$3.2m boost for solar robotics and software

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is committing over $3.2 million in funding to two projects that will help the agency reach its goal of ultra-low-cost solar.

The money will go to PV Lighthouse, an organisation that provides online resources for photovoltaic scientists and engineers, and Built Robotics, a provider of AI tools for large-scale solar construction.

PV Lighthouse will receive $1.97 million to expand its SunSolve yield modelling software, while Built Robotics will receive $1.3 million towards its autonomous piling robots project. The ARENA funding will unlock more than $6.5 million in total investment across both projects.

ARENA CEO Darren Miller said both projects will help improve solar PV technology, making it more efficient and faster to deploy.

“Ultra-low-cost solar is Australia’s key to achieving the renewable energy transition and reaching our net zero goals,” he said.

“Automation and efficiency are both leading tools in driving down costs. Both projects are exploring innovative approaches to doing just this.

“These are groundbreaking projects using cutting-edge technology to enhance Australia’s solar PV manufacturing and energy generation.”

By improving its existing SunSolve software, PV Lighthouse will increase the accuracy of power output forecasts and reduce uncertainty and risk during planning and development — something that should help emerging technologies to secure project investment.

Keith McIntosh, Founder and CEO of PV Lighthouse and SunSolve, said, “Before SunSolve existed, developers did not have a modelling solution that could accurately represent their structures and modules. This meant they had to guesstimate several of the loss factors required for their yield forecasts.

“Now, developers can rapidly calculate these factors with SunSolve, giving them greater confidence in their forecasts — a key advantage when negotiating project financing.”

Built Robotics’ project, which will automate the pile driving processes associated with constructing utility-scale solar farms, has the potential to reduce piling time and labour costs by approximately 82% and 88% respectively, increasing installation efficiency and safety.

“Australia is a technology hub for renewable energy, and Built Robotics is honoured to be working with ARENA to continue inventing better ways of building solar farms,” said Paul Kelly, General Manager and VP of Business Development at Built Robotics.

“By helping to automate the most repetitive and difficult tasks on jobsites, Built’s robots aim to lower the cost of energy, accelerate construction and provide safer working conditions for skilled workers.”

Both projects are examples of the innovative ideas that ARENA aims to support through its $100 million Solar ScaleUp Challenge.

This is a global initiative geared towards stimulating innovation and collaboration in the solar sector, realising ARENA’s ultra-low-cost solar vision and accelerating the deployment of large-scale solar projects. For more information about Solar ScaleUp, visit: https://challenge.greenhouse.tech/arena-solar-scaleup-initiative.

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