Photo by Kindel Media via Pexels
Australia is on track to pass its 25 gigawatts (GW) target for rooftop solar capacity with the installation of 1.3 GW in the first half (H1) of 2024, bringing the current total to 24.4 GW.
According to a report by the Clean Energy Council (CEC), the additional capacity came from 141,364 new rooftop solar systems installed during the said period.
The CEC report said 11.3% or 13,479 gigawatt-hours of Australia's energy generation mix is currently attributed to rooftop solar as over 3.7 million homes and small businesses have installed solar panels on their roofs.
New South Wales is also the second state to pass one million total rooftop photovoltaic installations, after Queensland in 2023.
“It’s become a staple investment for homeowners and small businesses. With typical payback periods of around three to four years, rooftop solar is now a recognised and simple step to take pressure off the family budget,” said CEC Co-Chief Policy & Impact Officer Con Hristodoulidis.
The report also found out that there was an uptake of home batteries with nearly 30,000 battery units sold in H1.
However, home battery uptake remains far behind the levels needed under the Australian Energy Market Operator’s 2024 Integrated System Plan to efficiently achieve the country’s 82% renewable energy target in 2030.
“Home batteries are now the missing piece of the puzzle, to maximise those solar savings for times when the sun isn't shining and smash household energy bills,” Hristodoulidis said.
CEC said there are currently 7250 approved rooftop solar, inverter and storage products across Australia, a 12% increase from the previous report.
