Americans continue to look at solar power as an emerging industry, with plenty of room for growth in this country. In some other parts of the world, though, solar power isn’t just an up-and-coming energy source — it’s the energy of the present.

Nowhere is this trend more pronounced than in Australia. In fact, some expect that half of all Aussie households will be off-grid and primarily on solar power by 2018. A report by the non-government Climate Council applauds Australians for taking the lead in the push for solar power.

“Australians are forging a people-led renewables revolution,” said Amanda McKenzie, CEO of Climate Council. “Australia leads the world in rooftop solar with more than twice the solar PV penetration rates of the next country — Belgium —and more than three times the penetration of Germany, the U.S. and the U.K.”

A Prime Market

If you think about it, Australia is the ideal platform for solar power to proliferate, grow and create a vibrant ecosystem. There is no shortage of sunshine Down Under after all, and much of the solar energy infrastructure that exists in Australia could potentially be imitated and adapted by other major developed nations, including the United States.

With this in mind, it makes sense that U.S. firm Tesla is using Australia as an early market for its battery storage solution. If the cost of these storage systems continue to fall as expected, then companies will be quickly offering additional residential solutions to speed solar adoption even more.

All of this is expected to make Australia a $24 billion(AUS) market within five years.

Ground Zero in Climate Effort

Aside from being a prime market in the adoption of solar power, Australia is also a frontline force in the fight against global climate change. As climate patterns become more extreme across the globe, countries like Australia are seeing more intense heat waves and rougher storms. Both situations are prime testing opportunities for new and improving solar technology.

In the long run, solar power can be a benefit to the people as well as helping to stem the tide of climate change. In fact, the growth in solar power in Australia isn’t limited just to home systems. There is a growing market for mobile solar technologies, and the country is the ideal environment to test things out such as solar cars.

Looking Forward

Because of the primed market and the massive financial and ecological benefits to Australian households, the momentum appears to be nearing a peak for the solar industry. If the storage solutions continue to improve and drop in price as expected, Australia could provide a model for all countries, including the United States.

“By 2018, going off-grid by installing battery storage could be cost-competitive with staying connected as the price of battery storage falls and grid electricity remains expensive,” the Climate Council’s recent report said.

“Together with rooftop solar, battery storage presents an opportunity for Australian households to use a much greater proportion of the solar photovoltaic electricity they generate and minimize the need to purchase expensive electricity from the grid.”

If you’d like to find out how installing solar panels on your roof can help you drive your electric bill down to zero, contact us today for a free quote.