Australia: Demand for solar through the roof

Demand for rooftop solar systems is growing so quickly that people are being forced to wait for up to nine months before they can be installed.

Figures from the Department of the Environment show that applications for the Federal Government’s $8000 rebates continue to pour in at the rate of up to 700 a week, even though a new income test of $100,000 was introduced in the budget.
The figures also show that lower income households are prepared to pay more for power that comes from clean sources, with 20 per cent of the applicants earning between $20,000 and $40,000 a year.

A further 22 per cent of applicants earn between $40,000 and $60,000 a year.

The most applications came from people living in Victoria and South Australia. NSW came third on the department’s state-by-state breakdown of the applications.

Solar companies were furious when the Federal Government introduced the income test. They warned that it would have dire consequences for jobs and the industry.

But applications have shot up since the budget. Many companies have speculated that publicity surrounding the rebate acted as a de facto advertising campaign.

Canberra Times