Solar energy may be very important to Australia’s future

Solar energy has a major role to play in the expansion of Australia’s energy infrastructure

Solar energy is becoming a very important part of Australia’s energy infrastructure, according to Oliver Yates, CEO of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. Yates recently spoke at the Australian Solar Council event in Melbourne, noting that solar power has a major role to play in Australia’s future. This is despite the fact that the Australian government has been pulling back support of solar power, as well as other forms of clean energy.

Supporting commercial solar market is becoming a major priority

According to Yates, the Clean Energy Finance Corporation is committed to promoting growth of the commercial solar energy sector. This is being accomplished by the organization financing the innovative use of photovoltaic technologies in numerous industries. Australia is home to some 4 gigawatts worth of installed rooftop solar energy capacity, with the residential sector representing the majority of this capacity. Commercial projects, however, are seeing an increase in demand. Commercial-scale projects comprise approximately 25% of all new photovoltaic capacity installed in the country.

Battery technology can improve the reliability of solar energy

Yates suggests that one of the things that will have a positive impact on the commercial solar energy market is the advancement of battery technology. New storage solutions are making it easier to make use of renewable energy in an efficient manner. Batteries have the ability to make solar power more reliable. Stored energy can be used when it is needed and solar power systems will not be crippled by limited exposure to the sun on cloudy days, as they have already produced electricity that can be used through a battery system.

Positive economic impact could spur more support from the Australian government

Though the Australian government has been showing less support for renewable energy, solar power may received more attention from the government if it can prove to have a positive impact on the economy. New solar projects, especially commercial-scale projects, can create new jobs that have a beneficial impact on the economy, but these projects tend to be expensive to develop.