Australia has had the fastest uptake of solar installations in the world. In fact, over the past decade, we’ve had over 60 million panels installed across the country.
But, did you know only 1 percent of panels are manufactured in Australia?
Not only are we quick to take up solar, Australia is also a country full of the world’s minerals. However, we are on the bottom of the list when it comes to solar panel manufacturing.
The only commercial scale solar manufacturer in Australia is in Adelaide.
Energy Minister Chris Bowen is pushing for more solar panels to be manufactured in Australia, stating there are ‘real opportunities’ here.
The solar panels around the world, the technology that’s in them, in no small part was invented here [at the University of New South Wales] and in other Australian universities. That’s something we can be proud of. But we’ve got to take it now to the next step. – Chris Bowen
As a country, we have a world-leading uptake of solar power for households and businesses. Increasing solar panel manufacturing will significantly assist with meeting the local demand for solar.
If anything, the pandemic of 2020 greatly highlighted the need for local sourcing. Disruptions in the supply chain slowed installations and put a dampener on our expansion of renewable energy sources.
According to the Clean Energy Council, the Australian renewable energy industry accounted for 32.5% of Australia’s total electricity generation in 2021. This is up 5% from the previous year!
Australians are keen for a renewable energy future and with local demand soaring, there is no better time to expand our solar manufacturing.
