$500 million to support Solar PV Manufacturing Innovation in Australia

The ARENA Solar Sunset program (Round 1A) is offering grant funding to eligible applicants to support innovative solar PV manufacturing facilities in Australia across the solar supply chain.

The program will support manufacturing innovation focussed on modules, inputs to modules (e.g. solar glass and frames) and deployment system s(e.g. innovative solar racking).

Funding for a single project is expected to be in the range of $10 million - $350 million. Applications for funding requests outside of this range will be accepted at the discretion of ARENA.

Funded projects will be expected to contribute to the following outcomes:

• Support the development of a resilient and integrated solar PV supply chain.

• Support innovation and use of advanced automation in solar PV manufacturing and provide new economic opportunities.

• Reduce barriers to solar PV manufacturing.

• Develop pathways to enable sustainable and competitive solar PV supply chains, having regard for long term economic, social, and environmental sustainability.

ARENA expects that applications will involve commercial scale manufacturing of solar PV of at least TRL 8 and CRI 3 at the time manufacturing commences.

Eligibility:

• Applicants must hold an ABN and be an Australian entity incorporated under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth).

• Must demonstrate to the satisfaction of ARENA that the Project will primarily take place in Australia.

• Meet knowledge sharing eligibility criterion.

• Other eligibility criteria as outlined in the program guidelines here.

Expressions of Interest are due to be submitted by 10 December 2024.

Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to email solarsunshot@arena.gov.au to discuss their proposal with ARENA prior to submitting the online application.

For more information including the program guidelines, FAQ’s, and to view the online webinar click here.

Need help with your application, including an independent review and feedback, contact GrantSmart here to request an initial telephone or Teams chat.