COVID-19 remains a serious global health threat since it began wreaking havoc country after country beginning the first quarter of 2020. Right now, it shows no signs of abating permanently, and countries are still racing to develop a vaccine.
However, what’s unique about the coronavirus pandemic is that it has given humanity pause to consider what happens when people’s daily activities are greatly disrupted. Travel bans, lockdowns and quarantines around the world had all but cut short the airline industry lifeline a few months ago.
COVID-19 has left economies shaken and somehow reduced our dependence on fossil fuel energy sources, chief of which are oil and coal. This period has also highlighted how drastically reduced human industrial and economic activity leads to cleaner air due to lower carbon emissions. COVID-19 has also, inadvertently, highlighted the importance of renewables such as solar energy in the post-COVID-19 landscape.
Solar power demand and COVID-19
It’s no secret that most countries, including most of Europe, had already begun their shift to renewables way before the arrival of COVID-19. For one, the Australian solar panel sector saw a record growth in the number of roof installations of residential solar panels in March 2020 – about 44 per cent more than in March 2019.
In fact, according to the latest report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Australia has the enviable status of leading global statistics in the use of renewable energy, well ahead of Germany, Japan and California.
Ninety-nine per cent of renewables used in Australia comprise solar photovoltaics and wind energy. This impressive countrywide performance is the product of aggressive state-led climate policies that have given homeowners and industries incentives to invest in solar panels and battery storage technology.
So, even with minimal federal targets for curbing carbon emissions and a leadership supportive of coal, a lot of Australian homeowners have turned to photovoltaics to save on rising electricity costs.
The future of solar post-COVID
Currently, major solar infrastructure projects both in Australia and around the world have been stalled or delayed due to COVID-19. However, as quarantine and social distancing measures gradually ease, these projects may yet be realised and completed as investor confidence is restored and economies receive the stimulus needed to spur activity.
More importantly, countries committed to curbing their carbon emissions show no signs of backtracking from the Paris Climate Agreement. This will continue to play a key role in stimulating the growth of the renewables sector, including the solar industry, in the years to come.
If you have questions about solar panels or are planning to install solar panels in Sydney or anywhere in New South Wales, Queensland or South Australia, please get in touch with Arise Solar.
We install solar panels and provide solar services for both home and business owners.
Be part of the future of solar and make the change today.
References:
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