ARENA Invests in Solar Robotics and Software

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is set to invest more than $3.2 million into two groundbreaking solar projects, furthering Australia's renewable energy transition. PV Lighthouse will receive $1.97 million to expand its SunSolve yield modelling software, while Built Robotics will get $1.3 million for its autonomous piling robots project. Together, these investments unlock over $6.5 million in total funding, aiming to make solar PV technology more efficient and faster to deploy.

ARENA CEO Darren Miller emphasized the significance of these projects, stating, “Ultra low-cost solar is Australia’s key to achieving the renewable energy transition and reaching our net zero goals. Automation and efficiency are leading tools in driving down costs.” PV Lighthouse's SunSolve project aims to enhance the accuracy of power output forecasts, reducing uncertainty during planning and development. This improvement is crucial for securing investment in emerging technologies, supporting ARENA's vision for ultra low-cost solar.

Built Robotics’ project will automate the pile-driving processes for constructing utility-scale solar farms. Traditional methods are labor-intensive and time-consuming. The new prototype robots could reduce piling time and labor costs by approximately 82% and 88%, respectively, boosting installation efficiency and safety. Paul Kelly, Built Robotics’ General Manager, noted, “Australia is a technology hub for renewable energy, and Built Robotics is honored to be working with ARENA to continue inventing better ways of building solar farms.”

The impact of these projects is significant, highlighting Australia’s role in developing and deploying clean energy technology. ARENA aims to reduce the installed cost of solar projects to just 30 cents per watt and achieve a levelized cost of electricity below $20 per MW/h by 2030. This goal could unlock a total installed capacity of 1TW of solar PV by 2050, driving large-scale solar project deployment.

ARENA's $100 million Solar ScaleUp Challenge is a global initiative designed to stimulate greater innovation and collaboration in the solar sector. Keith McIntosh, Founder and CEO of PV Lighthouse, remarked, “Developers can rapidly calculate loss factors with SunSolve, giving them greater confidence in their forecasts – a key advantage when negotiating project financing.”

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