Funding boost for ultra-low-cost solar

ARENA has invested $11 million in new technology that has the potential to accelerate ultra-low-cost solar.

The recipient of the funding is Australian solar technology company SunDrive Solar. Rather than using silver, the metal most commonly used when converting a bare silicon wafer into a finished solar cell, SunDrive has developed a cell metallisation technology that uses copper, a metal that is approximately 100 times cheaper and 1000 times more abundant.

Currently, silver accounts for approximately half the cost of converting a bare silicon wafer into a finished solar cell and solar manufacturing accounts for approximately 25% of the world’s annual industrial silver consumption. The use of copper instead could help the world to rapidly scale up solar manufacturing and support meeting net zero commitments.

The technology also has environmental benefits as copper is easier to recycle and is less carbon intensive in the manufacturing process.

Solar PV and wind are already recognised as the lowest-cost form of generation in Australia today; however, further cost reductions are required to optimise Australia’s transition to renewable electricity and to enable future industries such as renewable hydrogen and low-emissions metals. For this reason, ARENA has a strategic priority to enable ultra-low-cost solar.

“To make ultra-low-cost solar a reality, it is crucial that our scientists and researchers keep innovating and improving solar cells and module design,” said ARENA CEO Darren Miller.

“SunDrive’s technology that replaces silver with copper is a potential game changer and highlights why now is the time to invest in technologies for our future economic success.”

SunDrive is aiming to produce an advanced solar module at an installed price that is 20–30% cheaper than other high-efficiency solar modules on the market. The company has previously received $3 million in ARENA funding to demonstrate its copper metallisation technology to the prototype scale of 1.5 MW per year.

“With ARENA’s continued support, SunDrive, an Australian-founded company, has been able to compete with the world’s largest solar PV companies to produce the world’s most efficient commercial size solar cell,” said SunDrive Co-founder and CEO Vince Allen.

ARENA recently released a white paper on the potential of ultra-low-cost solar for Australia and the world.

Image caption: The SunDrive cell.