Like many other businesses, Australian solar installers have been feeling the pinch of COVID-19. But we’re seeing early signs of what may be some recovery.
A recent survey carried out by PV Magazine Australia and Green Energy Markets of 45 rooftop solar installers and suppliers found overall significant declines in new sales leads and enquiries.
“Almost half the respondents reported declines in customer enquiries of 25-50%. What’s worse, 20% of respondents report new leads had ‘completely dried up.'”
A Rush On Batteries – Not
We had been reading reports from certain corners about a boom in solar + battery storage and upgrading existing PV systems with batteries. But that wasn’t what we were seeing here on SolarQuotes, as noted in our latest auSSII report. There was an uptick, but the percentage of those interested in a concurrent battery installation with their solar power system was just 8%.
On the issue of battery storage, the PV Magazine/Green Energy Markets survey noted similar:
“The survey data do not indicate any surge to battery storage either, as had been predicted by some commentators, who felt households and businesses would try to build resilience in the face of wider economic uncertainty.”
More from the survey can be found here.
An Interesting Easter
The survey was carried out between April 2 – 9; a day before the Easter long weekend. The holiday break was really interesting here on SolarQuotes, with a significant increase in the number of Australians researching solar power and submitting quote requests compared to the Easter period in 2019.
Aside from movements being restricted and spending more time online, perhaps more Australians are learning the rooftop solar installation industry is still operating and that getting panels installed is a low-risk exercise in terms of COVID-19; assuming appropriate measures are in place. What’s also probably spurring Australians on to consider going solar right now is the prospect of bigger electricity bills as a result of spending more time at home.
Even prior to Easter, after the initial shock of the COVID-19 situation wore off we started see Australians returning to investigating PV – but the process from discovery to acquisition can take a while. For the many installers that are struggling, challenging times will continue.
With thousands of accredited installers across the country, plus associated staff in administration, sales and marketing; the Australian solar energy industry is a significant employer. Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data on employment in renewable energy activities in Australia in 2018-19 indicated there were more than 13,000 full-time equivalent jobs associated with rooftop solar.
About Michael Bloch
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We had our install booked with SolarGain for late May but Covid-19 saw enough cancellations that we were brought forward to early April. Great for us but terrible for installers. Even the govt inspection happened faster than anticipated.
It will bounce back. People are at home using power that they ordinarily wouldn’t be and plenty of time to research their options.
If Bunnings is running out of paint, it’s a sure sign that we are doing okay as a nation – economically, physically and mentally.