Household Solar increases by 2400% in Queensland - 20th April 2010

Queensland’s solar-generating capacity has increased 2400 percent in less than two years, according to Mines and Energy Minister Stephen Robertson.

Minister Robertson said the significant increase was thanks to Queensland householders taking part in the Solar Bonus Scheme, where customers receive a payback of 44 cents per kilowatt hour for all surplus energy fed into the grid by their roof-top solar systems.

Across the state about 36 megawatts of solar-generating capacity is now connected the grid, compared to around 1.5 megawatts before the Solar Bonus Scheme was introduced.

“There were about 1,200 customers with rooftop solar panels before we started,” Minister Robertson said.

“Now we have approximately 22,500 customers doing the bright thing and reaping the benefits. The rate of connections to the scheme is something we are very proud of, particularly as more than 6,500 new customers have signed up this year alone.”

More than 800 households are connected to the Solar Bonus Scheme in Far North Queensland and more than 1000 are connected across the rest of North Queensland.

The Solar Bonus Scheme is a feed-in tariff paid to residential and small businesses using less than 100 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity per year.

The feed-in tariff rate of 44 cents per kilowatt hour has been guaranteed until the year 2028.

To find out more about the Solar Bonus Scheme, click here.