In this week’s issue of Solar Tidbits: (1) Rooftop solar tariffs are set to increase by 40% in order to benefit regional households, (2) Researchers advocate for a mandatory scheme to ensure that solar panels are recycled and (3) Rooftop PV in Australia surpasses 20GW of capacity, but the utility-scale forecast is less sunny – SunWiz.

Rooftop solar tariffs are set to increase by 40% in order to benefit regional households.

Photo Credit: RACQ

Solar households in regional Queensland can expect a significant increase in the amount paid for excess generation sent to the grid in July, with hints of a nearly 40% increase in the amount paid for excess generation sent to the grid.

In a move that defies the trend seen in other National Electricity Market states, the Queensland Competition Authority proposed this week raising the solar feed-in tariff for customers on the regional Ergon network from 9.3c/kWh to 12.9c/kWh.

The 39.3% increase proposed by the QCA in its draft determination on the regional solar FiT is even at odds with tariffs in the state’s southeast, where the average rate offered by private retailers has dropped to around 5.7c/kWh.

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Researchers advocate for a mandatory scheme to ensure that solar panels are recycled.

Photo Credit: Nick Engerer

All good things must come to an end, as the saying goes, and solar panels, with an average lifespan of 25 to 30 years, are no exception.

That means the solar industry is facing a problem. What will happen to the estimated 100,000 tonnes of end-of-life Australian solar panels that will be dismantled by 2035?

Australia now has approximately 80 million solar PV panels installed, and renewable energy sources have surpassed gas generation for the first time. After 2030, a massive surge of end-of-life panels is expected due to the solar boom of 2010-2012.

More about this article: http://bit.ly/3lyvYqY

Rooftop PV in Australia surpasses 20GW of capacity, but utility-scale forecast is less sunny – SunWiz

Photo credit: CSIRO

Rooftop solar installations in Australia have surpassed the 20GW mark, with the sector set to overtake coal-fired generation as the country’s largest power generator in April.

While Australia is the world’s leading residential solar installer in terms of watts per capita, 2022 was not a watershed moment for either the small or utility-scale sectors.

According to the most recent report from industry consultancy SunWiz, there are now over 3.4 million residential solar systems installed in Australia. In 2022, a total of 2.78GW of sub-100kW PV was installed, a 14% decrease year on year, which SunWiz attributed to the relaxation of national COVID restrictions beginning in 2022 and a subsequent shift in consumer spending.

More about this article: http://bit.ly/3z2xjcw

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