Australia adds 100 MW rooftop solar in October

More than 15,000 solar systems, representing over 100 MW of rooftop solar capacity, were installed across Australia’s main grids in October, according to the latest Renewable Energy Index by Green Energy Markets, and funded by GetUp.

“It’s only the second time the 100 MW mark has been passed in a single month. The first time was in June 2012, when households enjoyed much higher subsidies.”

The 106 MW installed in October will produce enough energy to power 28,000 homes and is expected to save households $195 million on power bills over the next 10 years.

GetUp Environmental Justice Director Miriam Lyons said, “It’s quite clear that crippling electricity bills are driving people to install more panels, to take advantage of the free, clean energy the sun provides every day.

“This should be a wake-up call to both governments and energy companies. People who have the ability to install solar are doing it in droves. Those who don’t are being slugged with high wholesale prices and unreasonable retail mark-ups.

“The federal government’s National Energy Guarantee will do nothing to fix this mess. It keeps dirty old coal plants on life support and strangles investment in new large-scale renewables.

“We need a plan to embrace a clean, smart electricity grid of the future that will work for everyone in the community.”