Located in the dry, dusty centre of Australia, Alice Springs once relied exclusively on gas power and diesel trucked in for electricity generation, but has been evolving into a solar energy powerhouse in recent years.
By the end of July 2025, over 5,000 rooftop solar systems had been installed in Alice Springs, with a total capacity of around 25 megawatts (MW). This is enough to meet around 20% of the town's electricity consumption.
While most of Alice Springs' solar panels are mounted on roofs, there are also two solar farms, Uterne 1 & 2. Recognised with an Engineering Excellence Award from the Institution of Engineers Australia, these facilities total 4.1MW and supply around 2% of the town's electricity. Built under an agreement with the Northern Territory’s Power and Water Corp, panels at the Uterne solar farms are mounted on trackers that follow the sun through the day, yielding around 30% more than fixed solar panels.
Alice Springs was also part of the Australian Government’s Solar Cities program, which delved into how solar power, energy efficiency technologies and new ways of tackling electricity supply and pricing could contribute to a sustainable energy future. The city went from two rooftops with solar panels at the beginning of the initiative to 700 at the end of the program in 2013.
Alice Springs is also home to the Desert Knowledge Australia Solar Centre, which generates performance data on dozens of brands and types of solar panels operating under real-world and often harsh conditions.
As in many other Australian cities, solar power is helping residents and businesses in Alice Springs win the battle against increasing electricity costs. Make a start today on generating electricity from your own rooftop by getting a quote for solar panels in Alice Springs from pre-vetted installers participating in our network.
