When the couple bought a large property on the outskirts of Katherine there was one starkly obvious shortfall: no power lines crossed above the place.

Quotes to get connected reached into the hundreds of thousands, so the pair made a decision many dream of and few accomplish. They moved off the grid.

"We were forced into solar, but we've never looked back," Mr Hopkins said.

Though more extreme than most, Mr Hopkins joins a growing trend.

Hundreds of residents have tapped into Katherine's world class solar resources and unlocked big savings, while also helping the environment.

It is estimated about one in six houses in Katherine now have solar panels, and there are no signs the industry is slowing down.

The owners of Katherine Solar, Jake Groves and Leigh Fowkes, can attest to its runaway success.

The small business came onto the scene two years ago as solar was just taking off in Katherine.

What started as a team of two has rapidly expanded to eight.

"People are seeing the massive financial benefits, and as energy prices continue to go up people are wanting to combat that," Mr Fowkes said.

Demand for solar has exploded across Katherine, with schools and the council also taking advantage of the sunlight.

With the way things are going, Mr Fowkes said it won't be long before the amount of rooftops with solar outweighs those without.

While pointing out the obvious benefits to the environment, Mr Fowkes said most people are chasing the financial rewards that typically come with switching to solar.

Despite a large upfront cost, moving towards solar can save thousands, especially in the Northern Territory - one of the sunniest places in Australia.

Some residents who have switched to solar have reduced their bill to just $50, he said. Some are even in credit.

"All of our systems come with analytics, so we can see how much power people are using. We have seen multiple situations where people working from home running their aircon all day have bills spiraling out of control.

"But then they move to solar... We had a customer recently who was paying $1000 per quarter. We installed a three phase (9KW system) and their bill went down to $50 a quarter.

"A single phase system generally eliminates around $700 from bills,a three phase will cut about $1000, and any power not used is exported to the grid and reimbursed.

"It might be a big cost upfront, but it saves a lot down the track."

However, with an industry moving at lightning speed, and almost everyone wanting to jump on board, issues have arisen.

"I see a massive increase over the next few years. People are seeing that a solar system pays for itself in about three years and then electricity is more or less free.

"But there is a problem with everyone having solar right now because the grid would be absolutely saturated.

"It would put a huge strain on the NT grid, and the only way to combat that is to either create a hybrid system like South Australia or install batteries at each house, so people can store their own power for electricity through the night."

About a 30 minute drive along Florina Road and down a long dusty driveway to Mark Hopkin's house, electricity produced during the day is stored in batteries for use at night.

Originally, the single phase stand alone system cost $40,000, more than most.

"I've worked out that it will take about 10 to 11 years to pay off, so in about five years I am looking at no electricity costs what-so-ever other than maintenance."

His system generates more than enough power to run air conditioners at night, as well as the usual household appliances like fridges, fans and lights.

To keep batteries from overheating in a shed, he runs an additional air conditioner.

"It gives us a sense of pride to be self sufficient and doing our bit for the environment," he said.

"We live in the Northern Territory, so it seemed silly to not go down the route of solar."

Lauren Mellor from Protect Country Alliance says the mass move towards cleaner energy in Katherine should be a wake up call to the NT Government.

"The NT Government should be supporting these investments in our clean energy infrastructure by backing calls for battery storage in the Katherine-Darwin grid to ensure this level of positive growth in the solar sector can continue," she said.

"Without it, we'll start to see restrictions on new solar connecting to the grid, creating uncertainty in the market and killing investment and jobs."

She said the wide-spread uptake of solar is not only positive for the environment, but also the economy.

"The growth in rooftop solar across the Territory is creating hundreds of new jobs, while reducing power costs and lowering pollution by reducing the amount of gas and diesel burnt in our power plants," she said.

"While the Gunner Government is still recklessly investing public money into expanding expensive gas and fracking, households and businesses are leading the way and voting with their hip-pockets to produce cheaper, cleaner energy through solar power."

The NT Government lifted a controversial three-year moratorium on fracking at the beginning of 2018, launching residents of Katherine and environmentalists into action.

With a dramatic increase in public concern over climate change, calls have been to the government to ban fracking and back the transition to solar.

"Regions like sunny Katherine should be solar energy hubs, where everyone benefits from access to clean, low cost energy," Ms Mellor said.

"Fracking has proven to be a costly and polluting disaster in jurisdictions around the world. The huge volumes of water used, the increase in methane and chemical pollution, and the cutting up of landscapes and farmland with gasfields are all unavoidable impacts of this high-risk industry.

"The good news is with solar and renewables now the cheapest form of new build energy generation fracking is 100 per cent unnecessary for the world's energy supplies."

The NT Government has been contacted for comment.

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