Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has welcomed $1 billion in funding to help unlock domestic photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing across the supply chain.

The Australian Government announced the establishment of the Solar Sunshot program to grow PV manufacturing in Australia and provide a pathway for the rich history of local PV innovation to be commercialised.

The program will be delivered by ARENA, with development and design to be done in collaboration with the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW).

“ARENA has been at the forefront of building Australia’s PV industry through its support for research, innovation and large-scale deployment. This has helped solar to become our cheapest form of energy,” ARENA chief executive Darren Miller says.

“We’re pleased to see the Australian Government recognise ARENA’s wealth of experience and close relationships with industry by calling on us to deliver the Solar Sunshot program.”

Solar Sunshot is intended to provide support across the PV supply chain, including the scaling up of module manufacturing capabilities and exploration of other areas of the supply chain where grant funding can help kickstart the industry.

This could include polysilicon, ingots and wafers, cells, module assembly and other parts of the PV supply chain, including solar glass, advanced deployment technology or other aspects identified through industry consultation.