Solar installations fall as Australian households hit by cost-of-living squeeze

Home owners are opting for smaller solar energy units as cost pressures limit bigger purchases, consultants at Sunwiz say. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

Household solar installations sank by 14% in June as the broader cost-of-living squeeze curbed demand even as panel prices dropped, according to energy consultancy Sunwiz.

In June, small-scale solar installations totalled almost 250 megawatts in capacity, in line with the same month in 2023. New rooftop installations exceeded 1.5 gigawatts in the first half of 2024, up 6% on the same period last year, Sunwiz said.