New data on solar hot spots

The major city mortgage belts and regional Australia are the biggest investors in solar according to new research in The Geographical Analysis of Solar Systems under the Renewable Energy Target just released by the REC Agents Association.

The Australian Solar Council said this research shows that mortgage belt and regional Australians will be hardest hit if there are changes to the Renewable Energy Target (RET), which provides assistance with upfront costs of getting into solar.

"With power prices escalating, it is no wonder families with mortgages and regional households are looking at ways to cut energy costs, said John Grimes, the Chief Executive of the Australian Solar Council.

"Regular Australians are concerned about power prices and are prepared to invest in, and get behind, proven energy technology," he said.

"Mortgage belt Australians have invested an estimated $2-3 billion of their own money in solar so far.

"Governments that are messing around with solar policy should never underestimate the common sense of the general public.

"This research destroys the myth that renewables support is for the wealthy."

The report analyses the installation of solar PV and solar water heater (SWH) systems that have claimed Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) under the Renewable Energy Target (RET).

This analysis utilises data published by the Clean Energy Regulator on the number of solar systems that have been installed and claimed RECs by postcode.

The facts are: most solar systems (53%) were installed in regional and rural communities with only 43% installed in the major capital cities; the level of solar penetration amounted to 13% in the major capital cities of Australia (representing 58% of households) and was 21% outside of the major capital cities (60% higher penetration); of the systems installed in capital cities, those suburbs with the highest penetration (number of systems installed in suburb divided by the number of dwellings in that suburb) were typically in the outer metropolitan mortgage belt; there was a slight inverse relationship between average incomes and solar penetration levels; the suburbs with the highest income levels did not correspond to those with highest penetration, the opposite was more likely; the suburbs with the highest penetration of solar systems in each state tended to be either regional or outer metropolitan; and the six suburbs in Australia with the largest number of solar systems are: Coodanup, WA, near Mandurah, 70 km south of Perth - 9463 systems (30% of houses); Abbotsford, Qld, near Bundaberg, 310 km north of Brisbane - 9029 systems (26% of houses); Booral, Qld, near Maryborough, 236 km north of Brisbane - 8823 systems (34% of houses); Cocoroc, Vic, near Werribee, 38 km west of Melbourne - 8426 systems (29% of houses); Hoppers Crossing, Vic, near Werribee, 24 km west of Melbourne - 8138 systems (34% of houses); and Bentley, NSW, near Ballina, 595 km north of Sydney - 7673 systems (39% of dwellings).

"The Renewable Energy Target has been one of the greatest policy achievements of the last decade," said Grimes.

"It has reduced Australia's energy use and carbon pollution, driven down the cost of wholesale electricity and unleashed more than $10 billion in investment in large-scale clean energy schemes alone.

"More than 4 million Australians now have solar power or solar hot water as a direct result of the Renewable Energy Target.

"The Renewable Energy Target works - that's why it's supported by all political parties, and opposed by companies laden with ageing fossil fuel assets.

"Whilst some decry the success of the Renewable Energy Target, Australia's solar industry celebrates the fact carbon pollution and energy use is declining, and the wholesale cost of electricity is falling.

For the full report, see the REC Agents Association.