Australian solar innovator SunDrive is set to accelerate its transition from laboratory breakthrough to market-ready technology, thanks to up to $25.3 million in new funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).
Under the Advancing Renewables Program, this latest investment will support SunDrive in its collaboration with leading solar cell equipment manufacturing players Maxwell and Vistar to scale and commercialise its copper metallisation solar cell technology, from R&D at its Kurnell facility in New South Wales, to a 300 MW commercial scale production tool.
SunDrive's copper-based process replaces silver in solar cells, aiming to cut costs and improve efficiency, supporting ARENA's Ultra Low-Cost Solar goal. By building and testing new tools and upgrading its facility, SunDrive is working to bring this Australian innovation closer to real-world use, helping to reduce the cost of solar panels and supporting the growth of clean energy.
The funding will support SunDrive to upgrade its Kurnell facility to enable local development, deployment and refinement of production tools to further advance the technology, as well as undertake cost modelling to support the commercialisation pathway. Modules will be produced at SunDrive's facility for in-field testing and early market acceptance.
These efforts will accelerate the adoption of copper-based solar cells and generate new licensing revenue streams for SunDrive.
ARENA CEO Darren Miller said ARENA has been a long-term supporter of SunDrive, watching them grow from humble beginnings in a Sydney garage to a leader in solar innovation.
"By tackling one of the biggest cost items in solar cell manufacturing, SunDrive is demonstrating how Australian research can drive next-generation solar innovation. Not only is copper more abundant and cheaper than silver, but SunDrive's unique manufacturing process also results in higher cell and module efficiencies which could have huge benefits for global decarbonisation efforts," Mr Miller said.
"We're providing a further $25 million in funding to help scale up SunDrive's technology which could significantly help push the boundaries of efficiency and affordability and unlock the potential of ultra low-cost solar."
SunDrive CEO Natalie Malligan said this funding marks a major step in SunDrive's journey, taking the leap from world-leading research to commercial reality.
"It's a strong validation of our strategy to develop world-class solar innovation here in Australia and partner with the best in the industry to industrialise it. It shows how Australian innovation can compete globally, and how with the right support, we can take homegrown technology to the world."
SunDrive Co-Founder Vince Allen said together with Maxwell we've already broken world records in cell efficiency.
"This next phase builds on that success and represents the culmination of our work to translate our copper plating technology into the industrial tools that will define the next generation of solar cell technology. With silver prices nearly tripling in three years and solar now using a third of global industrial silver, the industry urgently needs a silver-free alternative. With ARENA's support and our partners' expertise, this project intends to deliver a scalable mass-production solution."
The project builds on previous ARENA funding of $14 million to demonstrate SunDrive's copper metallisation technology. To date, ARENA has provided over $388 million to over 200 solar research and development projects.
