Australian Solar Systems Interest Index: September 2021

Find out what Australian solar shoppers were wanting in solar panel and battery storage systems during August in the latest auSSII report.

Solar System Size Selection

Where a solar power system size (capacity) was specified during the quote submission process, just over 85% were wanting pricing and details on a 6kW system or larger – pretty much the same as in July and June. Where there was a big change was the proportion of those who were wanting a larger than 6kW installation – up from 52% in July to a bit over 61% in August.

With Australians increasing looking to fill their rooftops with solar panels, we’ll be making some changes on reporting capacity information details in the next month or two as there are some interesting things happening in terms of demand for really big system installations.

If you’re not sure what capacity system you should be shooting for, check out Finn’s updated advice on how much solar power you’ll need.

System Purchase Timeframe

Close to 23% of Australians using the SolarQuotes service were keen to buy solar panels immediately in August – up on July’s 21%. 32% were considering a purchase within the next 4 weeks.

Price And Quality

In terms of interest in a top quality system; i.e. most expensive, close to 12% registered interest in this option in August, much the same as July. 81% were interested in a solar package offering a good balance of cost and quality (80% in July) and the remainder in a good budget system.

To find out where various brands of components sit on the pricing spectrum,  compare solar panels here and see our solar inverter comparison table here.

Australian Solar Price Index

While on the topic of the cost of going solar, you can keep tabs on what’s happening with system prices in Australia using the SolarQuotes Australian Solar Price Index.

Microinverter/Optimiser Options

Microinverters and power optimisers are forms of panel level optimisation. They add to the cost of a system, but provide additional benefits such as panel level monitoring. In August, close to 20% of enquirers were interested in learning more about these devices – around the same as in July.

Advanced Solar Consumption Monitoring

In order to properly manage something, it needs to be measured. Advanced solar monitoring allows you to keep tabs on how much electricity from the panels is being self-consumed in the home as well as how much solar energy is being generated. While also adding to cost of a system, it’s a feature that SQ Founder Finn highly recommends. In August, near 43% of quote enquiries indicated interest in advanced monitoring, up on July’s ~42%.

Battery Ready Solar

Close to 8% of quote requests in August indicated interest in a battery-ready package compared to July’s 7%. It’s worth noting all solar power systems can have batteries retrofitted down the track, but letting an installer know energy storage may be on the cards in the future can assist with system design.

Concurrent Solar + Battery Install

Interest in having a solar battery installed at the same time as a PV system system crept up from June and July’s ~11% to a tad over 12% in August.

Thinking about batteries? Try our easy to use solar and battery calculator that will show you savings and payback for a combined system and also for the panels and battery separately. You can also check out our home battery comparison table, which lists most of the brands currently available in Australia and enables your to compare pricing and specifications side-by-side.

Home Battery Capacity Choice

Where a battery installation was wanted with a new PV system and the enquirer had a capacity in mind:

• 1 – 5 kWh: ~12% (July ~9%)
• 5 – 10 kWh: ~48% (July  ~46%)
• 10 kWh+: ~41% (July ~44%)

Main Battery Application

Around 5% of prospective home battery purchasers wanted energy storage mainly for backup purposes (~7% in July, 6% in June, 7% in May), close to 40% for minimising mains electricity use (32% in July, 41% in June, 39% in May) and 55% for both applications (61% in July).

Power Bills Pre-Panels

Where electricity bill costs were known, close to 48% were paying between $500 and $1,000 on average per quarter – this has usually ranged from 45% and 47% in recent times. Also creeping up were those paying more than $1,000 a quarter – to just under 12% (11% in July and 9% in May and June). This may be a reflection on lockdowns in Australia’s most populous states seeing millions of households using more energy at home.

About The Australian Solar System Index

The auSSII is based on information provided in requests from the thousands of Australians who utilise the SolarQuotes quoting service every month.

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