Antinuclear

Solar revolution led by outer suburbs, SBS World News,  5 AUG 2013, Households across the country are putting solar panels on their roofs at a rate that has exceeded all expectations,  By Tim Flannery

Households across the country are putting solar panels on their roofs at a rate that has exceeded all expectations. This year we hit 1 million rooftops with photovoltaic (PV) solar panels, up from just 8,000 in 2007. This means that a staggering 2.6 million Australians, 11% of the population, are now using the sun to power their homes.

The solar energy revolution is being led in suburbs and towns like Dubbo and Campbelltown in NSW, Bundaberg in Queensland, Hoppers Crossing in Melbourne, and Mandurah in Western Australia. This increase is being driven by ordinary Australians. It is the modest outer metropolitan suburbs across the country, with high concentrations of mortgages, which show the greatest uptake.

The cost of installing a PV panel today is less than a quarter of what it was in 2002. The decision to install solar panels is no longer just about global responsibility – it makes financial sense. As global momentum for solar continues to grow, the technology is advancing and manufacturing is being up-scaled in countries like China. Together these factors are rapidly driving down costs, making solar increasingly competitive even without subsidies. Businesses are watching the drop in technology costs keenly as payback periods become increasingly cost competitive.

Smart investors are realising that this trend is here to stay and that the future of energy is renewable. …. http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1796353/Comment-Solar-revolution-led-by-outer-suburbs