2020 IB Extended Essays

Conclusion

In conclusion, the solar panel subsidy in Australia that was introduced in 2009 was effective in

increasing sales of solar panels. This has been demonstrated by the data in this essay, with primary

data from a survey conducted on homeowners with solar panels also suggesting that the subsidy

influenced them to buy solar panels. While the subsidy has influenced people to buy solar panels,

people have also been discouraged to buy solar panels due to the decrease in subsidy,

advancements in technology have caused the price of solar panels to drop by 50% in 10 years. This

trend is expected to continue, meaning that normal consumers will still be saving large amounts of

money. There have been trends in the graphs above, that show that sales have increased due to the

subsidy which answers the research question of ‘To what extent did subsidies on solar panels affect

sales in Australia from 2009 to 2019?’. While there was bias involved with the data used, it was

addressed and evaluated in order to minimize reliance on biased data.

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