Over the past months I’ve examined the relationship between the stick and the carrot.  And, on virtually every occasion, the stick has beaten seven shades out of the carrot.  But you have to love Australia for showing that the carrot still has the odd sucker punch left in him.

Australian figures on the government’s solar panel rebate take-up down under show the solar industry is growing quickly.

Aussie environment minister Peter Garrett said an average of 522 applications have been lodged weekly since the Federal Budget announcement of the $8000 rebate, according to the Australian paper News.com.

This is great news. Based on those figures that’s more than 25,000 per year.

It does show what can be done and could be a key case study for the likes of Obama and McCain in the US presidential race.  And, possibly, Cameron and Brown (or maybe Milliband) in the next UK election race.

Commenting on the figures, Rob Jackson of Australia’s Clean Energy Council stated in the press release:

“The figures demonstrated that the Australian solar PV industry continued to move from strength to strength.”