Australians are leading the world in the adoption of renewable energy, could see Paris accord targets met five years early

Australians are leading the world in the adoption of renewable energy, and new research says it could result in a shock change to plans to meet our emissions target.

Wind turbines dot the countryside around the southern NSW country township of Bungendore. Picture: Gary Ramage

Australians are leading the world in the per capita adoption of renewable energy, at a rate which could see Paris accord targets met five years early and 100 per cent green power by 2032, new research claims.

Australia was installing solar and wind renewable power per capita four to five times faster than the European Union, Japan, China and the United States, Australian National University Professor Andrew Blakers said.

“The electricity sector is on track to deliver Australia’s entire Paris emissions reduction targets five years early, in 2025 — without the need for any creative accounting,” said Prof Blakers, from the ANU Research School of Electrical, Energy and Materials Engineering.

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In a research report to be released on Friday, Prof Blakers estimates Australia will generate 50 per cent renewable electricity in 2024 and 100 per cent by 2032.

“The installation of renewables in Australia last year really ramped up compared to these other major economies, and we expect that trend to continue this year and beyond,” said Prof Blakers said.

“We are an excellent model for developing countries — all of which are in the sunbelt at low latitude — to follow to avoid a fossil fuel era with consequent large emissions.”

The ANU report titled, Australia: the renewable energy superstar, estimates the “pipeline” for new wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity systems is about 6.3 Gigawatts (GW) per year, “fast enough to reach 50 per cent renewable electricity in 2024 and 100 per cent in 2032.”

Solar panels on suburban waterfront homes.

“This equates to 250 Watts per person per year compared with about 50 Watts per person per year for the European Union, Japan, China and the USA.”

Using Clean Energy Regulator data, the researchers found more than 8 GW of roof-mounted solar PV had been deployed in Australia, by far the largest per capita in the world.

Australia’s federal Renewable Energy Target, which sets a minimum 33,000 gigawatt-hours by next year, has helped develop a “critical mass” for ground-mounted solar photovoltaics and wind farms, the report found.

Australians are leading the world in the per capita adoption of renewable energy.

The cost of meeting the 2030 Paris Agreement target (a 26-28 per cent emission reduction on 2005 levels by 2030) would be zero because of falls in renewable prices against fossil fuels, co-researcher Dr Matthew Stocks said.

“The price of electricity from large-scale solar PV and wind farms in Australia is currently about $50 per Megawatt-hour, and steadily falling,” Dr Stocks said.

“This is below the cost of electricity from existing gas-fired power stations and is also below the cost of new-build gas and coal power stations.”

The wind farm at Ararat.

Stabilising the national electricity grid when it reaches 50 to 100 per cent renewable energy supplies can be achieved through an increase in established hydro and battery technologies, as well as systems now in development.

“We can do this with energy storage, demand management and strong interstate connection using high-voltage transmission lines to smooth out the effect of local weather,” co-researcher Bin Lu said.

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