Australian Solar System Interest Index – October 2017

This month’s Solar Quotes Australian Solar System Interest Index report includes some interesting new information on the preferences of Australians regarding price vs. quality of solar power systems.

September was another busy month for quote requests as Australians sought solar panels to help slash their electricity bills – the rooftop revolution still has plenty of steam.

Interest State-By-State

Last month saw the most quotes from New South Wales (33.80%), followed by Victoria (21.42%) and Queensland (19.25%). Note that these figures are not weighted for population – something we’ll look at doing down the track a little to make this information more useful.

Solar Power System Size Preference

The percentage of Australians wanting a 5kW solar system dropped a little in September compared to August, however, there was an increase in the percentage requesting quotes for 6kW+ systems. There was also a marked increase of those who wanted guidance on system size (44% in September compared to 40% in August).

System Purchase Timeframe

77% of those requesting quotes intend to buy solar within the next 3 months, up a couple of percent on last month. 15% were ready to buy immediately, indicating plenty of Australians are keen to get solar panels on their rooftop as soon as possible.

Price/Quality Preference

SolarQuotes recently introduced a new question during the quoting process regarding price vs. quality. The question asks, ” What Type of System Are You After?” The response options are:

A) Top quality (most expensive)
B) A good mix of quality and price
C) A good budget system

Nearly 80% indicated they wanted a good mix of quality and price. An interesting outcome was more than double chose “top quality” compared to those wanting a good budget system.

Battery Ready Solar

Just over 12% requested quotes on battery-ready systems in September, around the same as August.

Solar + Storage

The percentage of Australians wanting solar + storage from the outset remained static last month, with just under 5% indicating this preference There is certainly a lot of interest in home battery storage in Australia, but follow through at this point indicates the home energy storage revolution is still yet to really get under way.

Note: during the solar quoting process, when PV + batteries are selected a flag indicating approximate costs involved with solar + storage is displayed before the submitter can proceed. A “battery-ready” system option is also offered at this point as an alternative.

Battery System Size

Where a size was indicated, 46% chose a battery with 10kWh+ capacity. As with the previous month, more than 40% requested advice on battery sizing.

Battery Application

56% of Australians wanting storage intend using it for both backup purposes and to minimise grid use/maximise PV electricity self-consumption.

Electricity Bills

49% of submitters indicated they had electricity bills of between $500 and $1,000 a quarter – a noticeable jump since July and August, perhaps indicating electricity price hikes announced in July are starting to be felt and pushing more Australians above the < $500 a quarter bracket.

About The auSSII Report

Hundreds of thousands of Australians visit SolarQuotes each month, resulting in thousands of solar quotes provided by pre-vetted Australian installers participating in the SQ installer network. This activity provides us with insights into what’s on the minds of Australians who are considering purchasing a solar power system.

If you’d like to get 3 quotes from our pre-vetted installers, click here; or browse through our comprehensive database of solar installer reviews .

Installers – Learn more about the benefits of joining the SolarQuotes installer network to receive qualified Australian solar sales leads.

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