Why are so may Australians going solar?

With 3.5 million solar panels installed on Australian roof space in 2017 a 41% increase on the previous year and with 2018 set to see the industry go from strength to strength the question has to be asked ‘Why are so many Australians going solar?’.

There seems to be several reasons behind this meteoric rise in renewable energy use in Australia but we will start with the most obvious.

Australia is blessed with a very dry climate in comparison with a lot of other countries increasing their solar uptake and benefits from a latitude advantage. This combination sees Australia coming in as the world’s best country for solar with highest average recorded solar radiation per square meter.  

I think it is worth noting that there also seems to be an increase in environmental awareness throughout many countries in the world and while this is not a measurable statistic it would be a fair statement to say that both the Australian government and population as a whole are very forward thinking when it comes to renewable energy sources.

Australia is also benefiting from a very generous solar rebate incentive which seems to be a driving factor in solar uptake throughout the country. However this rebate is decreasing year by year as more panels are installed on roofs and it is yet to be seen whether this upward trend will still be as accelerated following a drop in government investment.

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