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Need To Know
- Energy production is the world's largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. Burning fossil fuels for energy accounts for about 79% of total emissions globally and in Australia.
- Energy is a broad term covering electricity, transport, and stationary energy. Stationary energy refers to fuel burned outside transport, such as in power plants and buildings—heating is a major factor.
- OnlyFacts' energy section focuses on Australia's largest emitting sector—electricity—which accounts for 35% of emissions and is transitioning to lower-carbon sources.
What OnlyFacts Covers
We cover electricity data through two lenses:
- As a sub-topic within Emissions (focused on electricity-related emissions, including emissions intensity of each fuel).
- As a major topic on its own (covering fuels powering electricity grids, the renewables vs. fossil fuels mix, and local-level installations).
How to Read the Data
Key Concepts
- Energy Generation vs. Consumption: Energy data is often split into generation and consumption:
- Generation = How much energy is produced
- Consumption = How much energy is used
- 📌 Because the data for generation and consumption are nearly identical, OnlyFacts only displays one. We generally use consumption. I.e. Demand.
- Electricity Markets:
- Australia uses a patchwork of electricity markets and transmission networks to trade and transport electricity between different regions.
- Getting a national view of Australia's electricity data means stitching this patchwork together.
- Currently, the data on OnlyFacts only represents the National Electricity Market (NEM), which covers every state and territory except for WA and NT.
Key Terminology
- GW v GWh
- Gigawatt (GW): A measure of instantaneous power.
- Gigawatt-hour (GWh): A measure of energy used or generated over time.
- Together, power and energy describe the capacity of electricity systems and their ability to meet demand. 👉 To learn more, read our guide to energy measurements.
- Energy Installation 'units'
- We track installations of 'units' of solar PV, solar water heater and air source heat pump.
- 'Unit' refers to a complete system installed at a home or business.
Main Energy Dashboard
The Energy dashboard shows:
- Yesterday’s fuel mix – which fuels powered the NEM.
- Renewables vs. fossil fuels – the overall grid mix.
- State renewables usage – how each state used renewables (NEM states only).
- Interstate Energy Trade – which states imported/exported energy.
📍 Tip: Use the geolocation dropdown (top right) to switch to state or territory dashboards.
Fuels Dashboard
The Fuel dashboard shows:
- The data and trends for every major fuel source in the NEM: black coal, brown coal, gas, solar, wind, hydro and biomass.
📍 Use the geolocation dropdown (top right) to switch to state or territory dashboards.
Renewables Dashboard
The Renewables dashboard shows:
- Renewables in the Grid - how renewable fuels are contributing to electricity demands.
- Target Tracker - Progress against targets.
- Capacity Building - Renewables capacity in Australia and worldwide.
Solar Dashboard
The Solar dashboard shows:
- Solar in the Grid – how solar is contributing to electricity demands.
- Utility Solar Power – large-scale solar farms feeding the grid.
- Rooftop Solar Power – small-scale solar on homes and businesses.
- Rooftop Solar Installations – monthly data on new solar panel installs.
- Water Heater Installations – monthly data on new solar water heaters.
👇 Click a state, LGA, or postcode name in the installations tables for detailed data history.
Installations Dashboard
The Installations dashboard shows a deep dive on solar installations by local area
Imports & Exports Dashboards
Australia’s National Electricity Market (NEM) lets states trade electricity based on supply and demand. The Imports and Exports dashboard shows:
- Interstate trade - Which states export or import energy.
Data Sources & Updates
- NEM Fuel Mix – Open Electricity (updated daily)
- Renewables Capacity – IRENA (updated annually)
- Solar Installations – Clean Energy Regulator (updated monthly)
Get Started: Explore Transport Data
Step 1: View the Main Energy Dashboard
- Go to the Energy Dashboard
- You'll see the small picture (yesterday’s fuel mix) and the big picture ( renewables v fossil fuels)
- Use the geo dropdown to explore state-level data.
Step 2: Explore Renewable
- Go to the Renewables Dashboard
- You'll see progress of renewables against targets
- Scroll to ‘Renewables Capacity – Worldwide’ and click ‘All Countries’ for a global view.
Step 3: Find Local Solar Installations
- Go to the Installations Dashboard
- You'll see rooftop solar and water heater installations by state, LGA, and postcode.
- Click any state, LGA or postcode for a detailed data history.
- Click the ‘All LGAs’ or ‘ All postcodes’ buttons for full lists
Explore the Energy dashboard now.
