Australia leads the world in solar per capita with 1 kW per person at the end of 2021, the Australian PV Institute said in a recent report. In 2020, Australia had solar per capita of over 800W per person, followed by Germany with 650W per person.

At the end of 2021, Australia had around 25.4 GW of installed solar capacity. The report noted that total solar installations doubled every three years in Australia.

In 2021 alone, the country installed over 4.5 GW of rooftop solar capacity on over 350,000 households and businesses, creating over 25,000 jobs in sales and installation.

The report said the solar industry faced many challenges in 2021 with covid-lockdowns and module supply. However, solar photovoltaic (PV) remained the most cost-effective for any new energy generation. It is a popular investment with homes and businesses to control their energy bills and progress towards a zero-emissions economy.

In 2021, the average system size installed in the small-scale solar category grew to 8.8kW, which would cost only $7,000-$10,000 and have a return on investment of nearly 20%. In 2020, the average rooftop installation (<100 kW) was 8 kW.

Renate Egan, APVI Secretary, said, “There is nearly nowhere better to put your money than into a rooftop solar installation if you can.”

According to the report, rooftop solar systems power over 3 million households and small businesses in Australia. This is complemented by a growing number of large-scale solar installations that could power hundreds or thousands of homes and businesses with clean and green energy.

“We have seen ongoing, strong growth in solar in Australia, with an astounding 25% growth rate. This is likely to increase Australia’s leadership in solar per capita, well ahead of other leading nations,” said Renate Egan.

In the second quarter (Q2) of 2021, Australia installed 729 MW of rooftop solar capacity, an 8% increase compared to 677 MW in the same period last year, according to data released by Australia’s Clean Energy Regulator.

Harsh Shukla is a staff reporter at Mercom India. Previously with Indian Express, he has covered general interest stories. He holds a Masters Degree in Journalism from Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune.

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