Report release: Silicon to Solar: Foundations for Solar PV Manufacturing in Australia
The APVI’s Silicon to Solar (S2S) study examined the opportunity for Australia to establish viable, relevant, and timely local manufacturing along the solar PV supply chain. This spanned the production stages of poly-silicon, ingots/wafers, cells, and modules.
The Australian Centre for Advance Photovoltaics (ACAP) has been working with the Australian PV Institute (APVI) on this project, funded separately by ARENA and other partners, to look at the strategic value in local manufacturing and the policy settings needed to encourage investment locally and globally.
The Overview Report is here.
The Full Report is here.
Australia’s potential as a renewable energy superpower is heavily reliant on the availability of solar modules for the generation of solar electricity, which are predominantly imported. Australia can take some control over the solar photovoltaic (PV) supply chain by establishing local manufacturing capabilities to manage the transition to renewable energy smoothly and successfully.
The Silicon to Solar Study (S2S Study) assesses Australia’s ability to take back some control in line with three guiding principles:
A) Economically viable
· Any manufacturing across the value chain needs to be globally competitive long term.
B) Relevant
· At a scale that is relevant for future Australian PV demand and on a global level
C) Timely
· Within a timeframe that is necessary to achieve net zero by 2050
S2S Project phases
Phase 1 - Market Assessment
Phase 2 - Techno Economic Analysis
Phase 3 - Business and Policy Analysis