By the end of this year about two million Australian households will have solar panels according to a Fairfax report.

Adding in large-scale solar farms that are springing +across the nation Australia connected 1560MW of photovoltaic systems in the September quarter alone. That total exceeded the capacity plugged in during all of 2017 the report says.

It adds that October saw a spike in installations in Victoria and NSW with both overtaking Queensland. All three topped 35 megawatts of new capacity and nationwide the 158MW of rooftop solar added in October eclipsed all previous months and ensured that 2018 would easily top other years.

But the report notes that about one-third of all Aussie homes are missing out – because they are occupied by renters the vast majority of whom are currently locked out of the solar revolution. It offers no serious suggestions on how this inequity might be overcome.

The report also notes that many homeowners are now gearing +systems with an eye to future purchases of batteries – to store excess electricity rather than export it and with future electric cars in mind.