physics

Large-scale Renewable Energy Target

Large-scale Renewable Energy Target is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Large-scale Renewable Energy Target rather than just read about it. In short: The Large-scale Renewable Energy Target (LRET) is an Australian Government scheme that provides financial incentives for the construction and operation of large-scale renewable energy power stations. It is one of two parts of the Renewable Energy Target (RET), alongside the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES).

Key takeaways

Large-scale Renewable Energy Target belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Large-scale Renewable Energy Target to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Large-scale Renewable Energy Target from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Large-scale Renewable Energy Target (LRET) is an Australian Government scheme that provides financial incentives for the construction and operation of large-scale renewable energy power stations. It is one of two parts of the Renewable Energy Target (RET), alongside the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES). The scheme is administered by the Clean Energy Regulator. The LRET was established in January 2011 when the original Renewable Energy Target was split into the LRET and SRES under the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000. The scheme requires 33,000 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of renewable electricity generation annually from 2021 through 2030, when the legislation sunsets.

History The original Mandatory Renewable Energy Target (MRET) was announced in 1997 and came into effect on 1 April 2001 under the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000. The initial target was 9,500 GWh of additional renewable electricity by 2010. In 2009, the target was increased to 41,000 GWh by 2020, representing approximately 20% of Australia's electricity supply. However, rapid uptake of small-scale rooftop solar created an oversupply of certificates, and in May 2010 the government announced the RET would be split into two separate schemes from 1 January 2011. Following the 2014 Warburton Review, the LRET target was reduced in June 2015 to 33,000 GWh annually from 2021 through 2030, ending almost two years of investment uncertainty. In September 2019, the Clean Energy Regulator confirmed that enough capacity had been approved to meet the 33,000 GWh target. The target was met on a 12-month rolling basis in January 2021.

How the scheme works Accredited renewable energy power stations with a capacity generally greater than 100 kilowatts create large-scale generation certificates (LGCs). One LGC represents one megawatt-hour (MWh) of eligible renewable electricity generated and fed into the grid. Electricity retailers and other "liable entities" are required to surrender a set number of LGCs to the Clean Energy Regulator each year, calculated by multiplying their wholesale electricity acquisitions by the Renewable Power Percentage (RPP). Entities that fail to surrender sufficient certificates pay a non-tax-deductible shortfall charge of $65 per certificate. Power stations can create LGCs for up to 20 years from the year they first generate electricity. Eligible renewable energy sources include wind power, solar power, hydroelectric power and landfill gas.

Statistics In the second quarter of 2025, large-scale renewable generation reached a record 27.7% of all electricity in the National Electricity Market, totalling 14.9 TWh. Wind power contributed 7.6 TWh, hydroelectricity 3.7 TWh, and utility-scale solar 3.6 TWh. A record 14.2 million LGCs were created in the first quarter of 2025, followed by 13.0 million in the second quarter, up 17% year-on-year.

LGC prices The LGC market has been in surplus since 2021, when supply first exceeded legislative demand. LGC spot prices declined from approximately $34 per certificate in the fourth quarter of 2024 to around $9 per certificate by the fourth quarter of 2025. Growing voluntary corporate demand for LGCs has partially absorbed the excess supply.

See also Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme Renewable energy targets in Australia Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000 Renewable energy in Australia Solar power in Australia

References

External links Large-scale Renewable Energy Target - Clean Energy Regulator Large-scale renewable energy data - Clean Energy Regulator Australian renewable energy installation statistics - Why Solar

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Large-scale Renewable Energy Target

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Large-scale Renewable Energy Target claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Large-scale Renewable Energy Target before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Large-scale Renewable Energy Target ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Large-scale Renewable Energy Target

In research: Large-scale Renewable Energy Target appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Large-scale Renewable Energy Target in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Large-scale Renewable Energy Target is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Climate change in Australia, Energy policy of Australia, Renewable energy in Australia, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Large-scale Renewable Energy Target outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Large-scale Renewable Energy Target in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Large-scale Renewable Energy Target means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Large-scale Renewable Energy Target out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Large-scale Renewable Energy Target in simple terms?

Why does Large-scale Renewable Energy Target matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Large-scale Renewable Energy Target?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Large-scale Renewable Energy Target.