Over the last few months, this briefing has looked at local trends in solar PV and electric vehicle uptake. We've put them side-by-side — and discovered another pattern.
😇 Key Takeaway
Geographically, solar and EV uptake move in opposite directions.
The maps below show Australia's capital cities.
When it comes to solar PV (maps on the left), the dots move from dark in the centre to light on the edges. That means solar uptake increases as you move away from the centre of the city.
Whereas for EVs and PHEVs (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles) (maps on the right), dots move from light in the centre to dark on the edges. That means EV uptake increases as you move towards the city.
I know what you're thinking ... duh.
😇 Halo Effect
But here's something more interesting to look out for — a 'halo effect'.
The halo is a ring of communities with moderately high levels of both solar PV and electric vehicles. These tend to sit around the centre of each city.
You can't see details in the maps below, but we'll dig into these communities another time. For now, let's just take in the trends.
A quick note - in the EV maps, you'll see a few bright yellow dots which indicate very high EV uptake. These are generally business districts and airports.