Why are Australian Households Taking up Rooftop Solar in Record Numbers

In 2019, the capacity of rooftop solar jumped 35% above 2018 levels, and a whopping 204% (more than 3x) above 2016 levels. In this post we will have a look at some of the major reasons why so many Aussie homeowners are turning to solar power as an answer to their energy expenditure woes.

Australia is Perfect for Rooftop Solar

Australia is often referred to as The Lucky Country, and this is certainly true for solar. Australia shares the top spot with Africa as the world’s sunniest continent. It is also the second sunniest country in the OECD.

So it’s not surprising that Australia is a leader in solar capacity as a proportion of total electricity generation (5th in the world). In 2019, Australia had the capacity to produce 8.1% of its total electricity consumption via solar power. In addition, Australia ranks 2nd on a watts per capita basis.

In 2020, more than 21% of Australian households have rooftop solar, with more than 2.4 million systems installed. This represents the highest uptake of home solar in the world!

And we certainly aren’t going to see this trend abate any time soon. The rooftop solar potential for Australia is truly staggering. As of June 2019, Australia was using just 5% of its potential. If our full potential was utilised, we could produce 25% more electricity through rooftop solar than the current total consumption from all sources.

Electricity is Expensive in Australia

No s*** Sherlock! Yep, we are all acutely aware that energy prices have been rising in every state for the last decade. This has meant Australian households now pay well above the average for the rest of the developed world. In fact, in 2019 we had the 8th highest electricity prices of the 36 OECD countries.

Solar Panels are Extremely Cheap in Australia

Solar panels today cost just a fraction of what they were a decade ago. And the quality has improved dramatically, with many installers offering a 25-year warranty. There are many factors that have led to this:

Technology has advanced, which improves the commercial viability compared with traditional fossil fuel electricity generation.
With thousands of installers nationwide, competition has increased dramatically.
The Australian dollar is at historic lows. An unfortunate reality is that most solar components are made overseas.

Federal and State Solar Rebates and Incentives

The Australian government’s Small-Scale Renewable Energy Scheme provides generous rebates to homeowners installing rooftop solar. State governments also offer incentives on top of these rebates.

The upshot is that state and federal government incentives can cover a substantial portion of the install. This means that many homeowners can go solar for no net cost, as the savings in their electricity bills cover the remaining portion of the install. So savings are immediate, with no waiting to pay for the install before seeing the benefits.

However the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme is intended to be phased out. The rebate reduces every year until it will eventually be discontinued in 2030. So if you are planning to get solar, then it is probably better to do it sooner rather than later.

Conclusion

So there you have it. No wonder Aussies are taking up solar in record numbers. If you would like to find out if your home qualifies for our No-Net-Cost Solar Program, and get an estimate on how much you can expect to save, then fill in our short quiz below.