KEY POINTS
• Australia has become the first country to endorse the Global Rooftop Solar Declaration, which seeks to double the number of solar powered homes worldwide to 300 million by 2030.
• The declaration calls for simpler installation rules, affordable household financing, stronger electricity grids, more storage and a larger skilled workforce.
• The initiative is being promoted ahead of COP31 in Türkiye, with its backers urging governments at national, regional and local levels to sign on.
MAIN STORY
Australia has endorsed a global initiative seeking to double the number of homes using rooftop solar to 300 million by 2030, making household solar a prominent issue ahead of the COP31 climate summit in November.
The Global Rooftop Solar Declaration was endorsed by Chris Bowen, Australia’s Minister for Climate Change and Energy and President of Negotiations for COP31, during the 2026 Pacific Pre COP meeting in Fiji.
The declaration provides a framework for governments to make residential solar and battery systems easier and less costly for households to adopt. Its proposed measures include reducing administrative barriers to installation, expanding access to affordable finance, improving electricity grids and developing more local workers with the skills required to support the sector.
The declaration forms the policy framework for the 300 Million Solar Homes initiative, which estimates that about 150 million homes worldwide currently have rooftop solar. The initiative is seeking another 150 million solar homes by 2030. The Global Solar Council, Solar Citizens and Smart Energy Council Australia are among the organisations supporting the campaign and have called on governments to endorse it.
The initiative comes as rooftop solar and battery storage continue to expand as part of the global energy system. The Global Solar Council says the two technologies could account for 42 per cent of solar growth and 34 per cent of renewable energy growth by 2030.
The campaign also presents rooftop solar as an energy security measure for households facing volatile electricity and fuel costs. According to the Global Solar Council, an Australian household can save as much as AU$1,500 annually from solar alone, although actual savings depend on household circumstances and system use.
Australia has one of the world’s highest rates of household solar adoption, with rooftop systems installed on more than 40 per cent of homes, according to the declaration’s backers. The country’s rooftop systems also supply about one eighth of its electricity.
The declaration points to the Pacific as another area where solar and storage are being deployed. It says five islands in Tonga now operate entirely on solar and battery storage.
Australia’s endorsement comes shortly before COP31, which will be held in Antalya, Türkiye, in November. The 2026 Pacific Pre COP meeting brought together ministers and other participants from more than 50 countries and focused on accelerating the clean energy transition ahead of the summit.
The Global Rooftop Solar Declaration is voluntary and non binding. Its backers are now seeking wider government support for the measures needed to increase household solar deployment.
THE ISSUES
- The central challenge is no longer simply whether rooftop solar technology exists, but whether households can access it at a cost and under conditions that make adoption practical. The declaration therefore places emphasis on finance, installation rules and grid connections alongside the technology itself.
- Greater household solar deployment also creates demands on electricity networks. The declaration calls for grid modernisation and increased storage as governments seek to integrate more distributed generation into their electricity systems.
- The proposed expansion would create demand for installers, technicians and other skilled workers. Workforce development is therefore included among the measures governments are being encouraged to support.
- For households, the appeal extends beyond climate policy to electricity costs and energy security. The campaign’s supporters argue that generating and storing electricity at home can give consumers greater control over their energy supply and reduce exposure to volatile fuel costs.
- The 300 million target represents a significant acceleration in deployment. The initiative is asking governments to move rooftop solar from individual household programmes into a broader energy policy priority.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
“Families everywhere want to bring down their energy bills, and rooftop solar and storage lets them do just that. It took the world around 30 years to reach the first 150 million solar homes. We want to add the next 150 million in just four years. Australia’s support and practical experience in implementation is exactly what we need to realise that ambition in every corner of the world.”
– Sonia Dunlop, CEO, Global Solar Council
“Rooftop and home solar is the sleeping giant in global climate diplomacy, despite powering millions of homes. This pivotal Declaration provides a pathway to rapidly change that. We now call on national, state and local leaders around the world to sign onto the Global Rooftop Solar Declaration ahead of COP31 and help bring the benefits of home solar to millions more people.”
– Heidi Lee Douglas, CEO, Solar Citizens
“Solar is the cheapest, cleanest form of power in the world. Australia already leads the world in rooftop solar and home batteries, and today we have shown that the Australian Government is prepared to take that leadership globally. Rooftop solar cuts power bills, gives countries greater control over their own energy and protects households and economies from volatile fuel costs and supply.”
– David McElrea, CEO, Smart Energy Council Australia
WHAT’S NEXT
The declaration’s supporters are seeking endorsements from other national, regional and local governments ahead of COP31. The framework calls for action on permitting, finance, grid integration, storage, consumer protection, workforce development and access for underserved communities.
BOTTOM LINE
Australia’s endorsement gives the 300 Million Solar Homes campaign its first national government backing ahead of COP31. The initiative now faces the harder task of getting other governments to translate the voluntary declaration into policies that make household solar and storage more affordable and accessible.
