Contrary to the treasurer's claim, installing solar panels is more popular in Queensland's poorer areas than its wealthier suburbs

This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

Queensland treasurer Tim Nicholls has described solar panels as the preserve of the "champagne sippers and the latte set" while attacking a solar bonus scheme set up by Queensland Labor.

Nicholls suggests that installing solar panels is more popular with wealthier, metropolitan residents than it is with those in regional or outer suburb areas. This claim should be relatively straightforward to test, as the Clean Energy Regulator publishes regular statistics on the number of small-scale solar power generating units in each postcode.



I have been unable to find data showing the number of lattes consumed by postcode, but the tax office does publish statistics showing the total taxable income by postcode, along with the number of individuals making tax returns in each postcode.



From this, we can work out the number of solar installations per taxable person for Queensland postcodes, along with the average taxable income. I've used the number of solar installations as at the end of 2012, as the most recent ATO figures are for the financial year ending 2012.



Plotting one against the other shows a clear trend of solar installations decreasing as income increases:



Facebook Twitter Pinterest solar installations decreasing as income increases: Photograph: /Nick Evershed

This tells us that poorer Queensland suburbs are more likely to have a greater number of solar installations than wealthier suburbs.

Here are the top 10 Queensland postcodes by total number of solar installations:



Nine of the top postcodes are below the average income level of the state, $62,843.

Across Australia the trend is similar, according to an analysis published by a renewable energy certificate company that used census data to get the number of dwellings per postcode.



Its analysis found the same trend held nationally, albeit not as strongly, with the number of installations per household decreasing as the income percentile rose.



You can also see how these trends play out geographically with our previously published map of solar installations by electorate.

