In South Australia, Solar Installations Jump After Blackouts, Many In Lower-Income Neighborhoods
Was it the candlelight that did it? New data suggests that the massive blackout that hit South Australian in September last year may have helped to rekindled the state’s love affair with rooftop solar, spurring a more than 17 per cent uptick in installations from October to December 2016.
In an analysis of Clean Energy Regulator data, Solar Citizens notes that monthly solar installation rates jumped 17.65 per cent in those last three months of 2016, compared to installation rates from January till September, as South Australians spent around $22 million on energy independence.
The data also shows that installations from July to December 2016 jumped 21 per cent, compared to the first six months of the year – a trend that follows price spikes experienced in the state in July.
As many as 6,424 home rooftop solar systems were installed in the state in the six months from July 2016 – with half of that number installed after the blackout – taking South Australia to a grand total of 205,068 solar systems installed. According to the data, the top five suburbs for solar installation since the blackout were in regional or outer suburban areas with incomes below the South Australian average.
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http://reneweconomy.com.au/sa-rooftop-solar-installs-surge-statewide-blackout-87015/
