Rooftop solar hit new record this summer

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The total output of rooftop solar over summer was 8,046 GWh, up by 19.5% on the previous year, the Clean Energy Council said. These figures come in spite of the fact Australia had less sunshine than normal over summer – a testament to the cumulative force of rooftop solar’s normalisation.

State by state breakdown of rooftop solar generation in the summer 2022–2023.

Image: Clean Energy Council

The Clean Energy Council says the 15% – 20% increase in Australian’s electricity bills in 2022 have underpinned strong demand for rooftop solar. The rising power price has also made rooftop solar’s payback times even more attractive, hitting near record-low at 3.4 years for a 7 kW system.

“We’re seeing a fundamental shift; consumers are becoming energy generators,” Clean Energy Council Chief Executive Kane Thornton said. Thornton also noted these figures measure only what enters the grid.

Breaking down the states, New South Wales’ (NSW) rooftop solar generation jumped 35% on the previous summer. Tasmania also saw a massive uptick, clocking a 31.7% jump from the previous year.

Top rooftop solar postcodes in 2022

Image: Clean Energy Council

Using data from the Clean Energy Regulator, the Council also noted top postcodes for rooftop solar uptake, with Lismore claiming the top spot for NSW, Bundaberg for Queensland, Salisbury in South Australia, Hoppers Crossing in Victoria, Mandurah in Western Australia, and Blackstone Heights in Tasmania.

Home battery installations are also growing, with 7% of new solar systems now including a battery.

In total, 2.8 GW of rooftop solar was installed in 2022. 

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