Solar already Australia’s largest source of electricity as rooftop capacity hits 20GW, consultancy says

Almost one-third of homes have panels, the highest in the world, says SunWiz, and will soon outpace capacity from coal

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Australia’s rooftops now boast 20 gigawatts of solar panels and will soon have the capacity to produce more electricity than the country’s entire coal industry, according to the industry consultancy SunWiz.

Almost one in three Australian households have solar photovoltaics – or solar panels - the highest penetration in the world. Queensland had the highest share of solar panels installed on dwellings deemed suitable for the technology with an 82% penetration, ahead of South Australia’s 78%, New South Wales’ 51% and Victoria’s 43%.