It's a milestone for solar power in Brisbane and throughout Australia, with figures produced by the Renewable Energy Target showing that the national average for solar panel installs per week have grown exponentially. In 2007, around 45 solar panels were installed in Australia per week. Now, in 2013, that figure sits anywhere between 2000-4000 solar panel installations per week.
Data collected over the last decade shows the rapid progression of public mentality in regards to renewable energy; so much so that new research from the University of NSW suggests that if the carbon pricing is right, Australians may be able to source all their electricity from wind, solar power, and other renewables as early as 2030.
Presenting their findings in a peer-reviewed paper published by the international Energy Policy journal, researchers from the University of NSW suggest that while the Labour government has taken steps to promote renewable energy, much more needs to be done to maintain the growth of renewables to make it a viable and sustainable power source.
Even with the exponential growth of renewable energies industry, such as with the installation of solar panels in Brisbane, we are still a long way off from supplying all electricity in Brisbane with solar power.
Currently, Australia sources about 10 per cent of its electricity from renewables, a figure that is expected to double by 2020 if projections progress as expected. But it is also a figure subject to change if the Coalition come out on top this September; with the Liberal Party vowing to scrap the carbon tax if they are re-elected. The power wielded by Big Mining in Australia also presents substantial difficulties for carbon tax policy to take a foothold as easily as solar panels in Brisbane have done.
Either way, April has been an up and down month for solar power in Brisbane. Stay tuned for our next update.
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