Characterizing Australian Solar Resource Variability and Solar Droughts With Himawari‐8/9

Abstract Solar energy is central to decarbonization and national energy plans, yet its deployment is limited by gaps in understanding how solar irradiance varies in space and time. We present the first continent‐scale, sub‐daily analysis of solar resource variability using Himawari‐8/9 satellite data for Australia's renewable energy zones. We apply metrics capturing average irradiance, persistence, and spatial synchrony of cloudy conditions. Southern Australia experiences persistent low irradiance events in the winter but show limited seasonality in cloud cover. Convectively driven short events occur in the north, and inland regions are generally more resilient than coastal zones. Midday is consistently the clearest period, but correlations across southeastern zones increase the risk of simultaneous generation deficits. These results highlight the importance of accounting for both local variability and inter‐regional connectivity, providing a framework to better leverage Australia's solar resources, enhance system reliability, and support solar PV integration into a decarbonized power system.