Solar power in Australia

<a href="/facts/Solar_power/NpgmEbU2">Solar power</a> is a major contributor to electricity supply in <a href="/facts/Australia/qLHpbppq">Australia</a>. As of September 2024, Australia's over 3.92 million solar PV installations had a combined capacity of 37.8 GW <a href="/facts/Photovoltaic/5Xefaayl">photovoltaic</a> (PV) solar power. In 2019, 59 solar PV projects with a combined capacity of 2,881 MW were either under construction, constructed or due to start construction having reached financial closure. Solar accounted for 19.6% (or 46.7 TWh) of Australia's electrical energy production in the <a href="/facts/National_Electricity_Market/9d9Yw0kt">National Electricity Market</a> and <a href="/facts/South_West_Interconnected_System/IhrW8mHW">South West Interconnected System</a> in 2024.
The sudden rise in solar PV installations in Australia since 2018 dramatically propelled the country from being considered a relative laggard to a strong leader by mid-2019. Australia has the <a href="/facts/Solar_power_by_country/1WIyWhRx">highest per capita solar capacity</a>, now at more than 1kW per capita.
The installed PV capacity in Australia increased 10-fold between 2009 and 2011, and quadrupled between 2011 and 2016. 
The first commercial-scale PV power plant, the 1 MW Uterne Solar Power Station, was opened in 2011. 
<a href="/facts/Greenough_River_Solar_Farm/39es7WPf">Greenough River Solar Farm</a> opened in 2012 with a capacity of 10 MW. 
The price of photovoltaics has been decreasing and, in January 2013, was less than half the cost of using <a href="/facts/Grid_electricity/rjE90Hg0">grid electricity</a> in Australia. Using solar to supply all the energy needed would use less than 0.1% of land.

Solar power in Australia open-in-new

Solar power in Australia