Recently, Australian solar innovator SunDrive secured AUD 25.3 million in funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). This funding will enable SunDrive to collaborate with equipment manufacturers such as Maxwell Technologies and Vistar to advance its copper metallization solar cell technology from the laboratory stage to 300 MW commercial-scale production, accelerating the market entry of this homegrown Australian innovation.
SunDrive’s core innovation lies in replacing the silver used in traditional solar cells with copper for the metallization process. Silver constitutes a significant portion of solar cell manufacturing costs, with its price having nearly doubled over the past three years. Globally, one-third of industrial silver is used in the solar sector, creating an urgent industry need for silver-free alternatives. SunDrive’s technology not only leverages the abundance of copper to reduce costs but has also demonstrated efficiency advantages. In June 2024, in collaboration with Maxwell Technologies, SunDrive achieved a record efficiency of 26.6% for copper-plated heterojunction cells.
This funding will primarily support SunDrive in upgrading its facility in Kurnell, New South Wales, to develop and deploy commercial production tools. It will also facilitate cost modeling and pilot module production for field testing and early market validation. The project’s goal is to complete the transition from R&D to commercial production tools, paving a new path for SunDrive through technology licensing revenue and providing the global solar industry with a scalable, low-cost solution.
