Australia's Rooftop Solar Capacity Additions Rose 6% in May

Image: PV magazine

According to the latest data from solar market analyst SunWiz, Australia added over 235 MW of rooftop solar capacity in May 2025, representing a 6% increase from April's 221 MW.

Rooftop solar additions in May were 11% higher than the same month in 2022 , though below the levels seen in 2023 and 2024. Year-to-date figures were 8% below those for the corresponding period last year.

Warwick Johnston, Managing Director of SunWiz, noted that the upcoming federal "Low-cost Household Battery Scheme" may have curbed some demand. "The impending federal battery subsidy has led to delays in many solar PV installations," Johnston stated, "as customers wanting both solar and batteries are choosing to wait until the subsidy kicks in on July 1st. Meanwhile, retailers seem more focused on sales than pushing installations forward."

Johnston added, "Historically, batteries were added to support new PV systems. This is changing. We are approaching a tipping point where more batteries will be installed annually than new PV systems."

The subsidy scheme is expected to drive the installation of over one million small-scale battery storage systems over the next five years, potentially reshaping the residential solar landscape.

Regionally, Small-scale Technology Certificates (STC) creation increased across all states except South Australia and Tasmania, with the Northern Territory recording the highest growth at 32%. The most significant growth in household installations occurred in the 10-15 kW system segment, pushing the average system size to 10.2 kW. In the commercial sector, demand was strongest for 50-75 kW systems, with the STC commercial rooftop market performing better than any May in the past three years.