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Queensland Solar Feed-in Tariff Report | Regen Power

solar feed-in tariff

Over the years, the concept of feed-in tariffs has become pretty clear to the public. After on-site use, we get paid for the excess energy that our rooftop PV system produces and export to the grid. During the beginning of the solar revolution in Australia, the high feed-in tariff was one of the lucrative reasons that drove the public to widespread PV acceptance. The adoption rate of solar PV in Queensland is one of the highest in the country – with one in three households having a rooftop system. This translates to a solar installation every 15 minutes. Furthermore, the solar is the biggest power plant in the state.

The report was released by the Queensland Competition Authority (QCA). It is mandatory by the Electricity Act of 1994 for QCA to report annually on the solar feed-in tariffs. Prior to 2012, there was a Solar Bonus scheme in QLD that also provided a subsidy to the end-users from the distributors as well. The amount was fixed at 44c/kWh. This tariff was on top of the one already paid by the retailers.

Queensland Solar Feed-in Tariff  – Summary

As of Sep 2018, the highest residential feed-in tariff in QLD is from Energy Locals, followed by Alinta and PowerShop. Depending up on conditions, the amount ranges from 6 to 20 cents. The report notes that the average amount has risen in the second half of 2017-18 – the highest being 16.1 c/kWh – with Click Energy being the only retailer to lower the feed-in tariff over the course of the year. Energy retailers like Mojo Power also offers variable rates which changes from 20 cents for the first 2000 kWh to 9 cents post limit. The QCA concludes that the residential tariff has been consistently increasing over the years – from 4-11c/kWh in 2015 to 6-20c/kWh in 2018. The annual bills varies between AUD 1,244 and 1,932.

For SMEs, the range is from 6 to 16.1 with Energy Locals offering the highest – 12.1c/kWh. This sector also saw an increase in the average from first to the second half of the year. The retailers providing feed-in for small businesses have also increased over the past three years. Furthermore, the typical annual bills for business customers ranges between $2,151 and $3,439.

Source: QCA Report

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