Solar Energy Systems on households have more than doubled since 2018 – now at nearly a third of all households (32.3%)
The latest Roy Morgan research shows over 3.2 million Australian households (32.3% of all households) now own a Solar Energy System in the year to June 2022, up from only 1.32 million (14%) in the year to June 2018.
There were big increases in ownership of Solar Energy Systems, which can be used for rooftop solar, or to heat pools or hot water in 2019 and 2020, although growth has levelled off over the last two years as the penetration of Solar Energy Systems approached one-third of all households.
On a State-by-State basis there are more households in NSW (885,000) with Solar Energy Systems than anywhere else followed by Queensland (756,000), Victoria (728,000), WA (439,000) and SA (332,000).
Household ownership of Solar Energy Systems from 2018-22 (Rooftop, heated pool or hot water)
Source: Roy Morgan Single Source (Australia), July 2021 – June 2022 (n=65,321). Base: Australian households.
SA and WA have the highest rates of Solar Energy System penetration – over 40% of households
Ownership of Solar Energy Systems is clearly highest in South Australia (44.5%) and Western Australia (43.0%) and well over a third of households in Queensland (37.9%) also own Solar Energy Systems for one of the stated purposes of rooftop solar, heated pool or hot water.
The ownership rates are significantly lower in South-Eastern Australia with under a third of households in Tasmania (30.2%), Victoria (27.7%) and New South Wales (26.6%) owning Solar Energy Systems.
A primary reason which explains the lower rates of households with Solar Energy Systems in NSW and Victoria is the higher density living and far higher number (and proportion) of apartments, flats, units, semi-detached terraces and townhouses that people in Sydney and Melbourne live in.
Household ownership of Solar Energy Systems by State (Rooftop, heated pool or hot water)
Source: Roy Morgan Single Source (Australia), July 2021 – June 2022 (n=65,321). Base: Australian households.
As a comparison well over a quarter of people in New South Wales (28.8%) and nearly a quarter of people in Victoria (24.7%) live in flats, units, apartments, semi-detached terraces or town houses compared to only 18.5% of people in Western Australia and just 17.3% of people in South Australia.
In contrast there are far higher rates of farm ownership and farm workers in both Western Australia and South Australia and farmers are amongst the most likely of all households to have Solar Energy Systems to provide electricity or heat the pool or hot water.
Michele Levine, CEO of Roy Morgan, says Solar Energy has enjoyed a huge boost in recent years as significant government support via subsidies and rebates has seen the installation of millions of new Solar Energy Systems for electricity and heating around Australia:
“Over the last four years the installation of Solar Energy Systems around Australia has boomed, up from 1.32 million (14% of households) in 2018 to over 3.2 million (32%) in June 2022.
“The rapid uptake of this important renewable energy source has been powered by generous subsidies and rebates for installation. The cost of a ‘Home Solar Photovoltaic (PV) System’ starts at around $3,500 for a basic installation but there are significant rebates available for the installation of Solar PV Systems in several States including Victoria and New South Wales.
“Although there are more Solar Energy Systems installed in New South Wales (885,000) than any other State the level of penetration in Australia’s largest State is the lowest of any State at just 26.6% of all households.
“The star performers have been South Australia (44.5% of households) and Western Australia (43%) with nearly half of all households installing Solar Energy Systems in these two large, sparsely populated, and sun-drenched States.
“A key reason for the high take-up of Solar Energy Systems in Western Australia and South Australia in comparison to the more heavily and densely populated NSW and Victoria is the different types of housing stock in these States.
“There are far more people living in flats, units, apartments, semi-detached terraces and town houses in New South Wales (28.8%) and Victoria (24.7%) than in Western Australia (18.5%) or South Australia (17.3%). Unsurprisingly, the penetration of Solar Energy Systems in this type of housing is far lower than stand-alone housing.
“Because of these constraints the level of Solar Energy System penetration in higher population density States such as New South Wales and Victoria will never reach the same levels as in more sparsely populated States.
“However, even despite these constraints, there are still millions of Australians in standalone houses that have yet to take up the opportunity to install Solar which remain as opportunities for the solar energy installation industry.”
For comments or more information about Roy Morgan’s Solar Energy Systems data contact:
Roy Morgan Enquiries
Office: +61 (3) 9224 5309
About Roy Morgan
Roy Morgan is Australia’s largest independent Australian research company, with offices in each state, as well as in the U.S. and U.K. A full-service research organisation, Roy Morgan has over 80 years’ experience collecting objective, independent information on consumers.
Margin of Error
The margin of error to be allowed for in any estimate depends mainly on the number of interviews on which it is based. Margin of error gives indications of the likely range within which estimates would be 95% likely to fall, expressed as the number of percentage points above or below the actual estimate. Allowance for design effects (such as stratification and weighting) should be made as appropriate.
| Sample Size | Percentage Estimate |
| 40% – 60% | 25% or 75% | 10% or 90% | 5% or 95% | |
| 1,000 | ±3.0 | ±2.7 | ±1.9 | ±1.3 |
| 5,000 | ±1.4 | ±1.2 | ±0.8 | ±0.6 |
| 7,500 | ±1.1 | ±1.0 | ±0.7 | ±0.5 |
| 10,000 | ±1.0 | ±0.9 | ±0.6 | ±0.4 |
| 20,000 | ±0.7 | ±0.6 | ±0.4 | ±0.3 |
| 50,000 | ±0.4 | ±0.4 | ±0.3 | ±0.2 |
