About the Australian Photovoltaic Association

The Australian Photovoltaic Association (APVA) provides the structure through which Australia participates in the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Photovoltaic Power Systems Program.

The Association – made up of companies, agencies, individuals and academics with an interest in solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity research, technology, manufacturing, systems, policies, programs and projects – prepares a report each year for the IEA, updating the world on Australia’s PV sector.

The APVA’s work is intended to be of use to its members, as well as to the general community, with a strong focus on data analysis and independent information.

About the report

PV in Australia 2010 is particularly useful for gauging the sector’s health; with assistance from Australian Solar Institute (ASI) funding, the analysis is put together by Dr Muriel Watt, Dr Robert Passey of IT Power Australia and SunWiz Manager Warwick Johnston.

The report collates input from members of Australia’s solar PV sector, and assesses up-to-date data on progress made in research and development, policies and technology use.

PV in Australia 2010 – Key findings

• The PV industry was boosted with the aid of the Federal Government’s Solar Homes and Communities Plan, the Renewable Energy Target and some state and territory feed-in tariff schemes. The rapid uptake of PV that these incentives prompted has led to their early curtailment, resulting in short-term market over-corrections
• The second-largest installed capacity of PV in Australia in 2010 was for off-grid industrial and agricultural applications – these included power systems for telecommunications, signalling, cathodic protection, water pumping and lighting
• Significant markets also exist for off-grid residential and commercial power supplies, and increasingly for fuel-saving and peak load reduction on diesel grid systems
• Recreational applications of PV is increasing, including for use on caravans, boats and off-road vehicles.

Looking ahead

• Government support for PV will begin to wind down in 2011, and discussion in the sector will turn to how best to regulate an unsubsidised market as it approaches grid parity, including the role of net metering and setting an appropriate price for exported electricity
• Growth in solar PV kilowatt capacity across Australia may fall back to historical growth rates of approximately 15 per cent per annum after current government support programs end
• Research funding from the ASI will assist enhanced research outcomes encompassing a wide range of PV technologies.

PV in Australia 2010 – Facts and figures 480 per cent: the amount the total installed PV capacity in Australia increased by in 2010.

The total amount of installed PV capacity in Australia at the conclusion of 2010 was 517 MW. 393 MW of this was installed during 2010.

$641.3 million was spent in 2010 on PV research, development, demonstration and market stimulation by the Federal Government, and state and territory governments.