Aussie solar tech project bags first Solar Sunshot grant

Nearly $50m has been awarded to the project.

A solar technology project is the first to receive funding under the Australian Government’s $1b Solar Sunshot programme.

In a statement, authorities said the Australian Renewable Energy Agency has awarded $46m to Australian solar company 5B to scale up production of its Maverick solar units, a solar photovoltaic (PV) array.

“This allows fast onsite deployment at up to 10 times the current speed, and at a lower cost,” the government said.

The funding will help produce and sell 200 megawatts of the Maverick units over three years. This will be enough to power over 40,000 homes.

The funding will also help develop the next-generation low-cost Maverick technology.