The Solar Council of Australia has ranked every electorate in the nation for their uptake of solar panels and found that it is not just ‘middle-class’ Aussies who are using the technology.
Statistics ranking penetration of photovoltaic (PV) solar panel and solar hot-water system for every Australian electorate has busted the myth solar technology is a middle-class fad or luxury.
Australian solar Council chief executive, John Grimes predicts solar power will be a hot issue in 2013 with four million homes now using solar technology.
“The most surprising data we uncovered is that the more you earn, the less likely you are to install solar,” he said.
“We are seeing mortgage belt and marginal seat electorates, those where families are sensitive to rising electricity prices, as the technology embracers.”
Climate change advocate Malcolm Turnbull’s electorate of Wentworth has the lowest uptake of solar technologies.
Meanwhile Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s Melbourne electorate of Lalor has the second-highest ranking with more than 25,000 households using solar technology.
Federal electorates with a large percentage of Greens supporters have fewer solar panels than anywhere else in the country.
Inner-city electorates did not rank highly, but this is in part due to a large number of apartment blocks and businesses in these areas.
