ARENA invests in solar R&D and industrial emissions reductions

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is advancing decarbonization and solar technology through new investments and industrial applications. ARENA has announced a $105.6 million investment into 20 research and development projects, primarily led by Australian universities. This initiative aims to achieve 30 per cent PV module efficiency and a cost of 30 cents per watt by 2030, while driving solar electricity below $20 per megawatt-hour.

In the manufacturing sector, ARENA reports that food and beverage businesses are successfully reducing emissions using commercially available technologies. Processes such as pasteurization, sterilization, and refrigeration can be optimized using industrial heat pumps, electric boilers, and thermal storage.

Notable examples include Hardwick Meatworks in Victoria, which reduced annual energy expenditure by nearly $480,000 and cut 1,040 tonnes of CO2-e emissions by installing a heat pump. Other companies, including Treasury Wine Estates and McCain Foods, are investigating electrified process heat and mechanical vapour recompression to recover waste heat.