The Prevalence Of Solar Usage In Australia (Commercial and Residential)

As electricity prices continue to rise all across Australia, more and more residents and businesses are switching to solar power in a bid to save money on the cost of electricity. This has led to a surge in the uptake of solar technology and in a country that experiences so much direct sunlight, installing solar power or lighting that runs on solar power only makes logical and financial sense. Let’s take a closer look at the prevalence of solar usage in Australia, both commercially and in the residential sector.

The Residential Uptake Of Solar Technology

According to a recent article posted on Wikipedia, Australian households lead the world in the uptake of solar energy. In fact, solar power for homes has become so popular it’s now considered commonplace. It’s claimed that more than 20% of all Aussie households now have some form of solar power installed, whether it be a solar hot water system or the entire home runs predominantly on solar energy.

Not only do households that have solar systems installed become more self-sufficient and save money on electricity bills, many homeowners with a vast solar array generate surplus electricity that can be sold back to the grid, effectively making a profit from their solar power installation. In this instance, homeowners receive all the electricity their home requires from the sun and can even make some extra cash in the process to compensate for the cost of solar installation.

The Australian climate is mostly dry and much of the country receives more unimpeded sunlight than most other populated places on Earth. The continent has both the perfect climate and latitude for the successful and effective uptake of solar energy in residential and commercial sectors.

Regular government rebates for the uptake of solar energy has also played a major role in the proliferation of Aussie homeowners deciding to install solar power in their homes. Getting cash back to offset some of the installation costs has proven to be a fantastic incentive.

The Prevalence Of Solar Power for Commercial Purposes

While the residential market in Australia has experienced a massive upsurge in solar power installations, the commercial sector has experienced similar growth where possible. Many businesses and commercial enterprises use a lot more electricity than the average Aussie home does, so it’s no surprise that those operating in the commercial sector are also looking for ways to save money on their electricity costs.

Solar Power In Australian Businesses

The downside for many operators of businesses in Australia is having a rooftop where a solar panel array can be installed to capture and harness the sun’s power. Some business owners are lucky in this regard and installing solar power is relatively easy. For other operators, the concept of solar energy to run their business remains just a fantasy.

Those businesses that do have access to an area where solar panels can be installed have been adopting solar technology as rapidly as the residential sector has been. Often, the electricity prices for commercial enterprises is at a higher rate than it is for residential customers, so taking advantage of solar electricity when possible is even more vital if businesses are to stave off soaring energy prices and remain profitable in the long term.

Even some businesses that don’t have access to a rooftop have managed to find other innovative ways to set up a solar panel array, such as in the outdoor car park, behind the business or on some vacant land.

Commercial Solar Lighting Is Trending Big Time

When you take some time to truly think about it, commercial lighting is literally everywhere. This not only includes the lighting of business premises and their surrounds, but also public spaces in parks, roads, shopping centres and more. With such a vast country requiring so much exterior lighting in numerous locations, it’s little wonder that solar technology is being adopted on a major scale.

Rather than systems of street lighting being powered by the electricity grid, modern technology in solar has paved the way for energy-efficient and reliable solar powered street lighting to be installed. It has proven to be particularly useful for lighting in more remote areas, where connecting to the power grid is a major obstacle. Battery technology has improved out of sight in recent times, allowing solar powered street lighting to continue to function even after days of poor weather conditions.

Another popular use that’s readily being adopted for commercial lighting is that of solar lighting bollards. You see bollards everywhere, often found along roads to block access to certain areas, in shopping malls to cordon of sections of the mall, in local parks and gardens to provide subtle lighting at night and even in some homes to line driveways and the like.

Bollards are not only used as a form of barrier, they also make for very attractive and robust lighting. The advantage of having bollard lights that rely solely on solar power is that they are very easy to install and maintain. There’s no need to call in an electrician and have multiple bollards lights hard wired into the power supply. Instead, each bollard is stand alone and self-sufficient when it comes to the power source. Small solar panels in the top of the bollard collect energy from the sun and store it in a high-quality battery inside the bollard. Each battery has the capacity to run the bollard light for days on end, even during periods where direct sunlight is minimal. The lights automatically turn on when the sun sets and switch off at sunrise.

Solar powered commercial lighting is one of the fastest growing sectors of solar electricity use in all of Australia.

Conclusion

Australia offers the ideal climate and latitude for the continued uptake of solar technology, both residentially and commercially. With electricity prices across the country expected to continually increase, Aussie homeowners and businesses have seen the need to become self-sufficient with regards to their electricity supply. This is a trend that is only set to continue well into the future.