How is Australia Gearing up Its Solar Installation for Promoting Renewable Energy?

As our planet experiences drastic changes due to excessive pollution and population growth in direct relation to the depletion of natural resources, we need to shift to renewable energy and an environmentally friendly lifestyle to safeguard the resources in an effort to restore the planet and thereby life on earth. The sun, the star of our solar system, is one of the most beneficial and free sources of long-term energy.

Australia, due to its geographical location, has a fair share of bright sunshine almost all year round and is an ideal nation to use the never-ending natural resource—sunlight—as an essential source of energy by replacing the fossil fuels we have been using up to now.

Australia is setting an example by realising the urgency of shifting to solar energy and encouraging the rest of the world to follow by gearing up its solar installation in Canberra and other cities, along with aggressively promoting renewable energy amongst its citizens. In 2020, Australia’s solar photovoltaic capacity was 21.7% of its total power capacity, which is estimated to reach 47.56% by 2030. That is a huge leap from 17.99 GW to 80.22 GW in 2030, as per a survey by a leading analytics and data company, GlobalData.

The world needs to also speed up its shift to renewable solar energy by studying Australia’s process towards the shift.

The steps towards renewable solar power

1. Federal Initiatives: Australia is divided into eight provinces, and each province, based on their respective demographics, offers their own schemes to promote and support the shift towards and growth of solar photovoltaic (PV). Schemes entail activities like renewable energy auctions and offers of feed-in tariffs, loans, and financial incentives. For instance, the offer of interest-free loans for rooftop solar in the Australian Capital Territory
2. Aggressive Installations: Australia is installing a minimum of 4 GW of solar PV capacity every year, which is expected to triple in capacity by 2050, more so if the country becomes the primary supplier of hydrogen produced by renewable energy.
3. Renewable Energy Auctions: In view of the pressing need to shift to renewable energy coupled with the on-going trade tensions with China, on whom Australia depends for consumables, and the disruption in the supply chain due to the pandemic, the Australian government aims to become more self-sufficient. With this aim in mind, the government aims to establish power plants and manufacturing units. Auctions of renewable energy are an effort by the government to attract interested parties to invest in building these plants by organising all-inclusive auctions. One such mass-scale auction will take place in March 2023 at Enlit Australia, where all the major components involved in the installation and generation of solar PV will take part. The auctions bring together all the major players, including the solar companies in Canberra, to seize current opportunities. Highlight future possibilities, and inspire and encourage the next generation to join in and participate in this transitional journey.
4. Rooftop Solar: Because of the government’s favourable regulatory system and financial incentives, Australia is seeing a significant increase in the adoption and use of rooftop solar, which is higher than the global average. The added advantage of decreased electricity bills due to high retail prices of electricity and higher security has encouraged citizens to adopt rooftop solar PV.
5. Large-Scale Solar PV Installations: One of the incentives provided by the government is a major reduction in the cost of large-scale solar PV. Both the federal and provincial governments are also offering grants for the setup and development of large-scale solar PV projects.
6. Replacing energy sources: Australia primarily functioned on thermal and hydroelectric capacities until 2020, which have begun declining now. Add to this the fact that Australia does not have its own nuclear power capacity, which has made the government consider and speed up the shift to renewable power capacity to compensate for the decline, with the major driving force being the solar installation in Canberra.
7. Government Incentives: Small businesses and homes that install small-scale renewable energy systems in Australia may be eligible to receive benefits under the small-scale renewable energy scheme, which will help with the cost of purchase. Among the systems eligible for this incentive are the solar panel installation in Canberra and solar water heaters.
8. Inclusive approach: The move towards renewable energy is a joint effort, with the government inviting and welcoming inputs, suggestions, and the sharing of knowledge by the citizens and solar companies in Canberra. When the citizens of a country are sincerely considered to be joint partners in nation-building and progress, the citizens become active participants and investors, joining hands with the government to build a stronger and more self-sustaining nation.