As of 2023, Australia has seen significant growth in solar panel installations, with around 3.4 million households using rooftop solar systems. This accounts for about 30% of all homes, making Australia one of the global leaders in solar energy adoption per capita. The widespread use is largely driven by government incentives, decreasing costs of solar technology, and a strong push for renewable energy.
But what about the other 6.6 million households that don’t have solar panels?
This number could decrease as the push for renewable energy continues. But another option has just been introduced and it’s looking promising…
Australia’s first solar garden, the Haystacks Solar Garden, is set to begin generating power in Grong Grong, New South Wales (NSW), and it’s been called a game-changer for renewable energy access in the country.
This 1.5 MW project is designed to help people who normally can’t install solar panels, like renters, apartment dwellers, and those living in shady areas.
Instead of having solar panels on their own roofs, these participants, known as “solar gardeners,” invest in a share of the solar farm. In return, they receive credits on their electricity bill, just as if they had panels of their own.
But what exactly is a solar garden?
Imagine buying a share in a farm. Whatever that farm produces every month is then split between all its shareholders, and you get your share of the produce because you have a stake in that farm.
Well, a solar garden works much the same way, but instead of food it generates solar power. And it’s this power that gets credited back to the people who own a share of the garden.
This is a concept that’s already been successful in places like the U.S. and Germany, but the Haystacks Solar Garden marks the first time it’s been implemented on this scale in Australia – and correspondents expect more to come in future.
The farm is already drawing attention from local councils and organizations that are interested in replicating this model elsewhere.
