Australia boosts national solar research with multi‑year funding

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has extended its support for the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics (ACAP), committing an additional $7 million per year through 2032 as part of the $220 million ACAP 3.0 programme. The funding will underwrite early‑career fellowships, new state‑of‑the‑art infrastructure across seven university partners and research aimed at ultra‑low‑cost solar with a target levelised cost of electricity below $20 /MWh.

In a separate allocation, ARENA announced a further $95.4 million boost that will carry the ACAP research programme to 2033. Officials highlighted the investment as a means to sustain Australia’s global leadership in solar PV, accelerate next‑generation tandem cells and translate breakthroughs into commercial, low‑carbon energy solutions. "Australia helped lead the world in solar and we want to keep leading the world in the next wave of solar innovation," said Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen. ACAP Executive Director Professor Renate Egan added that the long‑term research horizon will "strengthen our clean energy system and create economic opportunity".