New solar energy installations tripled in capacity in 2018 in Australia, with solid growth in rooftop solar eclipsed by a massive increase in utility-sized ventures.
According to data collected by Green Energy Trading, the nation added just over 3775 megawatts of photovoltaic capacity last year, up from 1270MW a year earlier.
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Total installations are forecast by the consultancy to rise another quarter this year to 4700MW.
While 2018 was a year the solar farm came into its own – with more than 2000MW added, half of it in Queensland – rooftop solar for homes and businesses continued to expand at annual rates of more than 40 per cent, the firm estimated, using certificates surrendered by installers.
| Solar uptake Residential and commercial grew by more than 40% and large scale solar really came of age.  |
Source: Green Energy Trading
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Victoria,
though, grew at close to 70 per cent during the year, thanks in large
part to a pre-election promise from the Andrews Labor government to
support the installation of 650,000 new systems.
Australia late
last year passed its two millionth home with solar PV, with
installations running at six panels a minute. All up about one in five
houses have solar systems, one of the highest penetration rates
anywhere.
Domenic Mercuri, chief executive of
Solargain, said the lead time for installation was out to as long as 10
weeks in Victoria compared to about half that in other states.
The company grew about a fifth in 2018, swelling its workforce, including contractors, to 220.
The company grew about a fifth in 2018, swelling its workforce, including contractors, to 220.
"We'd expect to grow another 20 per cent this year," Mr Mercuri said.
Even
with the industry's rapid pace and payback times for residential panels
dropping to under five years, consumers were becoming more savvy, he
said.
"They
know the brand they want, the panels, the system size – they're more
educated," including wanting to know how long the retailer had been
around, Mr Mercuri said.
With signs that retail power prices have started to taper – reducing one accelerant for demand – fresh buyers were appearing on the commercial side, which accounts for about 30 per cent of Solargain's sales, he said.
New growth sector
With signs that retail power prices have started to taper – reducing one accelerant for demand – fresh buyers were appearing on the commercial side, which accounts for about 30 per cent of Solargain's sales, he said.
New growth sector
Green
Energy Markets' Mr Edis said businesses looking to add systems of
greater than 100 kilowatts of capacity – a segment which more than
doubled in 2018 – was emerging as a growth sector.
"We've probably
got significant room for growth there in 2019," he said, adding the
sector "is only just starting to develop some legs".
One
reason for the optimism was many companies had three-year power
contracts. About a third of them could expect higher electricity bills
this year when they renewed deals that included the effect of the
closure in 2017 of Victoria's Hazelwood power plant, making solar PV
more attractive.
Wholesale prices in the National Electricity Market may start to decline this year as the impact of the huge increase in solar farm capacity started to take effect, Mr Edis said.
Wholesale prices in the National Electricity Market may start to decline this year as the impact of the huge increase in solar farm capacity started to take effect, Mr Edis said.
Some
of that price influence had so far been masked by a sharp reduction in
output from Snowy Hydro plants in anticipation of falling reservoir
levels amid the drought.
Assuming dams start to fill up this year
and next, the benefit of extra renewable capacity - including the wind
and solar farms that will come online in 2019 - should add to downward
pressure on wholesale prices, Mr Edis said.Links
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