ARENA has announced over $3.2 million in funding for two solar projects aimed at achieving ultra low-cost solar power. 

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) says PV Lighthouse Pty Ltd and Built Robotics Australia Pty Ltd will receive $1.97 million and $1.3 million, respectively, to unlock more than $6.5 million in total funding across both projects.

ARENA CEO Darren Miller highlighted the importance of these projects in improving solar photovoltaic (PV) technology, making it more efficient and quicker to deploy. 

“Ultra low-cost solar is Australia’s key to achieving the renewable energy transition and reaching our net zero goals. Automation and efficiency are both leading tools in driving down costs. Both projects are exploring innovative approaches to doing just this,” Miller stated. 

PV Lighthouse’s project will enhance its SunSolve yield modelling software to increase the accuracy of power output forecasts and reduce uncertainty and risk during planning and development.

“Before SunSolve existed, developers did not have a modelling solution that could accurately represent their structures and modules,” said Keith McIntosh, Founder and CEO of PV Lighthouse.

“This meant they had to guesstimate several of the loss factors required for their yield forecasts. Now developers can rapidly calculate these factors with SunSolve, giving them greater confidence in their forecasts – a key advantage when negotiating project financing.”

Built Robotics' project will automate the pile driving processes involved in constructing utility-scale solar farms, which are currently labour and time-intensive. 

The design and piloting of first and second-generation prototype robots have the potential to reduce piling time and labour costs by approximately 82 per cent and 88 per cent, respectively, thereby increasing installation efficiency and safety. 

ARENA's goal is to reduce the installed cost of solar projects to 30 cents per watt and achieve a levelised cost of electricity below $20 per megawatt-hour by 2030. 

This initiative could unlock a total installed capacity of 1 terawatt of solar PV by 2050.

These projects are part of ARENA's broader $100 million Solar ScaleUp Challenge, a global initiative intended to stimulate greater innovation and collaboration in the solar sector, realise ultra low-cost solar vision, and accelerate the deployment of large-scale solar projects.