Australian rooftops added a record of 482 megawatts of new solar photovoltaic capacity in the first quarter of this year, the Sydney Morning Herald reported April 14. Data gathered by Green Energy Markets show the sector added about 45 per cent more capacity of solar PV – in systems of 100 kilowatts or smaller in size – compared with the January-March period a year earlier.
Victoria State, with a rebate of $2250 per unit, led the nation in first-quarter installations, despite being the smallest state and less sunny than its neighbours. In March, renewable energy sources supplied about 19.7 per cent, or 3839 gigawatt-hours, of the electricity to the country’s main grids, Green Energy Markets said.