Australia launches solar R&D fund to cut PV costs
The Australian government has announced AUD 60 million ($39.1 million) in new funding for R&D projects that promise to accelerate cost reductions for PV and help meet the stretch target for “ultra low-cost” solar production.
The Australian government has announced AUD 60 million ($39.1 million) in new funding for R&D projects that promise to accelerate cost reductions for PV and help meet the stretch target for “ultra low-cost” solar production.
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has launched a new AUD 60 million funding round to support R&D projects that can help make the federal government’s ultra-low-cost solar stretch goal a reality.
The goal seeks to reduce the installed cost of solar to AUD 0.30/W and bring the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) below AUD 20/MWh by 2030.
The new funds will be allocated equally across two streams, the first covering solar cells and modules and the second targeting cost reductions in balance of system, operations and maintenance.
ARENA CEO Darren Miller said the new funding round provides an opportunity for Australian universities, research groups, start-ups and entrepreneurs to help develop solutions and technologies that materially reduce the levelised cost of solar.
“Demand for renewable electricity is expected to increase significantly as Australia moves towards net zero,” Miller said. “Ultra low-cost solar PV is a critical source of electricity to meet this demand and will be a crucial enabler of the energy transition.”
The AUD 60 million funding round will target six focus areas across the two streams. It will seek to increase efficiency, reduce cost and improve stability of cells and modules. It will also aim to reduce balance of system deployment and operations and maintenance costs, cut the LCOE and increase yield of PV technology.
ARENA has already helped drive significant cost reductions in the cost of large-scale solar projects in Australia, subsidizing the first-generation solar farms constructed in Australia, which led to dramatic reductions in the cost of building subsequent projects.
To date, the agency has provided more than AUD 120 million to solar R&D and an additional AUD 104 million to support the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics (ACAP).
“ARENA has been at the forefront of investing in solar innovation since the Agency was established 13 years ago and has materially shifted the renewable energy landscape in Australia,” Miller said.
“Our ultra low-cost vision recognizes that solar must be cheaper still to support and enable the renewable energy transition, especially if we are to decarbonize heavy industry and create new export industries. This funding round is seeking the pioneering innovation Australia is so well known for in solar PV to achieve that vision.”
Miller said ARENA’s support has enabled researchers to push the limits of solar cell efficiency by exploring advanced characterization techniques, enhancing solar cell and module reliability and stability, applying artificial intelligence and machine learning to better monitor and optimize PV system performance, and pioneering recycling solutions to reduce waste and support a circular solar economy.
It has also supported the development of next-generation technologies, including tandem solar cells, lightweight flexible panels and innovative manufacturing processes.
Expressions of interest for the Solar PV R&D funding round are now open.
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