The Australian PV Institute (APVI) has received grant funding from the Australian Government to explore opportunities for solar PV supply chains in Australia.
Announced by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), the $541,640 grant will support APVI’s $1.12 million “Silicon to Solar” study, which will look into policy options to support domestic manufacturing and diversified supply chains of solar PV.
The study will involve collaboration with industry stakeholders to help identify technical, commercial, and social licence barriers to increased domestic production of solar PVs.
According to ARENA, constraints and bottlenecks in global PV supply chains present an increased strategic risk to Australia.
The Australian Energy Market Operator recently estimated in its Integrated System Plan that Australia will need 120 GW of installed solar capacity by 2050, representing a four-fold increase in current capacity.
Meanwhile, ARENA’s own whitepaper on ultra-low-cost solar said 100 GW of installed capacity is needed to achieve part of the renewable energy superpower vision.
ARENA CEO Darren Miller said the study will pave the way towards more secure solar supply chains as the industry scales up dramatically.
“Low-cost solar generation will be the foundation stone of Australia’s net zero economy, so it’s vital that we have reliable supply chains,” Miller said.
According to ARENA, constraints and bottlenecks in global PV supply chains present an increased strategic risk to Australia.
The Australian Energy Market Operator recently estimated in its Integrated System Plan that Australia will need 120 GW of installed solar capacity by 2050, representing a four-fold increase in current capacity.
Meanwhile, ARENA’s own whitepaper on ultra-low-cost solar said 100 GW of installed capacity is needed to achieve part of the renewable energy superpower vision.
“With ARENA’s support, APVI will look at ways to secure our supply of the inputs into solar panels and find opportunities to reap the benefits of manufacturing at home,” Miller said.
“The PERC solar cell, invented right here in Australia, is core to over 80% of the cells manufactured today. Since its invention, local research has been at the forefront of innovation. The Silicon to Solar study will help us find ways to play an increased role in production,” the CEO added.
