Top solar stats:
- The rollout of solar PV is surging across the globe, with record-breaking installations in 2017 totalling over 92GW (projected). That’s enough to power over 20 million homes!
- The capacity of those installations is almost double the record set in 2015!
- 2017 was also a record-breaking year for solar in Australia, with over 1GW of solar installed. That’s enough to power about 250,000 homes!
- There are a number of large-scale solar plants under construction around the country.
Lakeland Solar project. Source: North QLD Register
Solar’s record breaking global surge
The rollout of solar power is smashing records around the globe, thanks to increases in installations year-in, year-out. 2017 looks set to be another record-breaking year for solar power around the world, with more new solar coming online compared to any other year.
In 2017, more than 92 GW (projected), which is enough to power 20 million homes was added, breaking year-on-year records compared to 2016 (75GW) and 2015 (50GW). The solar surge is expected to continue, with 2018 projected to see over 100GW added worldwide.
Last year alone, China installed enough solar to power every home in Australia and New Zealand (53GW), the United States installed enough to power almost the whole of Washington state (11GW), and India installed enough to power 1.3 million homes (5.5 GW).
The huge global growth in affordable, reliable, and clean solar power is expected to continue into 2018 and beyond, as more and more households, businesses, and governments getting on board.
China’s Shanxi Solar Farm. Source: China Daily
Solar breaking records at home
So, how is Australia tracking now? 27 large-scale solar plants are under construction, with 17 of those in Queensland alone. Even more projects are under development, such as proposed Wandoan solar plant, which will be the one of the largest solar plants in the world if it is built.
In 2017 alone, over 1GW of solar was installed in Australia, enough to power almost 250,000 homes, the best year for solar installations yet! Over 1.7 million Australian households have now installed solar panels on their rooftops, with the total capacity of those panels now over twice as big as Australia’s largest coal power station.