THE FASTEST-GROWING SOLAR TECHNOLOGY YOU’RE PROBABLY OVERLOOKING

I remember a time when ‘solar panels’ meant ‘solar hot water’ panels.

There was a time when you had to refer to solar power to be clear you weren’t referring to what was Australia’s dominant solar technology. They were referring to metal panels mounted on your roof (and then evacuated glass tubes).

When I started in the industry (2005), for every PV system installed, there were 28 Solar Hot Water Systems added.

CUMULATIVE SYSTEM REGISTRATIONS OF SGU, ASHP, SWH

In cumulative terms, the crossover point occurred in 2012 when there were just under 1 million of each. Now there are cumulatively 3.5 Million PV systems in Australia. Compared to 1.5 million solar water heaters (1.2M Solar Hot Water Systems + 0.3M ASHPs).

(This is based on REC/STC registration, some SHW / ASHP systems haven’t claimed certificates)

For solar water heating, the tide has turned. More accurately the tide has turned because of the rise of Air Source Heat Pumps, a technology classified as renewable by the Clean Energy Regulator and deemed worthy of creating STCs. ASHPs essentially extract latent heat from the atmosphere at low temperature and pump it into a water storage tank at high temperature, much in the same way a reverse cycle air conditioner pumps heat from the outside to the inside of your home.

ANNUAL SYSTEM REGISTRATIONS OF SGU, ASHP, SWH

In 2010 PV overtook SHW in the number of annual installations (190,000). The growth of photovoltaics (solar power) came at the clear expense of solar hot water. Solar Hot Water sales slumped back, levelling off in 2013 at ~50,000/year. But Solar Hot Water sales have now been further displaced by ASHP, which is a shame for the Australian manufacturers of Solar Hot Water systems.

ANNUAL GROWTH IN SYSTEM REGISTRATIONS OF SGU, ASHP, SWH

PV may still be the dominant technology – there are still far more PV systems installed in the last 12 months (323,000) than there were SHW plus ASHP (115,000). But the growth rate of ASHP installations is far greater than PV. In the first ten months of 2021, the number of PV systems (sub-100kW) grew by 7%; the number of ASHPs grew by 76%. The number of ASHP systems installed in 2022 will grow by a further 46%, in stark contrast to PV installations which are set to contract by 22%.

2022 WILL BE THE FIRST YEAR OF DECLINE IN PV INSTALLATIONS SINCE 2016

PV retailers are turning their attention to installing other electrical devices – batteries and EV chargers. While an ASHP may be a plumbing technology, the PV industry shouldn’t overlook ASHPs, as:

ASHPs are part of a trend of home electrification
The new 7-star requirements for new-build homes will also drive ASHP uptake
ASHP can soak up excess PV generation
Eligible Victorians can double-dip and claim a rebate for both PV and ASHP
Electrical work is still required to install an ASHP

SunWiz now offers ASHP+SHW tracking within its Luminate market intelligence subscription. Contact SunWiz to discuss its recently-released content.

Interval Meter Data Tool Disclaimer

The Interval Meter Data Tool is designed to convert standard form meter data for the OpenSolar platform.

Users are responsible for meeting the requirements of the data that needs to be uploaded to the tool, which extends to but is not limited to

The completeness and accuracy of the data
Ensuring that there are no missing records
Uploading the data in one of the compatible intervals (15m, 30m or 1h).

Data uploaded to the Interval Meter Data Tool should not contain multiple datasets. In the case an excel file is uploaded, only the first sheet will be considered.

The accuracy of the output is dependent on the user’s dataset, therefore SunWiz does not guarantee the accuracy of the output.

The user must acknowledge that the output of the tool is beyond the control of SunWiz, and they must ensure that the data is accurate on their own behalf.

In the event that the program runs into an issue, the user will be issued with warnings or solutions to address or resolve the issue.

If the user requires additional support, they can avail it as a separate service from SunWiz

Warranties on performance

The Interval Meter Data tool from SunWiz attempts to convert most frequently occurring types of standard meter data file types in specific formats for the purpose of being used on the OpenSolar platform. Unless mentioned otherwise, SunWiz does not extend any guarantee of any kind, either expressed or implied, on the limited success of the Interval Meter Data Tool and the extent of it’s automation. Depending on the user’s upload, the program may require additional inputs, the training for which is not included in the purchase of this service and can be purchased separately.

Input requirements

The Interval Meter Data Tool accepts data in the 15-minute, 30-minute and 60-minute(hourly) intervals. In case the file is uploaded in an excel format (*.xls, *.xlsx, *.xlsm), only the first sheet of the file will be considered. Our tool is required to accept raw meter data, usually highlighted as ‘E’ data in its standard format; and therefore SunWiz does not guarantee that all data formats will be accepted.

For complete automation, the file must adhere to an acceptable standard format. In the case of an issue, the user will be provided with instructions by the tool on how it can be resolved. Warnings will be issued if the data is incompatible, incomplete with missing records and if multiple datasets are uploaded at once.

THE FASTEST-GROWING SOLAR TECHNOLOGY YOU’RE PROBABLY OVERLOOKING