Australia is leading by example in the effort to use more solar power as an alternative to using finite and contaminating resources like fossil fuels, according to a recent article in EnergyMatters.Com.Au.

According to the Clean Energy Council’s (CEC) Clean Energy Australia 2010 report, Australia installed more rooftop solar power between January and October of 2010 than it did in the past 10 years combined.

Not only were 100,000 solar power systems installed in the country this year as opposed to 81,000 in the previous decade, but more home solar power systems were also installed and commissioned for each month between January and October, 2010 than the sum total of each year in the history of the Australian solar industry.

According to Energy Matters, the increased use of solar energy in Australia can be attributed to the technology’s increased affordability, increasing electricity prices, and the reduction of the Solar Credits rebate next year.

In terms of renewable energy overall, the Clean Energy Council report stated that 8.67 percent of Australia’s electricity was generated by renewable sources such as solar energy and wind energy, a dramatic improvement over previous years.

After this year, it seems likely Australia will reach its Renewable Energy Target of 20 percent by 2050. This type of growth is expected to create 55,000 jobs in the renewable energy sector, reports Energy Matters.

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