Australia’s solar energy resources and production

Australia’s solar energy resources and production

The Australian continent has the highest solar radiation per square metre of any continent and consequently some of the best solar energy resource in the world. The regions with the highest solar radiation are the desert regions in the northwest and centre of the continent.

Australia’s energy resources, including solar energy resources, and the factors impacting on the development and adoption of the various energy resources to 2030 are outlined in the Australian Energy Resource Assessment.

Australia receives an average of 58 million PJ of solar radiation per year, approximately 10 000 times larger than its total energy consumption. However, Australia’s current use of solar energy is low with solar energy accounting for only about 0.1 per cent of Australia’s total primary energy consumption. The most common use of solar energy is solar thermal water heating. Solar PV systems play an important role in off-grid electricity generation in remote areas.

Electricity generation is increasing in response to government policies, notably the Renewable Energy Target, and as a consequence of the development of photovoltaic and concentrating solar thermal technologies through substantial research and development programs. These include the government’s Clean Energy Initiative Solar Flagships Program managed by the Department of Resources Energy and Tourism which has committed $1.5 billion to support the construction and demonstration of up to four large-scale solar power plants in Australia, using solar thermal and PV technologies. The Government’s aim is to establish up to 1000 megawatts (MW) of solar power generation capacity.

Source: Geoscience Australia

Contact us for a free quote.

Please send us your inquiry or give us a quick call to

+61 07 3519 5118 for any information.

How solar power works

How solar power works

During the day the sun shines on the solar panels generating DC electricity.

The DC electricity flows into a solar inverter that converts it to 240V 50Hz AC electricity.

Now you have 240V electricity that you can use to power appliances in your home.

During the day any surplus electricity your system generates is fed back into the main grid and you can receive a rebate on your power bill. This rebate varies from one electricity company to another so it is best to shop around for the best deal.

Whenever the sunlight shines on solar cells (and even in overcast weather), it causes the electrons to release from their place, leaving a hole in which another electron can fall and interact with it to generate energy. We describe the movement of the electron as electricity. This occurrence is the Photovoltaic Effect. Photovoltaic is referred to as PV.

Solar system components have been tested and have warranties up to 30 years in the case of some solar panels. So you can expect a long, hassle-free life from your solar power system! Government solar rebates and incentives available mean you can also save thousands on a grid-connect system.

What about at night?

The solar inverter converts the DC electricity produced by the solar panels into 240V AC electricity, which can then be used by the property/household, exported to the grid, or stored in a battery storage system.

if a grid connects system is producing more power than the home consumes, the surplus is fed into the power grid. Some electricity companies meter the electricity fed into the grid by your system and provide a credit on your bill. How much you are paid is determined by the feed-in tariff.

What do inverters do?

The solar inverter converts the DC electricity produced by the solar panels into 240V AC electricity, which can then be used by the property/household, exported to the grid, or stored in a battery storage system.

if a grid connects system is producing more power than the home consumes, the surplus is fed into the power grid. Some electricity companies meter the electricity fed into the grid by your system and provide a credit on your bill. How much you are paid is determined by the feed-in tariff.

What about at night?

When the solar cells are not producing power, for example at night, power comes from the mains power grid as usual. The energy retailer charges the usual rate for the power used.

What is an on-grid solar system?

Most households and businesses choose a roof-mounted solar power system. For most of Australia, panel installation facing north is preferred to take full advantage of the sun. However, east or west-facing installation may also be desirable or better placed if there’s a lot of shade on the north-facing part of your roof. This positioning may provide power at the time of the day when there is most demand.

Your solar installer will aim to install the modules at an angle that ensures that the glass face of the modules is positioned at 90 degrees to the sun for most of the day.

Solar power is generated when energy from the sun (sunlight) is converted into electricity or used to heat air, water, or other fluids. There are two main types of solar energy technologies:

Solar thermal is the conversion of solar radiation into thermal energy (heat). Thermal energy carried by air, water, or other fluid is commonly used directly, for space heating, or to generate electricity using steam and turbines. Solar thermal is commonly used for hot water systems. Solar thermal electricity, also known as concentrating solar power, is typically designed for large scale power generation.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) converts sunlight directly into electricity using photovoltaic cells. PV systems can be installed on rooftops, integrated into building designs and vehicles, or scaled up to megawatt scale power plants. PV systems can also be used in conjunction with concentrating mirrors or lenses for large scale centralised power.

Solar thermal and PV technology can also be combined into a single system that generates both heat and electricity.

Solar thermal and PV technology can also be combined into a single system that generates both heat and electricity.

Contact us for a free quote.

Please send us your inquiry or give us a quick call to

+61 07 3519 5118 for any information.

QLD Homes with Solar

QLD Homes with Solar

As of the 2016 Australian Census, there were 1,987,313 private dwellings. Of those private dwellings, 801,901 homes have a solar PV system installed – that’s 4 in 10 QLD homes!

Only 6,730 of those homes have a solar battery installed. Are you one of the many Queenslanders that have solar? Are you one of the few that have solar battery storage? If you answered no to either of those questions, why not speak to a local installer today?
Source: https://www.cleanenergyregulator.gov.au/RET/Forms-and-resources/Postcode-data-for-small-scale-installations

Call us for a free no obligation assessment

Australia’s total greenhouse gas emissions was 535 million tonnes CO2-e in 2017. With 153 million of that total, QLD tops all the state and territories as being the most polluting in the country.
In 2020, renewable energy was responsible for 16.6% of Queensland’s total electricity generation. This is the second lowest proportion for any state or territory (with NT being the lowest). Though, there are many wind and solar farms proposals that will inject renewable energy into the grid.
You can join the many Queenslanders that are choosing to do their part for the environment, whilst saving money in the process, by installing solar!

Source: https://www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/resources/resources-hub/clean-energy-australia-report

QLD Total Net Emissions

The Australia Government calculates Queensland’s greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) as part of their national reporting to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Queensland’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2016 was 153 MtCO2e.

Emissions from electricity generation and usage (which falls under Stationary Energy) accounted for 48.1% of all GHG at 76.66 MtCO2e. This is a worrying figure as the emissions from electricity generation and usage has been steadily growing every reporting year.

QLD Total Net Emissions

All Australian States and many local councils have committed to reducing their emissions by 2050 or earlier. You can find out more at 100% Renewables https://100percentrenewables.com.au

Contact us for a free quote.

Please send us your inquiry or give us a quick call to

+61 07 3519 5118 for any information.

Feed in tariffs for Queensland

Feed in tariffs for Queensland

For households in South East Queensland, the feed in tariff (FiT) rate varies between retailers, you can make comparisons of each retailers rates at the Australian government Energy Made Easy website. www.energymadeeasy.gov.au

If you live outside South East Queensland, you may be able to access the regional solar feed-in tariff. This is a flat rate tariff available to eligible Ergon Energy Retail customers and Origin Energy customers. For 2022–23, the regional feed-in tariff is 9.3 cents per kilowatt hour.

Most households and small businesses will save hundreds if not thousands of dollars by converting to solar energy for their daily needs during the day and taking advantage of tariffs and rebates.

Contact us for a free quote.

Please send us your inquiry or give us a quick call to

+61 07 3519 5118 for any information.

Batteries are now much more cost effective

Batteries are now much more cost effective

Enjoy power savings day and night by adding a battery. Not only will solar panels and a battery add value to your home, they help minimize your power bills and make you less reliant on the grid. Touted as the future of electricity, batteries allow solar power generated during the day to be stored for use at night time or on cloudy days when solar panels cannot generate electricity. In fact, adding a battery to a residential solar system can double the amount of self-generated electricity consumption.

The latest batteries are an all in one unit with a built in inverter, making them even more cost effective! Call us to find out how a battery can be intergrated into your current system or added to your new system.

Contact us for a free quote.

Please send us your inquiry or give us a quick call to

+61 07 3519 5118 for any information.