Solar Energy in the Northern Territory – The Northern Territory has a daily average of nine hours of sunshine every day of the year – but according to the Australian PV Institute the monthly PV output as of January 2017 is a measly 4,049MWh (the lowest in Australia, less than Tasmania, and miles behind state leader Queensland who output 126,629MWh per month.
Why is this so, and what steps need to be taken to increase solar uptake in one of Australia’s sunniest areas? Solar up north seems like a sure bet, but the figures show a markedly different story. Back in 2011 the government only paid 19.23c/kWh for people to feed back into the grid – a miserly sum in comparison to the 44c/kWh WA and QLD enjoyed, and a far cry from the 60c/kWh Victoria were offered.
Solar panels also needed to be signed off by a building certifier, adding $900 to the cost of every installation. Solar Energy Northern Territory certainly had a long way to go and these low tariffs and high cost of installation added to the slow uptake.
Solar Power in Darwin and the NT in 2017
In 2017, the scope has changed – government rebates are available and you’re able to use government incentives (in the form of ‘Small-scale Technology Certificates’ or STCs) to help offset setup costs. Average rebate for a residential 4.5kw system (generally enough to offset up to 75% of the average domestic consumption) is $3,900 and $5,200 for a 6kw system. This can bring the investment for PV installation down quite considerably.
Country Solar NT currently have a good page about the rebates and would be worth speaking to if you’re interested in installing solar panels in Darwin or the Northern Territory.
