Australia has recorded its four millionth rooftop solar installation, boasting a total of 25 GW capacity, including 3.15 GW added in the last year, and marks the completion of one million installations since November 2021.
Federal Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen said the four millionth solar installation is an incredible milestone for Australia and another sign of how the government’s Reliable Renewables Plan to bring on more of the cheapest and cleanest form of energy is working for Australian households.
“We’re lucky to call the sunniest continent on earth ‘home’, which means we’ve got access to the cheapest and cleanest renewable energy resource at our fingertips,” Bowen said.
“Aussie homeowners know rooftop solar is a no-brainer when it comes to bringing down bills, which is why we have been installing about 300,000 rooftop systems a year and there is no sign of that slowing down.”
Bowen also assigns the solar uptake as driven by the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) which cuts upfront installation costs by about 30%.
Image: Open Electricity
According to the Clean Energy Council’s (CRCs) Rooftop Solar and Storage Report, April 2024, at that time, rooftop solar accounted for 11.2% of Australia’s electricity supply.
CRC Chief Executive Kane Thornton said the extraordinary achievement demonstrates that clean energy is so mainstream in Australia, “rooftop solar is the Hills Hoist of the 21st century”.
“Australia’s status as a world leader in rooftop solar is a testament to Australia’s world leading sunshine combined with the benefits to customers through lower energy bills and greater peace of mind about their energy consumption,” Thornton said.
“However, this milestone wouldn’t be possible without the dedication of over 10,000 committed and professional installers across the country.”
Thornton said installers are the engine room of this solar revolution and with most being sole traders or small business operators making it good news for jobs, economic prosperity and communities.
“The next piece of the puzzle is to increase the uptake of household batteries and other smart household appliances for all Australian households and businesses, with the added benefits of lowering prices for all customers and strengthening energy system resilience and security,” Thornton said.
Rooftop solar generation in October 2024 is shown on data platform Open Electricity to have contributed 16.8% of demand, providing 2,850 GWh of energy, the highest since its records of rooftop solar began in 2007, and since then 137,168 GWh of energy has been produced by rooftop solar.
The Australian PV Institute (APV) estimates the total potential for rooftop solar in Australia to be 179 GW and an annual energy output of 245 TWh.
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