Rooftop solar PV to be energy game-changer in Australia

By Giles Parkinson on 29 May 2012

In a report entitled Rooftop PV Information Paper, AEMO says that up to 18,000MW of solar PV could be installed on Australian rooftops by 2031 – under its high growth scenario – when it could potentially account for around 10 per cent of the electricity produced in the country. Even its mediums scenario predicts 12,000MW of rooftop PV.The Australian Energy Market Operator has produced a landmark report that for the first time recognises rooftop solar PV as a significant source of energy in the National Electricity Market, and includes forecasts that could have a profound impact on the way electricity is consumed and produced – and talked about – in this country.

The forecast by AEMO is the first formal recognition by an Australian energy authority of the potential of rooftop solar in Australia – something that had remained the province of the solar industry itself, a handful of consultants, the Greens, advocacy groups, and web sites such as this.

The report is in marked contrast to the Draft Energy White Paper produced for and released by Federal Energy Minister Martin Ferguson last December, which predicted that solar – in all forms, including utility scale solar PV and solar thermal – would account for less than 3 per cent of Australia’s electricity capacity  by 2030, or 2,000MW in all forms.