Every month we publish small-scale renewable energy installation data files.

These data files provide a list of:

  • small generation units (small-scale solar panel, wind and hydro systems) and kilowatt (kW) capacity by installed postcode
  • solar water heaters and air source heat pumps by installed postcode.

The data represents all systems that have had certificates validly created against them. The data includes new installations, upgrades to existing systems and stand-alone (off-grid) systems.

This data is not publicly available via the REC Registry and does not include systems that are pending registration or have been failed.

Note: A 12-month creation period for registered persons to create small-scale technology certificates applies under the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000. Therefore, the 2023 and 2024 figures will continue to rise due to the 12-month creation period. We expect the total installed capacity for 2023 may reach 3.1 gigawatt.

Total investment in wind and solar generation capacity, including Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme capacity for 2016 to 2022 is available under large-scale renewable energy data.

Summary of postcode data

This data is current as at 31 August 2024.

Small-scale installations by installation year

There are a total of 5,680,468 small-scale installations.

Table 1: number of small-scale systems installed by year

Installation yearHydro systems (Deemed)Solar PV panel systems (Deemed)Wind systems (Deemed)Solar water heaters (including air source heat pumps)Total
200131181810,07510,214
2002-2511121,83922,101
2003-6641328,65329,330
2004-10891730,99132,097
2005-14061133,96435,381
2006-1115635,92437,045
2007-34801250,97754,469
2008114,0644385,38599,493
2009562,91658194,695257,674
20103198,208136127,093325,440
20111360,74544105,050465,840
20122343,320869,466412,796
20132200,407358,299258,711
20141180,1391158,728238,879
2015-141,5001258,704200,216
2016-132,6971062,018194,725
2017-174,9421064,144239,096
2018-224,852-66,976291,828
2019-284,031165,357349,389
20202370,320-74,403444,725
20210377,458099,284476,742
20221​​315,7170122,017437,735
20230332,7980162,054494,852
20240189,769081,921271,690
Total213,912,0064241,768,0175,680,468

Small generation unit installations​

Table 2: total number of small generation units installed to date

System typeInstallation quantityRated output (kW)
Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels3,912,00624,216,490
Wind4241,469
Hydro2152
Total small generation unit installations3,912,45124,218,011

Note: Total may not sum due to rounding.

Solar water heater installations

Table 3: total number of solar water heaters installed to date

System typeInstallation quantity
Air source heat pumps652,468
Solar water heaters1,115,549
Total solar water heater installations1,768,017

Installation numbers for small-scale systems by state/territory

Table 4: small generation unit hydro (deemed)

YearACTNSWNTQLDSATASVICWATotal
2001-1-1--1-3
2002---------
2003---------
2004---------
2005---------
2006---------
2007---------
2008----1---1
2009-1---1215
2010---1--2-3
2011-----1--1
2012-----2--2
2013-----2--2
2014--1-----1
2015---------
2016---------
2017---------
2018---------
2019---------
2020-----2--2
2021---------
2022-----1--1
2023---------
2024---------
Total-212195121

Table 5: small generation unit solar (deemed)


Year
ACTNSWNTQLDSATASVICWATotal
2001-1263341-1511118
2002-2387110711922251
200331341015024699814664
200422352232830017152331089
200542913533938013254901406
200610216231954134200541115
200748779264751037258282623480
2008278289088308734561612036206814,064
200980314,00821518,28385691452842911,15762,916
2010232369,98863748,69716,705188935,67622,293198,208
2011686080,27240195,30363,553247560,21451,667360,745
2012152253,961513130,25241,851636466,20442,653343,320
2013241133,998102471,19729,187765833,33221,600200,407
2014122537,210102657,74815,166420740,06123,496180,139
2015106633,478119739,50712,081202031,35420,797141,500
2016100129,498174534,42312,604248726,74024,199132,697
2017194643,253195046,44816,190239331,35831,404174,942
20183,20659,3292,36555,08721,8952,64247,21633,112224,852
20193,80877,6303,50570,71127,0892,89461,74036,654284,031
20205,577110,7883,24288,40836,3473,36374,31048,285370,320
20216,465110,2281,94090,19332,5984,11583,13748,782377,458
20229,06193,082 1,75877,371 29,152 4,11462,487 38,692 315,717 
20238,407105,2261,355 80,93427,9715,60168,20335,101332,798
20242,76761,03058349,67614,5143,15136,62421,424189,769
Total58,7931,017,55923,6741,058,916411,45257,055770,687513,8703,912,006

Table 6: small generation unit – wind (deemed)

YearACTNSWNTQLDSATASVICWATotal
2001---611-1-18
2002---73-1-11
2003----11-1113
2004-1-5713-17
2005-3-251--11
2006-1-1211-6
2007-3-71--112
2008-16-51116443
2009-16-678101158
2010-92-14141114136
2011-35--1-5344
2012-2-2---48
2013------3-3
2014-1----10-11
2015----2-10-12
2016----1-9-10
2017-3-13-3-10
2018---------
2019------1-1
2020---------
2021---------
2022---------
2023---------
2024---------
Total-173-4369267538424

Table 7: solar water heater and air source heat pump (deemed)

YearACTNSWNTQLDSATASVICWATotal
2001701966581400466726554220710,075
2002254472295776971886971398482821,839
20034347231910882735331681475607528,653
200451678701144892730221601800755230,991
200544881961171891931932182729909033,964
200620276481247994324161394728960135,924
20074538765141416,8302869350915711,13950,977
2008100120,203123623,330510390621,20812,39885,385
2009197485,456173136,6598794226942,12015,692194,695
201096038,525130334,2626812143327,73316,065127,093
2011103825,331126730,9375444172526,44612,862105,050
201273410,810117118,973347389921,59411,81269,466
2013453914588413,410298382719,60810,98958,299
20144519641102613,433193096220,61310,67258,728
20155728612106311,805255780323,08710,20558,704
2016677861192011,442228194727,702943862,018
20177058,97196512,0242,6171,03429,1268,70264,144
20187258,87798712,0202,8501,12632,0858,30666,976
20199717,5611,04111,2142,9981,47531,5208,57765,357
20201,6637,2061,05911,9215,0151,18936,9829,36874,403
20211,2967,46094114,8415,4381,44357,74410,12199,284
20222,03020,69384213,9364,5042,11067,110 10,792122,017
20232,13571,92460114,7945,2361,44054,52211,402162,054
20241,08527,7122777,9432,91788933,9667,13281,921
Total20,847423,13624,738358,09188,53822,635595,007235,0251,768,017

Solar PV systems with concurrent battery storage capacity by year and state/territory

Table 8: state data for battery installations with small-scale systems.

YearACTNSWNTQLDSATASVICWATotal
201482083129345137169693
20153133118621616324537
2016105668633113018240701568
2017205194218856479938452124650
201830818768111961616413622365689
20193371,503222,7112,292941,2883168,563
20203791,8521489573,7371031,5317829,489
20215192,7553901,4283,3081263,0181,62413,168
20221,1933,9146812,844​​​​​4,7462495,6562,71021,993
20237766,0255644,7135,1663736,3042,95426,875
20243684,2782662,8412,9011743,5322,15216,512
Total4,20125,1542,10718,11523,4301,40524,07611,249109,737

Notes: The above table is based on voluntarily disclosed data for batteries that were installed at the same time as the solar PV system.

The collection of grid-connected installations with disclosed battery data commenced in September 2014.

Postcode data files

The postcode data files are displayed by month from 2023, with all data aggregated from 2001 to 2022.

The public register of small-scale technology certificates in the REC Registry allows users to search and view details of small-scale technology certificate creation.

info
New file structure including historical data

The historical month-to-month downloadable data for 2001 to 2022 is now available. 

We have changed the format of the current and historical Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme postcode data. Instead of hundreds of historical individual spreadsheets, we have consolidated the data to present all current and historical data into 4 spreadsheets. 

Each column will show data for a month and there are no more aggregated data columns.

Please note all file names have changed to reflect the new data structure. 

This will save time for users by:

  • removing the need to link 20+ files together to create a full month-to-month time series
  • presenting a clearer source of truth with no data overlap between our historical data files.

Please email enquiries@cer.gov.au if you have any questions.