-by-state analysis of our summer performance tells another tale[2], with South Australia leading the way but New South Wales being the most improved of all the states.

The Clean Energy Council has also produced a list of Australia’s top postcodes for rooftop solar, state by state.

In New South Wales, Lismore topped the rankings; in Queensland, the Bundaberg region led rooftop solar; in South Australia, it was Salisbury; in Victoria, it was Hoppers Crossing; in Tasmania, Blackstone Heights and in Western Australia, Mandurah.

Battery installations are also rising, with seven per cent of new systems including battery installations in 2022.

NSW

QLD

SA

Vic

Tas

WA

1

2480

4670

5108

3029

7250

6210

2

2155

4655

5162

3977

7310

6065

3

2830

4551

5159

3064

7018

6112

4

2259

4350

5114

3030

7030

6164

5

2560

4300

5158

3805

7315

6155

For more information visit solarmonth.com.au or contact:

ENDS

For more information contact:

Jane Aubrey
Clean Energy Council Public Affairs Manager
[email protected]
+61 409 470 683

[1] Data sourced from OpenNEM

[2]Data sourced from the Clean Energy Regulator: cleanenergyregulator.gov.au/RET/Forms-and-resources/Postcode-data-for-small-scale-installations