Australian solar set to bounce back to ‘record’ 1.96GWac roll-out in 2020

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Image credit Suntech

Yet another bright forecast has emerged for renewable energy prospects in Australia this year, with record installations now being predicted after a slump in the second half of 2019.

Consultants at Rystad Energy said this week the country could commission up to 3.6GWac of solar and wind capacity by the end of 2020, a “new record” after 2019’s figure of 2.6Wac.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

The 3.6GWac forecast for 2020 – split between PV (1.96GWac) and wind (1.57GWac) – would mark the reversal of what Rystad described as a “quiet spell” towards late 2019.

According to the firm, last year’s third and fourth quarter witnessed the lowest volumes of ready-to-build solar and wind projects Australia has seen in any quarter over the past three years.

This year, however, Rystad expects a comeback. Particularly in H2 2020, green energy projects backed by PPAs and government auctions are due to enter construction, said Gero Farruggio.

“[Renewable] developers will be shifting to more favourable parts of the grid in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland,” added Farruggio, who is Rystad’s Head of Australia.

New South Wales, continued senior analyst David Dixon, is the lead state given that it hosts alone more than half of the green energy pipeline nearing construction Australia-wide.

The optimism around Australia’s utility-scale renewable prospects in 2020 emerges just days after a strong year was also predicted for the small-scale solar segment.

Sunwiz, a firm based near Melbourne, said its findings of a “record” 2.13GW of sub-100kW PV systems rolled out in 2019 alone “boded well” for the segment in 2020.

The upbeat green energy forecasts contrast with Australia’s environmental challenges in the final leg of 2019, with deadly bushfires fueling a controversy around the country’s climate policies.

Warnings around renewable funding drops are piling up from various corners. According to recent BloombergNEF stats, Australia’s investment in green energy dropped 40% to US$5.6 billion in 2019.

Read Next

September 5, 2025
Scientists from Germany and Saudi Arabia have discovered that perovskite thin-film cells are compatible with current industry standard silicon solar cells, which they claim is a “crucial step toward the industrialisation of perovskite silicon tandem solar cells”.
September 5, 2025
During a week of major US clean energy developments, ContourGlobal, PSE, Arevon, and Ameren Missouri advanced solar projects across four states in the US.
September 5, 2025
Newly formed firm Solaris Assets has acquired the business operations and assets of Texas-based residential solar installer Sunnova.
September 5, 2025
Research firm Rystad Energy has found that Queensland’s utility-scale solar PV power plants have dominated the best-performing assets, in terms of AC capacity factor, rankings for August 2025.
September 4, 2025
India’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council, the joint forum of the Centre and States, has reduced the GST rate on renewable energy components from 12% to 5%. 
September 4, 2025
The Czech national cybersecurity agency has warned that Chinese solar inverters represent a threat to the country’s data security.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
October 2, 2025
London,UK
Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
Manila, Philippines