A growing number of Australian homes are now relying on the Sun’s power. It comes with the increasing number of rooftop solar panels installed in the second quarter. The rise in solar energy capacity stemmed from the increase in the number of people working from home.
The Greener Figures
According to Australia’s Clean Energy Regulator chairman David Parker, the rise in renewable investments even performed better than forecasts. It also supported the country’s economy amid the pandemic.
Per the body’s report on Thursday, this year can reach the record set by 2019, with an expected total of the renewable energy capacity of 6.3 gigawatts (GW) for 2020. The Clean Energy Regulator (CER) even adjusted its projection for this year from an original estimation of 2.7 GW. The installations for this year may likely reach a capacity of 2.9 GW. The CER noted it as a “tremendous result” amid the health crisis.
Per the CER, the country now has more than 2.4 million rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems among households with a combined capacity of 9.7 GW. “While each individual system is small, together they form one of the biggest generators in the electricity grid.”
Pandemic-Caused Shift
Among the reasons many prefer to opt for solar energy solutions is the pandemic forcing many to change their regular work routine. The number of work-from-home arrangements thus increased. That is in addition to low-interest rates, per Bloomberg Green.
Australians are installing rooftop solar panels in ever-greater numbers, driving what is expected to be another year of record growth in green power generation https://t.co/VZ3nPDB7pI
— Bloomberg Green (@climate) September 3, 2020
“The strong growth in rooftop solar PV over the first six months of the year is estimated to have added 2,800 jobs at a time when employment in other sectors has contracted,” Parker said.
Moreover, the publication also noted that the increasing reliance on solar power in the country had caused low demand for traditional energy firms.
Boost in Solar Energy Capacity
Australia is among the countries that embrace solar energy, alongside the US, India, and Italy, The Sydney Morning Herald article said. Further, it was also reported that there is a global increase in solar generation capacity. Solar is 15 times bigger than it was ten years ago. Solar even outdid wind last year among power sources in terms of capacity.
