Solar drives clean energy job boom in Australia

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Large-scale hotspot Queenland will make electricians mandatory for panel installation in May (Credit: Flickr)

Deployment of large-scale PV projects was instrumental in Australia’s renewable job surge between 2017 and 2018, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

New figures show utility-scale projects overtook hydro as Australia’s second largest renewable employer in the 2017-2018 period. The 2,880 jobs it created – up 210% from 930 in 2016-2017 – accounted for 16% of the total.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

At 46%, though, rooftop solar retained its decade-long position as the unrivalled top renewable employer. The segment boasted an 8,240-strong workforce in the 2017-2018 period, an extra 1,720 on the 2016-2017 headcount figures.

With 2GW installed as of December 2018, rooftop projects were particularly commonplace in Queensland and South Australia. Up to 36% and 34% of suitable private homes featured rooftop PV in either state, up from 19% in New South Wales and 17% in Victoria.

Queensland slammed for electrician obligation

The employment update comes as Australia cements its position as a PV hotspot, with IRENA stats finding a major capacity jump (5.9GW to 9.76GW) between 2017 and 2018. As noted by the ABS, the large-scale pipeline is particularly significant in Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales.

According to Australia’s Clean Energy Council (CEC), the momentum lies at risk in the second of three states. Queensland, the trade lobby said, could inflict “unnecessary damage” to the PV sector via new rules mandating the employment of licensed electricians to install, fix or dismount panels.

The obligation – announced only last week but due to come into force on 13 May – was “rushed and poorly communicated”, the CEC argued. For a 100MW farm, it would require hiring an extra 45 electricians it could struggle to find in the rural environments projects tend to be based in, the association added.

“Were there a genuine electrical safety risk presented by someone bolting an unconnected solar panel to a frame, we would be a very willing partner,” said the CEC, adding that existing regulations already ensure that electricians perform electrical cabling and earth testing.

See here for the ABS update and here for more background on Queenland's new rules

Read Next

July 4, 2025
Australian retailer AGL Energy has confirmed its acquisition of South Australia’s Virtual Power Plant (SAVPP) from Tesla.
July 2, 2025
A new state-owned green bank, the Energy Security Corporation (ESC), has launched in New South Wales, Australia, with an initial funding allocation of AU$1 billion (US$640 million).
July 2, 2025
Indigenous-led renewable energy company Yindjibarndi Energy Corporation (YEC) has submitted plans for a hybrid wind and solar PV renewable energy project to the Australian government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.
July 2, 2025
Robotics company Luminous has received AU$4.9 million (US$3.2 million) via Australia’s Solar ScaleUp Challenge to support deploying its ‘LUMI’ technology at utility-scale solar PV power plants.
July 1, 2025
A five-year research initiative is underway in Australia to test the viability of floating solar systems on irrigation dams.
June 30, 2025
Australian module manufacturer Tindo Solar has secured a 30MW solar module supply agreement to power Australia's first "net zero pipeline”.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Media Partners, Solar Media Events
September 2, 2025
Mexico City, Mexico
Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 22, 2025
Bilbao, Spain
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK