Solar adoption accelerates across regional Australia
Regional Australia experienced 453% year-over-year growth in installed solar units in 2014, outpacing metropolitan growth at 440% for the same period. This is according to Enphase Energy, which witnessed a substantial increase in its regional solar microinverter installations in 2014.
“In less than two years since Enphase established a direct presence in Australia, the demand for solar photovoltaic systems has strengthened significantly in regional and rural Australia,” said Enphase Asia-Pacific Managing Director Nathan Dunn. The top 10 fastest growing towns for Enphase in regional Australia are:
- Gelorup (WA)
- Armidale (NSW)
- Trinity Park (Qld)
- Devonport (Tas)
- Woolgoolga (NSW)
- Townsville (Qld)
- Squeaking Point (Tas)
- McLaren Vale (SA)
- Warrnambool (Vic)
- Chinchilla (Qld)
Dunn explained that electricity prices “tend to be higher in semi-regional and rural Australia than in urban areas”, making solar “a strong value proposition for business and domestic users in regional and rural areas”. He suggested that agriculture, farms, shopping centres and commercial businesses are the strongest users of solar energy.
Regional areas are also set to benefit from the pairing of solar energy generation with battery storage - an especially appealing option for homes and businesses that are located some way from fixed energy grids. The Enphase Energy Management System, to be launched in early 2016, will let households and businesses store, control and manage the energy generated by their solar system.
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