The speed and scale of delivering large solar projects is now the key risk to reaching Australia’s ambitions for ultra low-cost solar, according to a white paper from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency.
Large-scale solar project delivery is the key risk to reaching Australia’s ambitions for ultra low-cost solar (ULCS), according to an Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) white paper.
It also says there is a need to shift focus towards how solar projects are delivered, not just what is installed, to ensure solar can underpin a competitive, secure and integrated energy system.
The Ultra Low-Cost Solar White Paper Update says cost advances seen in ARENA-supported projects, such as Built Robotics’ autonomous piling technology deployed at Fortescue’s Cloud Break Solar Farm in Western Australia, demonstrate faster, are more standardised and safer in their approach to deployment.
However, project costs remain in limbo under the pressure of workforce constraints, investment challenges, grid connection delays, and inflation, where factors such as complex development environments in remote areas, skilled labour shortages in regional areas, and evolving regulatory requirements contribute to higher costs.
