The Australian National Electricity Network (ARENA) has declared that a domestic solar manufacturing base is feasible and could generate jobs, investment and income in Australia’s energy sector, diversify its economy, and grow ancillary industries connected with solar PV. The report suggests that a policy approach to support each stage in the value chain could include incentives for domestic products and imports under a “supportive policy ecosystem”. The roadmap would see 1GW of each component (poly-si, wafers, cells, modules) established initially, followed by a ramp-up to 5GW or 10GW by 2030. Solar cells will be the slowest product to develop capacity under the roadmap, with rapid development of cell technology and large capacity scale-up challenging. The study also notes that Australia’s history of collaboration with China in the PV industry may attract US companies who pay a premium for Australian-made products.
Solar Dominates US Energy Capacity Growth
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has published data showing that solar accounted for over 75% of US electrical generating
