From pv magazine Australia
Research company Compare the Market says Australia is leading the charge in residential solar installation costs with a study of every state, province and territory across Australia, Canada, and the United States (US) showing that installing rooftop PV in Australia is more than $2.00 (USD 1.25) per watt cheaper than the cheapest states and territories in both Canada and the US.
Compare the Market said South Australia, where more than 40% of South Australian homes already have rooftop solar installed, came in as the cheapest state for residential solar across every country studied, with an installation cost of $0.80/W.
Western Australia followed closely with a rate of $0.82/W with Queensland and New South Wales close behind with rates of $0.85/W and $0.87/W respectively. Victoria was next at a cost of $0.89/W, while Tasmania was Australia’s most expensive state with a rate of $1.08/W.
Image: Compare the Market
Compare the Market’s Head of Energy, Meredith O’Brien, said the results were a positive sign for Australian consumers, noting that while installing solar power capabilities requires an upfront cost, the long-term savings can be worth it.
“One of the biggest deterrents to solar power is the upfront costs required for installation, but depending on the size of the unit you choose, the savings can outweigh the cost quickly,” she said.
Nationally, Australia’s average residential solar installation cost was $0.89/W, more than $2.00/W cheaper than both Canada and the US.
The average residential solar installation rate in the US was $4.00/W, while Canada’s national average rate came in $3.65/W.
Across the board, Canada and the US’s cheapest states were about three times more expensive than Australian states.
Canada’s cheapest province, Ontario, was priced at a rate of $3.04/W while Nunavut as well as Newfoundland and Labrador had the most expensive solar install costs per watt at a tied average rate of $4.82/W.
The states of Maine and Massachusetts in the New England region came in tied as the most expensive regions in the US, at a rate of $4.41/W, while the southern state of Georgia was the cheapest at a rate of $3.58/W.
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