In the first week of the $150 million solar funding announcement on 8 May, BCSE Accreditation Manager Mike Russell was overrun with 150 phone calls. The usual number of calls before the announcement was about 10 calls a week.

About 90 per cent of calls were from electricians seeking accreditation for solar PV grid-connection but there were also calls from the general public seeking information about training in solar PV installation.

Mr Russell said things had been warming up in terms of accreditation and training inquiries before the Budget, but that since the Budget it had “gone ballistic”.

Solar PV retailers have also had unprecedented demand for information about installing PV systems, especially 1 kW grid-connected systems.

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Origin Energy reported a four-fold increase in inquiries from the general public about installing PV, from an average of 250 calls a week before the Federal Budget to 1000 calls a week afterwards. Inquiries to Origin from electricians also rose rapidly, from an average of one or two phone calls a week to between 30 and 40 calls a week after the Budget.

And Going Solar recorded about 120 calls and emails from the public in the week of the Budget, compared with the usual average of 20 inquiries a week.

Qualified electricians must do 60 hours of training that ensures they comply with Australian Standards on the installation of solar PV systems.

But for the first time Registered Training Organisations such as TAFEs are considering integrating solar PV grid-connection training into the standard three-year electrician apprenticeship.

The surge of inquiries for training is so strong that the Skills Tech Institute in Brisbane cannot take any more enrolments. The BCSE is now keeping a waiting list, which already has over 50 names on it.

There’s also a current shortage of solar PV-installation teachers all over Australia.

The BCSE is looking to work with the Federal Government and state agencies on industry development, skills shortages and training issues. The recent Budget funding included support for training and accreditation of solar panel installers.

In addition to the on-grid rebates, the off-grid rebates under the Renewable Remote Power Generation Program (RRPGP) are set to recommence in July this year, and will also be expanded to states such as Victoria which weren’t previously eligible.

The $123 million program expansion announced in August last year will offer approximately a 50 per cent rebate on the renewable energy components of remote, or ‘stand-alone’, power systems.