One in three Australian homes have rooftop solar, the highest share of any country in the world.
But rooftops on warehouses, factories and farm sheds aren’t as enthusiastically covered with panels – despite potentially supplying huge amounts of renewable energy.
Now, a change in a government scheme hopes to fix that.
What happened: On Wednesday, the Federal Government announced the expansion of a discount scheme originally designed for small home solar systems, to include solar needed by big business.
☀️The gap: Currently, households get a 20 percent discount on installing solar through the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES), running since 2011. The scheme cuts out at 100 kilowatts, far smaller than what a big business may need.
The SRES isn't a taxpayer-funded subsidy. Electricity retailers buy tradeable certificates from solar installers, and installers pass that value on to whoever bought the system as an upfront discount.
📈 What's changing: From 1 October, the government is increasing the size of solar systems that can be bought under the SRES from 100 kilowatts to 1 megawatt.
That’s the difference between a system that could power approximately 20 homes for a year, and one that could power about 210 homes for a year.
What they said: Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen announced the change at the National Press Club, saying it would help "manufacturers, farmers, retailers, logistics centres, schools, hospitals and community organisations reduce energy costs."
The government expects the change to be budget neutral.
🏭 How big is the gap: Australia's homes have installed 22 gigawatts of rooftop solar. Businesses have installed just 5.6 gigawatts.
The Smart Energy Council estimates unlocking that space could generate electricity equivalent to 10 of Australia's largest coal-fired power stations.
Watch the National Account's Archie Milligan below: