Solar Power’s Resurgence: Electrifying Homes and Vehicles
Australia experienced its second biggest year for rooftop solar growth in 2023, thanks to the increasing adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and home battery storage, according to the 2024 Annual Australian PV Report from market analysts SunWiz. The report reveals that a total of 3.15GW of sub-100kW solar was registered across the country, with residential installations accounting for a significant portion of this figure. In fact, a “whopping” 2.5GW of the sub-100kW solar installed on rooftops was residential, equivalent to 6.1 million average-sized solar panels.
The report highlights the growing trend of larger household system sizes, with the average size of rooftop solar arrays reaching a new record of 9.4kW/system in 2023. This increase in size is attributed to the anticipated uptake of EVs and batteries, as many residential customers are installing systems as big as permitted by their network operator. Additionally, around 20% of the customers who installed rooftop solar in 2023 were re-powering existing systems, either by boosting the size of an existing system or replacing it entirely with a larger and more efficient one.
Despite inflation and interest rate increases impacting household and business budgets, solar power systems in Australia have become more affordable. Solar power remains a popular choice for reducing electricity bills and quickly pays for itself. The report also notes that residential solar installations continue to be the driving force behind Australia’s solar success story, representing more than half of the total solar power installed nationwide.
The strong growth in rooftop solar installations is a positive sign for Australia’s grid decarbonisation efforts, with homes and businesses taking the lead in transitioning to cleaner energy sources. The data confirms the significant role that EVs and home batteries play in driving the uptake of rooftop solar, as households recognize the economic and environmental benefits of generating their own renewable energy.
