There’s more solar panels installed in Australia—than there are people

It’s now a fact that Australia loves solar power.

Australia has more rooftop solar power per capita than any other country. The country has installed over 24.7 million solar panels till date.

That is more solar panels than there are actual people in Australia!

The cost of solar power is now well below retail power prices in Australian capital cities, and continues to fall.

In 2017 over 20 new large-scale solar projects will come online.

A further 3,700 MW of large-scale solar is in the development pipeline (roughly equivalent to three coal-fired power stations).

The popularity of solar power in the country ranges from residential rooftops to wineries, airports, hospitals, golf clubs to industrial scale power plants planned for later this year.

Communities, households, small to global scale corporations, utilities and others are all adopting solar power as a means to control their energy costs and loosen their reliance on expensive grid electricity.

In Australia, like in other parts of the world (eg. the United States and many European countries) solar power provides a cheaper source of electricity to households and businesses compared to retail electricity prices.

Australia adds more solar power every year than the combined capacity of South Australia’s (recently closed) Northern and Playford coal-fired power stations.

Over 8,000 Australians are now employed in solar, and the industry’s potential could create thousands of jobs as it grows.

Solar power is making a significant contribution to reducing global greenhouse gas emissions, avoiding emissions of between 200-300 MtCO2 per year – equivalent to three quarters of Australia’s annual carbon dioxide emissions (IRENA 2016a; Global Carbon Project 2016).

Keep it up Australia!