January Small-Scale Solar Installs To Save $197 Million Over Ten Years

Image: MariaGodfrida

Enough rooftop solar panels were installed in Australia during January to power 31,752 homes according the latest Green Energy Markets Renewable Energy Index (REI).

The REI for January 2018 states 16,042 small-scale (<100kW capacity) rooftop PV systems were installed last month. As well as providing clean energy and slashing electricity bills, these installations helped support 5,337 full-time jobs.

The report, funded by GetUp!, says rooftop solar installed in January will deliver $197 million in power bill savings over the next decade.

Looking at the bigger picture, renewable energy consumed in Australia in January was equivalent to the electricity consumption of 8.5 million homes and avoided 2.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. Electricity generated by all renewable sources was equal to 17.3% of power consumed across Australia’s east and west coast main electricity grids.

Renewable energy power generation by source in January 2018:

1. Wind – 1,175 gigawatt-hours
2. Hydro – 1,114 gigawatt- hours
3. Rooftop solar – 953 gigawatt-hours
4. Bioenergy – 176 gigawatt-hours
5. Large scale solar – 71 gigawatt- hours

Large scale solar electricity generation should receive a healthy boost soon with 2,273 megawatts of capacity under construction, which will also create another 5,456 jobs.

Commenting on the report, GetUp! says South Australia’s overall solar generation is now the highest anywhere in the world as a proportion of total electricity generation (8%). However, it appears to have compared the state to entire countries, which some may feel is an apples-to-oranges type of comparison.

Regardless, it’s an impressive result for SA, which also saw 48% of all electricity generated in January coming from renewables says GetUp!. Last week, South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill pledged that if Labor is returned to office, it will increase the state’s renewable energy target from 50 per cent to 75 per cent by 2025.

GetUp! says while states are doing the heavy lifting on renewable energy, the Federal Government continues to be a leaner.

“The only thing holding renewables back is a lack of vision from the federal government. Federal politicians are still deciding policy based on what’s best for their coal donors, not what’s best for the community, best for the environment and best for the economy”.

On the topic of policy, the Government’s National Energy Guarantee (NEG) appears to be facing increasing resistance and doesn’t have the wide support as claimed by Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg.

The January 2018 Renewable Energy Index summary can be viewed here and full report (including methodology) here (PDF).