Home solar power systems are becoming a common sight in many Australian towns and cities; with some areas particularly engaged in the solar revolution.
One of the many myths relating to solar power is it’s predominantly affluent suburban Australians in our major cities driving the residential rooftop solar revolution, but a new report from the Clean Energy Council paints a very different picture.
Figures from the CEC released as part of Clean Energy Week detail 20 postcodes with the highest saturation of home solar power – and Australia’s coastal and rural communities are among the standouts.
According to Matthew Warren, Chief Executive of the Clean Energy Council, “It’s a common misconception that household solar panels are popular in our capital cities and exclusive suburbs, and not in rural and regional Australia or working class neighbourhoods. These new figures show clearly that Australia’s switch to renewable energy is even more popular in regional Australia than it is in the city.”
The CEC lists the top 20 solar postcodes as being:
Caloundra City, Sunshine Coast, Queensland : 11.98% of households
Uralba/Alstonville region (west of Ballina), New South Wales : 11.91%
Victor Harbour/Hindmarsh Valley, South Australia : 10.83%
Samford/Mount Glorious/Enoggera Reservoir, Queensland : 9.98%
Dubbo, New South Wales : 9.97%
Brunswick Heads/Ocean Shores, New South Wales : 9.80%
Bega region, New South Wales : 9.76%
Jimboomba, Queensland : 9.03%
Burpengary, Queensland : 9.03%
Hindmarsh Island/Goolwa, South Australia : 9.03%
Buderim, Queensland : 8.83%
Ormeau/Jacobs Well, Gold Coast, Queensland : 8.74%
Maroochydore, Sunshine Coast, Queensland : 8.58%
Mount Barker, South Australia : 8.56%
Ballina, New South Wales : 8.40%
Kelso/Condon (Townsville), Queensland : 8.27%
Tweed Heads South/Banora Point : New South Wales 8.16%
Fraser Island/Hervey Bay : Queensland 7.83%
Mandurah/Dudley Park (south of Perth) : Western Australia 7.43%
Forrestfield, Western Australia : 7.34%
According to national solar power solutions provider Energy Matters, a town that perhaps should have also been included on the list is Mallacoota in Victoria. The company says it has installed nearly 80 rooftop solar power systems in the Mallacoota postcode area so far, which has approximately 800 homes – and has dozens more installations of solar panels scheduled.
The Mallacoota systems have been installed under a solar buyers group agreement between Energy Matters and participating residents. A solar buyers group is a collective of residents within an area who band together and use their bulk purchasing power to secure substantial additional discounts from Energy Matters on equipment and installation of solar power systems.
Energy Matters says it actively encourages the concept and is happy to assist in providing advice to interested parties wanting to set up solar buyers groups.
