Australia's Photovoltaic Installed Capacity Has Surpassed the 25GW Mark

Australia has reached a historic milestone — its cumulative photovoltaic installed capacity has now exceeded 25 gigawatts (GW). According to data from the Australian Photovoltaic Association (API), the country ranks first globally in terms of photovoltaic capacity per capita.

With a population of about 25 million, Australia currently boasts a per capita PV installed capacity of nearly 1 kilowatt (kW), placing it among the world's top performers. As of the end of 2021, Australia had accumulated over 3.04 million PV projects, with a total installed capacity surpassing 25.3 gigawatts (GW).

Behind this remarkable achievement, many international enterprises have played an active role. As one of the forces actively involved in Australia's clean energy development, the Solar First Group successfully completed the grid connection of three ground-mounted photovoltaic projects located in different regions of the country during the same period. These projects respectively adopted an innovative symmetrical dual-axis tracking bracket system (maximizing power generation efficiency), an efficient single-column support structure (adapted to specific terrains), and a standard ground distributed installation solution, demonstrating diverse technological applications. These projects have injected a substantial amount of clean electricity into the local grid, directly contributing solid strength to Australia's breakthrough of the 25‑gigawatt PV capacity milestone, and together with the booming rooftop PV sector, they form the country's diversified solar energy utilization landscape.

（ Solar First project in Australia ）

Since the government launched the Renewable Energy Target (RET) program on April 1, 2001, the Australian solar market has experienced a period of rapid expansion. From 2001 to 2010, the market growth rate remained around 15%. The growth rate rose further between 2010 and 2013.

After a stable market period from 2014 to 2015, driven by a surge in household PV installations, the market has resumed its upward trend. Today, rooftop photovoltaics play a significant role in Australia's energy mix: they accounted for 7.9% of total demand in the National Electricity Market (NEM) in 2021, up from 6.4% in 2020 and 5.2% in 2019.

Data released by the Climate Council of Australia in February this year shows that the country's electricity market saw a nearly 20% increase in renewable energy generation in 2021, with the share of renewable generation reaching 31.4%.

South Australia's performance stands out in particular. At the end of 2021, the state's wind power, rooftop PV, and utility-scale solar power stations achieved a record of continuous operation for 156 hours with the assistance of a small amount of natural gas. This achievement is believed to have set a new world record for continuous operation time for similar power grids.