CANBERRA: Australia has the highest rate of household solar panel installation in the world, according to a new report from the Energy Supply Association of Australia.
“We’re clearly leading the world in rooftop solar,” said the association’s chief executive, Matthew Warren. “There’s literally daylight [coming in] second.” The report found about 15 per cent of Australian homes had solar panels.
“The country that’s nearest to us is Belgium with about 7 per cent and most other countries are in low single digits, so we’re kind of pioneering the experiment of rooftop solar and the world is watching,” Mr Warren said.
Installation rates are highest in South Australia and Queensland, and in some Brisbane and Adelaide suburbs more than half of all homes have solar panels. Mr Warren attributed that to more generous schemes in those states.
“South Australia has 25 per cent of dwellings, which is the highest in the world, and Brisbane’s not far behind with 23 per cent, and then Perth and WA at 18 per cent.” But the report found lower rates of solar panel installation in affluent suburbs. “It’s very popular with retirees,” Mr Warren said. “It’s more popular with mortgage-belt consumers who are probably more price conscious.
