Aerial imagery company Nearmap used data from the Clean Energy Regulator to reveal the postcodes around the country with the highest rooftop solar uptake since 2001 paired with its own aerial data. 

 

Queensland holds seven of the ten spots and Western Australia the rest, with all its locations within Perth compared with Queensland's larger towns like Mackay, Caloundra and Toowoomba. 

 

"From the ground it can be difficult to see the progress our country is making to reduce energy costs and our carbon footprint," Nearmap vice president of sales Shane Preston said. 

 

"We've been capturing aerial images of Australia for the last 10 years, and have recently seen a dramatic change in the rooftop landscape, with many more solar panels on Aussie homes.

 

"For businesses, having access to Nearmap's high-res aerial images will become increasingly important. Using this imagery, solar companies can remotely identify new business opportunities, accurately estimate the power output and quote customers, all without leaving the office," he said. 

 

Using its visual tools clients can choose and configure optimal panel type, calculate energy output and produce detailed solar reports quickly. 

 

Recent data from the Abu Dhabi-based International Renewable Energy Agency found that at the end of last year global renewable generation stood at 2179 gigawatts, an increase of 167GW and that worldwide 146 million households using off-grid renewables, with sector growth of 10%, slightly above total renewable growth worldwide. 

 

Australia and South Korea both installed over 1GW of solar last year. 

 

A separate report from Melbourne-based Green Energy Markets in February found that renewables at their peak generation outstripped gas-fired power and brown coal-fired power but still lagged behind thermal coal. 

 

Rooftop solar accounted for one of the largest gains in renewable generation.