Postcode 4740 (Mackay) was the #1 location for installations in 2014, adding 5.9MW worth. 7 of the top 10 postcodes in 2014 were in Queensland; 2 were in WA and 1 in Victoria. Statewide, Queensland’s 2014 figures were practically level with 2013; NSW and Victoria had the same figures in 2014 and in 2013, thus both enjoyed substantial growth. South Australia contracted dramatically, and was overtaken by WA which grew considerably. 

The graph below shows the evolution of system pricing, according to Solar Choice’s price database. There has been a decline in Net System price (after STC discount) each month, only some of which has been due to the increase in STC price over the first 18 months displayed.

Though the government’s RET Review has yet to reach a conclusion, the government has stated that there will be no changes to household solar entitlements, and that 100kW systems will remain in the SRES. Despite this, the SRES is not completely safe, but appears to be taking a back seat in negotiations that are focused upon the major point of difference between the major parties – the GWh figure of the LRET. In 2014 SunWiz met with MPS and government representatives as part of the RET Review, as part of contribution to Solar Citizens, Australian Solar Council, and the CEC’s PV Leadership Committee and Domestic PV Directorate (of which Warwick is the Chair).
 
Dance
Sunny has incredible internal dynamism, and while his expression appears on the surface to be stable, beneath the surface he exhibits huge internal motion. The dance of Sunny’s inner world appears hell-bent on creative destruction as his major and minor organs battle one another for energy. It is quite likely that this will result in injury to certain body parts which will hopefully not cause Sunny to meltdown.

The ranks continue to be dynamic. Origin started off the year as the 10^th biggest PV retailer, and ended up as the 5^th largest. True Value Solar retained position #1, though faces increasing pressure. The top 10 features two companies which only started to create STCs in 2013. The graph below shows the shift in the ranks of the current top 10 non-aggregating STC creators.

Some export figures from analysis has shown that the median 1.5 kW system exports 37% of its production, but most systems sold these days are 3 or 5 kW, which have median export volumes of 60% and 74% respectively[1]. SunWiz will be launching a free solar export calculator to assist the customers and players in the solar industry to access more accurate information about likely export volumes.

Health and Physical Education
Sunny excels in outdoor activity. He leads his classmates in speed of installation, but has a tendency to cut corners. His quick-fix diet of fast food in earlier years has not prepared him well to tighten his belt for the occasional fasting that is required in recent leaner years. Sunny runs on the spot far too often and could improve his effectiveness by working smarter, not harder.

History
Sunny is showing a blatant disregard for his predecessors. But if history has anything to teach Sunny, its in understanding the patterns of his own growth, and accelerating his focus upon these areas. Sunny has amassed a huge amount of experience which can now tell him which businesses in which locations to target for highest-profit sales. Sunny has collaborated with his classmates to coalesce their common knowledge, which will enable them to beat their common foe.
 
Tips for a Sunny 2015
Sunny has a knack for responding to the opportunities that present themselves. However, 2015 will present new challenges for Sunny as classroom dynamics, schoolyard bullying, misbehaving masters, and declining territory all gang up on him. Sunny has his first major stint on the solar farm this year which is expected to contribute to a bumper harvest.

In its entirety, I expect 2015 will have good volume that may well exceed that of 2014. The utility-scale sector will set records this year, as Flagships, Moree, Mugga Lane & OneSun are delivered…. and then you’ve got projects like Rio Tinto Weipa, Majura Park, Coober Pedy and other ARENA projects, plus CEFC investments. Unfortunately, most of the 3000+ Australian solar business will be unable to access such utility-scale opportunities, leaving them competing for a residential market that will naturally decline as low-hanging fruit dries up. This makes the commercial sector all the more critical, and businesses will survive only if they crack this market, which offers potentially greater profit margins and value-focussed competition. But for the majority of the industry it will be a scramble to sell whatever residential systems they can to keep cashflow going while they chase bigger dreams of upskilling and upscaling their commercial activities.

Extraordinary offer: Our 2014 market wrap edition of Insights is available for a special deal until Friday 30^th of January. Typically we don’t sell individual editions, but this one is too good to withhold. Learn:

1. The installation volume of each the top 20 companies and how it has changed over the past year.
2. The most successful companies in commercial PV, and how they’ve got there
3. The top 10 locations for PV in 2014… the best places in 2015
4. Where most commercial PV volume was installed, and by whom
5. Which system sizes helped drive market share in 2015 and their critical importance for 2014
6. How to price your system competitively for a range of different panel-inverter combinations
7. Plus much more from our regular Insights content

The special edition is available at a price of $950 ex GST, or it included with six months worth of updates for $1650 ex GST. Click here for more information.

Sunny’s Corner