Solar Power In Australia – Information & Statistics

Australia’s home solar power revolution has been nothing short of phenomenal. When I started this site back in 2009, there were just 85,000 solar systems connected to the mains grid in Australia by the end of that year – and Australia’s first solar farm was yet to be built.

Fast forward to 2023 and more than 3.52 million solar panel systems have been installed on rooftops throughout the nation and gigawatts of large scale solar energy projects are operational, under construction or in the pipeline.

In fact, more solar panels have been installed on rooftops of homes in this country than there are people in Australia. Here’s how Australia’s small scale solar energy (systems less than 100kW capacity) revolution has progressed over the years. As you can see, it shows no signs of really slowing down at this stage.

Year	Systems Installed	Running Total
2001	118
2002	251	369
2003	664	1,033
2004	1,089	2,122
2005	1,406	3,528
2006	1,115	4,643
2007	3,480	8,123
2008	14,064	22,187
2009	62,916	85,103
2010	198,208	283,311
2011	360,745	644,056
2012	343,320	987,376
2013	200,407	1,187,783
2014	180,139	1,367,922
2015	141,500	1,509,422
2016	132,697	1,642,119
2017	174,942	1,817,061
2018	224,852	2,041,913
2019	284,031	2,325,944
2020	370,320	2,696,264
2021	377,444	3,073,708
2022	314,330	3,388,038
2023	135,701	3,523,739
Total	3,523,739
Source: Clean Energy Regulator

Note: due to the way the Clean Energy Regulator collects its statistics, the figure above for 2023 will continue to increase during 2023 and into 2024. The Regulator also reviews its statistics from time to time for earlier years, so figures may vary (but usually not by much).

Collectively, the 3,523,739 systems noted represent more than 20.48 gigawatts of electricity generation capacity! At the time of writing, around 780 watts of small scale PV had been installed per Australian.

So, Is Solar Worth It In Australia In 2023?

Home solar installations will continue at a rapid clip in Australia in 2023 for a simple reason – it’s certainly still worth it to get panels installed on your rooftop in order to slash your electricity bills.

The generous solar rebate is still available (as are other solar and battery rebates and subsidies depending on your location), feed in tariff incentives still apply and the cost of solar panels is well within reach of many households. Simple payback on a system is generally very rapid in a situation where a home has a compatible rooftop and a good quality installation is performed.

You can find out how much you can save on your electricity bills and your estimated payback time using my solar calculator.

Solar Energy Information For Each Australian State

From the southern extreme of Tasmania, to the tip of the top end of this great country, solar power is making its mark everywhere in Australia; helping families and businesses take control of their electricity costs and reducing their energy related carbon footprint.

Find out more about solar energy in your state:

Solar Energy In Your Town Or Suburb

To provide more granular information, we maintain a huge database on solar energy in most Australian locations. You can find up-to-date details and statistics such as the number of installations, expected performance for different sized systems and much, much more for just about every Australian postcode.

How To Get A Great Solar Installation – Guaranteed.

Wherever you are in this sun-soaked country, if you’re ready to start harnessing solar energy to slash your electricity bills and greenhouse gas emissions, submit for up to 3 solar quotes from hand-picked Australian installers I have personally carefully screened and trust to provide you with a good quality system that is competently installed.

Quality of components and installation is key to making the most of what solar power has to offer and avoiding headaches down the track – that’s why my service is backed by the unique SolarQuotes Good Installer Guarantee.

Still deliberating on whether solar panels are right for you or not sure where to start? Check out my book, The Good Solar Guide – free to read online. It takes the mystery and confusion from the solar buying process in Australia; showing you how many panels you’ll require, recommended panel brands to buy (plus tips for avoiding crap panels), solar advice on other components and how to locate a great installer.

The seven-step process detailed in the guide, which was developed over a decade in the industry, takes you through understanding, evaluating, purchasing, installing and using solar energy to ensure it delivers on its promise of tiny electricity bills.

Another great resource is my popular “101 Guides“, also covering everything you need to know about solar and batteries in Australia.