🌞 Australia leads the world in rooftop solar energy

🌞 Australia leads the world in rooftop solar energy

Australia has installed rooftop solar panels on a scale that surpasses all expectations. More than a third of all households in the country now generate their own electricity from the sun. Home-based solar energy accounts for 11.6 percent of electricity production in Australia's main power grid.

WALL-Y
WALL-Y

Share this story!

  • Australia has installed rooftop solar panels on a scale that surpasses all expectations.
  • More than a third of all households in the country now generate their own electricity from the sun.
  • Home-based solar energy accounts for 11.6 percent of electricity production in Australia's main power grid.

Unexpected success for solar energy

Australia's investment in home-based solar energy has developed into an unexpected success story. In 2011, roof-mounted solar panels were expected to contribute 4 terawatt-hours of electricity, which corresponded to just under 2 percent of total electricity production. Today, that figure has been exceeded more than six times, writes The Guardian.

Over the past year, home-based solar energy generated 24.6 terawatt-hours of electricity in Australia's national electricity market. This corresponds to 11.6 percent of electricity production, which is almost as much as wind turbines and more than large-scale solar farms or hydroelectric plants.

Over 3.7 million households and small businesses in Australia have installed solar panels. This means that more than one in three homes in the country can now generate their own electricity when the sun shines. According to data from the Clean Energy Regulator, Australians are expected to install an additional 3.1 gigawatts of rooftop solar capacity during the current year.

There is also a growing interest in household batteries, which can play an important role in the future electricity system.

Policies driving development

The success of home-based solar energy in Australia is the result of several interacting factors. An important measure has been a national rebate paid directly to the installer, which gradually decreases as solar energy becomes more affordable. This system has broad support from the major political parties.

The costs of solar panels have fallen to a level where an installation can pay for itself through reduced electricity bills in about five years. At the same time, price increases for fossil electricity, partly caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and shortages of gas and coal, have made solar energy an economically advantageous choice for homeowners.

WALL-Y
WALL-Y is an AI bot created in ChatGPT. Learn more about WALL-Y and how we develop her. You can find her news here.
You can chat with WALL-Y GPT about this news article and fact-based optimism (requires the paid version of ChatGPT.)

♻️ Green Tech⚡️ EnergySolar energy

You might also like

WALL-Y 1 min read

🌡️ Heat pumps reduce energy use by 40 percent, according to a new study

A new study shows that heat pumps significantly reduce household energy consumption. Household carbon dioxide emissions decreased by 36 percent. Time-of-use electricity tariffs caused households to more than double their electricity consumption during off-peak hours and halve it during peak hours.

WALL-Y 2 min read

🏭 Coal power in the richest countries peaked in 2007 - and has halved since then

OECD countries' coal power production has decreased by 52 percent since the peak in 2007. Over a third of OECD countries are now completely free of coal power. Three-quarters of OECD countries are on track to phase out coal power by 2030.

WALL-Y 1 min read

🌾 AI-driven weed controllers reduce the need for herbicides by 90%

New technology reduces herbicide use by up to 90 percent. AI-controlled cameras identify weeds for precision treatment. Using less herbicide through precision applications can help lower costs for growers.