Western Australia is on the brink of a major rooftop solar transformation. Over the next decade, rooftop solar and battery systems will play a central role in the state’s clean energy transition, reshaping household energy use and the broader electricity grid.
1. Continued uptake and larger systems
Rooftop solar installations in WA have grown rapidly, and this trend is expected to continue as costs fall and connection rules evolve. Upcoming technical changes are expected to allow for larger inverters and more flexible system designs, enabling households and small businesses to pair bigger solar arrays with batteries. These developments may open new revenue opportunities, including participation in flexible export programs and virtual power plants.
2. Greater integration with batteries and smarter solar
Solar paired with battery storage will become increasingly common as homeowners look to maximise self‑consumption and minimise reliance on the grid. Federal and state incentives, such as rebates and interest‑free loans for home batteries, are boosting uptake and making storage more affordable. Combined with smarter solar management systems, batteries will help smooth out solar generation peaks and support evening energy needs.
Ongoing regulatory consultation on new market and system rules for solar and batteries suggests that WA is exploring how to prepare its grid for smarter, more connected solar systems, including options such as third‑party aggregation and virtual power plant participation. These capabilities remain under consideration and are subject to future regulatory decisions.
3. Rooftop solar as a grid powerhouse
Rooftop solar is already making a measurable impact: it has helped WA’s grid set records for renewable penetration, with rooftop photovoltaic (PV) panels and other renewables reaching historically high shares of generation on sunny days. This trend is expected to continue into the 2030s, with rooftop systems accounting for a growing portion of the state’s energy mix and reducing pressure on traditional generation sources during peak solar hours.
4. Broader energy transition and policy alignment
Rooftop solar will not exist in a vacuum; it will be part of WA’s wider Distributed Energy Resources Roadmap, which aims to increase renewable penetration, improve grid resilience, and help the state work toward carbon and energy goals. Policy and regulatory frameworks developed over the next decade will be critical in ensuring rooftop solar contributes effectively to the grid while maintaining reliability and affordability.