General News
3 March, 2026
Barwon tops the state for solar power take up
The Barwon electorate has topped the state for solar panel adoption as state government figures
The Barwon electorate has topped the state for solar panel adoption as state government figures show nearly 25,000 western NSW properties have now turned to the sun as their preferred renewable energy option.
The latest state government data revealed that Barwon recorded a total of 24,537 solar panel installations, followed by a number of north coast electorates, with Dubbo in sixth spot with 20,581 installations recorded.
NSW leads the country in rooftop solar with more than one-million homes and businesses that now have rooftop solar; a third of all NSW homes, minister for energy, Penny Sharpe said.
“From the Far West to the Northern Rivers, regional NSW is leading the charge on rooftop solar,” Ms Sharpe enthused.
“In the final quarter of last year, solar farms and rooftop solar provided 32 per cent of our state’s electricity,” she added.
State member for Barwon, Roy Butler, in his regular electoral newsletter, said that it's logical that western NSW would top the state for solar take-up.
"Given that Barwon covers 44 per cent of the state, in an area that has a higher number of sunny days than electorates in the eastern part of the state, it is not surprising that solar is considered a good option; there are more days for people, or businesses, to be able to harvest the power of the sun," Mr Butler said.
"Weather extremes in many parts of Barwon and the energy demands of running large properties, means they tend to consume more energy per capita. There can also be higher charges for consumers in places where there are relatively few connections and the provider needs to service a large area; residents of Barwon know that if they can get a good installation of solar, they can save money in the long-term," he added.
“In the list of the top 10 electorates with rooftop solar Barwon was number one, but there were mostly regional electorates in the top ten. It shows that people in the bush are strong adopters of new technology and are not in principle opposed to renewables. But the key thing here is choice.
“When the decision is not imposed on them without consultation country people can see the benefits of harnessing the sun’s abundant power,” said Mr Butler.
