PV research powerhouse wins fresh Arena funding to pursue ultra-low cost solar

Australia’s flagship solar research program, the University of New South Wales-led Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics (ACAP), has secured another six years of federal funding to continue its world-leading work on foundational PV technologies and ultra-low cost solar.

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (Arena) announced this week that its funding of ACAP was being extended out to 2033 with an additional $95.4 million towards a $220 million national research initiative that is supported by co-investment from ACAP’s seven universities, and industry partners.

ACAP says the funding delivers the long-term certainty needed to deliver the next major wave of solar breakthroughs, that will make it even cheaper, more durable and more scalable than ever, while strengthening Australia’s role in the global clean-energy transition. 

“Solar is still a relatively young technology with plenty of scope to improve,” ACAP executive director Professor Renate Egan said in a statement on Thursday.

“Arena’s significant investment is ultimately about what happens next. Just as the breakthroughs of the 1980s helped create the modern solar industry, the research being funded today will help define the energy system of the 2030s and 2040s.”

“ACAP 3.0 is focused on reducing solar’s cost while improving performance, durability  and sustainability, so it can scale to the multi-terawatt levels the world requires, and  power a prosperous net zero future for Australia,” Egan says. 

ACAP’s Professor Renate Egan. Image supplied

Arena CEO Darren Miller the federal agency’s fresh commitment to Australian solar R&D continues a research story that began in the 1970s and helped  transform solar into the world’s fastest-growing energy technology.

“Australia has some of the best solar researchers in the world, and ACAP has been instrumental in turning that expertise into globally recognised breakthroughs,” Miller said this week.

“This extension ensures Australia can continue to be a leader in solar innovation, driving down the cost of manufacturing next-generation solar technologies and supporting Australia’s clean energy transition.” 

Continuing a solar legacy

Established in 2013 with Arena support and led by UNSW Sydney, ACAP is a collaboration between the Australian National University, CSIRO, University of Melbourne, Monash University, University of Queensland and University of Sydney, alongside industry partners and global manufacturers.

“We have an extraordinary legacy, beginning with Professor Martin Green and his team at UNSW, whose breakthroughs in high-efficiency silicon solar cells enabled the modern PV manufacturing industry,” says Egan.

“That legacy endures in ACAP’s deep ties to global manufacturers and our world-leading researchers, ensuring ACAP’s innovations translate quickly to impact.”

Egan says that through ACAP-backed innovations like SunDrive’s copper-based solar cells and Hello Again Solar’s laser-based and chemical-free patented solar panel recycling technology have demonstrated how Australian research can translate directly into commercial opportunities. 

“Another pioneering technology receiving wide recognition and on the cusp of  commercialisation is Lab 360 Solar which is delivering advanced drone-based, daylight  photoluminescence (DPL) imaging of solar farms for high resolution diagnostics,” she says. 

“At the same time, our work in silicon materials and defect control led by teams at ANU is giving manufacturers clearer pathways to higher efficiency and yield. 

“In parallel, our research at UNSW on field performance and reliability, including  corrosion and UV-induced degradation in TOPCon technologies, is directly shaping  industry testing protocols and design approaches, ensuring solar modules deliver long term performance in real-world conditions.” 

“These advances and opportunities are underpinned by the deep skills base developed  through ACAP.” 

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