Queensland outshines interstate rivals on rooftop solar rates – pv magazine Australia

July 5, 2024 pv magazine

Analysis of Clean Energy Council (CEC) data by Melbourne-based Solar Run reveals that Queensland has outpaced other states and territories in solar installations, with 54,365 solar systems installed in the past three years.

Solar Run analysed the total number of solar installations in every suburb across Australia from January 2020 to December 2023. The data revealed that Queensland led the way, ahead of Victoria with 51,104 installations and New South Wales (NSW) with 48,470 installations.

During the same period, Western Australia installed 44,899 systems, while the Australian Capital Territory delivered 22,803 installations. South Australia recorded 20,849 installations, while the Northern Territory and Tasmania delivered 6,734 and 6,070 installations respectively.

“The data from our latest analysis demonstrates the incredible progress Australian states are making in deploying renewable energy,” said Anthony Kurta, CEO and Managing Director of Solar Run.

“We see strong commitment from states like Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales who are using their populations and policies to lead the way.”

Kurta said the expansion of solar energy in Queensland, which has a larger area but smaller population compared to Victoria and New South Wales, reflected aggressive renewable energy policies and more space for larger projects.

The Queensland government is targeting 70 per cent of its energy supply from renewable sources by 2032 and 80 per cent by 2035, as part of a move away from coal-fired power. Last month, it announced a $26 billion ($17 billion) investment to help deliver the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan.

The $62 billion plan to transition the state away from coal-fired power by 2035 includes an additional 22 GW of new solar and wind capacity by 2035, supported by grid battery storage and pumped-storage hydro.

Solar Run said the lower scores reported by some other states reflect challenges or perhaps less urgency in deploying renewable energy infrastructure to less populated areas.

The company said this “could prompt state and local governments to promote more attractive renewable energy policies.”

“In the context of future policymaking and planning, countries with lower installation numbers but higher potential… may focus on targeted incentives to increase renewable energy deployment,” the document reads.

“This can be facilitated both through state-level policies and community initiatives focused on sustainability.”

The company also called on states with large installations to share best practices with states that are less advanced in this regard to promote a unified national approach to renewable energy deployment.

The Australian Energy Market Operator recently strengthened the rooftop solar market in its latest Integrated System Plan, predicting the sector could meet 51.3% of the national electricity market’s energy demand during the middle of a sunny day.

Author: Ken Braganza