Australia reaches 3 million households with rooftop solar - Sydney Morning Herald

Australian households and small businesses have more than 3 million solar power systems on their rooftops after a record number were installed last year, even through the disruption of lockdowns.

With the Morrison government having joined most other wealthy nations in signing up to net-zero emissions by 2050, the Clean Energy Council said rooftop solar would be critical to achieving this target.

There were 279,000 solar systems installed in 2019 and about 369,000 in 2020, with growth continuing despite the pandemic, as large numbers of Australians worked from home and spent money on home improvements.

Australia leads the world in per-capita uptake of solar power, 22 per cent higher than Germany or Japan in 2020, according to the International Energy Agency.

Mr Thornton said the average solar system now costs about $3000 or $4000.

The scale of rooftop solar means that on October 17, it accounted for almost 40 per cent of the demand in the National Electricity Market.

Mr Thornton said that every megawatt of rooftop solar created six jobs, which meant it was the largest generator of employment in the renewable energy industry.

Ellen Roberts, the national director of community-based solar owner organisation, Solar Citizens, said progress made in the energy industry will make it easier to slash pollution in sectors like transport and heavy industry.

But Australian households are yet to install household batteries with such enthusiasm, with cost the main barrier.

Mr Thornton said household batteries are now at the stage that rooftop solar was around seven years ago, with only 100,000 homes fitted with batteries so far because of cost.

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