Click here to view the full fact sheet

A number of spurious claims have been made about the solar industry, the renewable energy target and the cost and contribution that solar makes.

The REC Agents Association (RAA) has developed a “Facts” section to its website that includes up-to-date information about solar and includes data and information about the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) and links to analysis expanding on the contribution that the solar industry makes.

Certificates are created under the SRES which forms part of the Renewable Energy Target which supports the progressive increase in renewable energy.

RAA is a national industry association representing companies that create and trade renewable energy certificates. RAA members work with solar companies to create Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) that support households and businesses investing in solar.

RECs generally account for 20 to 30% of the capital cost of a typical solar system and reduces the payback from 8-9 years to 6-7 years.

The average residential PV system installed in Australia is approximately 3.5 kilo Watt (kW) which typically costs $9,000 to $10,000. Certificates to the value of approximately $2,500 would be created reducing the up-front cost to the household to $6,500 to $7,500. This sized system would produce about 80 per cent of a typical household’s electricity. Some of the electricity produced will be exported to the grid (40%) when the output of the system is greater than the household’s usage – typically in the middle of the day.

Click here to view the full fact sheet