CER launches quarterly tracker, finds over 50,000 rooftop PV systems installed Q1 2018

With small scale solar being installed throughout most states at record clip, the Clean Energy Regulator has developed a tracker to provide a more indicative view of the path the small-scale segment is taking.

May 17, 2018 Frederic Brown

Earlier this year, the CER launched a new tracker to break down quarterly data from the booming residential rooftop segment.

Graphic: Clean Energy Regulator

2017 set a record for rooftop PV installations in Australia representing a 41% growth over 2016 and with over 1070 MW of small-scale solar installed by Australian homeowners and businesses.

Alongside the record numbers, including the new 100 MW/month run rate for small-scale solar, the Clean Energy Regulator (CER) has changed the release of its small-scale renewable energy scheme Installation and capacity data to a quarterly publication. CER claims it will provide a more precise picture of the small-scale installation landscape.

Alongside this, CER has developed and released a small-scale renewable energy tracker report, which shows the data collected by the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme. The report will highlight trends, developments in all the different states and territories, and illustrate the information with high-resolution infographics.

With the tracker now in use, it has revealed that there were 50,592 small scale systems installed in the whole of Australia for Q1 of 2018, amounting to 259,889 kW of capacity. The new system is additional to the current postcode data for small-scale installations, which provides detailed information for small scale installations throughout the country by postcode.

The tracker has revealed trends in the Australian small-scale renewable ecosystem. Queensland, for example, continues to have the highest level of small scale installations in the country, with 12,286 installed in Q1 of 2018. Additionally, the sunshine state also can claim to have the highest amount of commercial sized solar PV systems with 879 installed in Q1 of 2018.

Nationwide, there were 3084 commercial sized solar PV systems installed in Q1 of 2018. CER reports that 909 solar PV systems that were installed alongside battery storage in the quarter

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