2021-01-14
Canberra’s rooftops are playing a larger part in ACT’s 100% renewable electricity supply, as the number of solar generators increased by over 17% during the last financial year.
According to the ACT Government’s 2019-20 annual Feed-in Tariff report, there are now more than 28,000 solar generators in Canberra, with over 119,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of clean energy generated in 2019-20, an increase of 18.8%.
The total installed capacity from solar generators on Canberra’s rooftops last financial year was 135 megawatts, which is more than six times what the ACT’s large-scale Royalla solar farm generates.
Rooftop solar will continue to play a valuable role in maintaining the ACT’s 100% renewable electricity supply for many years to come.
According to the 2019-20 annual report, the ACT Government’s small and medium FiT scheme supported 10,153 local solar generators last financial year, which generated 47,296 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity, an increase of 1.6%.
The cost of the scheme also declined by 1.46% to just 83c a week for the average consumer.
The ACT Government will commence the rollout of the Sustainable Household Loan Scheme through 2021 that will remove the up-front financial barrier to access cheaper forms of energy for households such as rooftop solar.
This initiative will allow households without the available capital to make the sustainable investment to reduce their power bills immediately, support more jobs in our economy, and reduce emissions.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Water, Energy and Emissions Reduction Shane Rattenbury:
“Canberrans are playing a significant part in generating the ACT’s 100% renewable electricity supply. Canberrans recognise the value solar has to our clean, green and affordable energy future.
"The FiT scheme, which was designed as an incentive to boost solar uptake when the technology was new and more expensive, has made an important contribution to renewable electricity generation in the ACT.
“Though the scheme closed to new applicants in 2011, having served its purpose to drive investment and help bring solar system prices down, I am delighted to see so many Canberrans are taking up clean, green renewable energy options.
“Installing solar at your home or business can bring your energy costs down while contributing to our 100% renewable electricity supply, so I encourage Canberrans to look how they can contribute to Canberra’s clean energy future.”
You can view the 2019-20 annual report on the Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate’s energy website.