Rooftop Photovoltaics: Distributed Renewable Energy and Storage (or Low-Cost PV Changes Everything)

Abstract

The recent emergence of low-cost Photovoltaics (PV) is examined in the Australian context. Rooftop PV for buildings in Australia is now able to deliver daytime electricity at a price well below that sourced from coal or gas fired generators through the grid; and has been installed in over 2 million Australian homes in less than a decade. This now means that energy efficiency approaches for addressing carbon reduction in the built environment need to be reassessed and only implemented if they are at a lower cost than rooftop PV. In addition, PV offsite generation is increasingly cost-effective. For example, the University of New South Wales has recently announced a Power Purchase Agreement to cover 100% of its electricity demand sourced from an offsite solar farm. This offer was the lowest in price and involved zero subsidies.