The Hon. Penny Sharpe, Minister for Energy (NSW), Media Release, 24 February 2026
The latest data reveals that households and businesses in regional NSW are leading the charge in rooftop solar adoption, accounting for nine of the top ten electorates for installations.
NSW leads the country in rooftop solar with more than 1 million homes and businesses that now have rooftop solar – a third of all NSW homes.
When the sun is shining, rooftop solar is producing more power than all of our coal fired power stations. In the final quarter of last year, rooftop solar and solar farms combined provided 32 per cent of our state’s electricity.
The Barwon electorate in the state’s north-west has emerged as the leader with 24,537 homes and businesses with rooftop solar, followed closely by the Northern Rivers region with 22,743 in Ballina and 22,162 in Lismore.
While Riverstone in Sydney’s Northwest ranks as the fifth highest electorate in NSW for solar uptake, it takes the number one spot for battery installations in the country with around 1,500 households opting to capture their rooftop solar for use around the clock.
The top 10 solar electorates in NSW:
| Electorate | Solar PV installation |
| Barwon | 24,537 |
| Ballina | 22,743 |
| Lismore | 22,162 |
| Tweed | 22,161 |
| Riverstone | 21,037 |
| Dubbo | 20,584 |
| Clarence | 20,506 |
| Oxley | 19,790 |
| Port Macquarie | 19,457 |
| Albury | 19,161 |
Full list of all solar installations by electorates: https://bit.ly/3OsWnEM
An average 4-person household with a 6.6kW solar system could save up to $1,400 per year.
Quote attributable to the Minister for Energy Penny Sharpe:
“From the Far West to the Northern Rivers, regional NSW is leading the charge on rooftop solar.
“In the final quarter of last year, solar farms and rooftop solar provided 32 per cent of our state’s electricity.
“Families and businesses are saving on their bill with solar, and the highest concentration is in the regions and Western Sydney.”
