Why Queensland has the Highest Solar Output

This year Australia is seeing some great growth in Solar Power System installations and in the level of output (yield) generation, especially for the state of Queensland.

More commercial businesses are noticing the long-term benefits of installing a solar power system, a result from Queensland showing an increase in quality suppliers as well as an increase in affordability as the technology reaches a new level of efficiency. Furthermore, businesses who have previously invested in solar power systems are now sharing their financial investment models as their profits come into fruition. 

The following data provided is supported by The Australian Photovoltaic Institute (APVI), which is a project funded by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (AREA). APVI stakeholders consist of companies, agencies, academics, and individuals. Their goal is to:

“Support the increased development and use of PV via research, analysis, and information.”

What makes APVI so incredible is that all the work and data collected is open to the wider public in an apolitical way. This form of transparency is amazing to see and we congratulate them for doing so.

Graph 1 - Solar Power System Installations in Australia

(2007/01 - 2018/08)

(Graph 1 - Data Source)

• A large spike during late 2010 and mid-2012 can be seen most likely due to the Australian dollar reaching an all-time high of 1.10 (July/2011), and due to a high level of cheap Chinese-made panels being imported.
• From 2014 until 2018 installations averaged out to 14k installations per year, displaying a strong line of consistency, despite a dip during early 2016.
• Coming into 2018 we’re starting to see a slight uptrend for installation capacities with an increase in the number of larger commercial and utility-scale solar power systems.

Graph 2 - Solar Power System Installations by State

(2007/01 - 2018/10)(Graph 2 - Data Source)

• Total installations for the past 11 years is just under 2 million.
• Queensland represents 30% of the total solar installations Australia-wide, with a population percentage of 20% (ABS)
• NSW follows not far behind making up 23.6% of installations with their population percentage of 32%

Graph 3 - Monthly Solar Power System Output by AU State

(2015/04 - 2018/07) 

(Graph 3 - Data Source)

What factors affect the level of output for Solar Power Systems?

• Amount of light available to an area (A PV solar panel works by converting the chemical reaction of sunlight, not heat, into electricity.) 
• The consistency of that light source;
• The portion of sunny days for a city in Australia; 
• The size or amount of cell used for the installation (higher KWs);
• The build quality of the parts that make up the panel and overall system, and;
• The orientation and placement of solar cells.

Why does Queensland have such a high Solar Power output?

• Brisbane and the wider Queensland receive on average between 8-9 hours of sunlight daily (BOM).
• Queensland has a larger portion of installations than their counterpart states.
• Queensland and Brisbane respectively receive on average more sunny days relative to other states and major cities (BOM - Solar Exposure).

AAE Industries is an accredited designer and installer of top quality solar panels and solar photovoltaic grid connect systems, for any commercial and residential application. We can design and install a solar power system that suits your property and budget for maximum savings.