ARENA opens Round 3 of Solar Sunshot with $250m available

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced that Round 3 of the Solar Sunshot program is open with up to $250 million available to Australian and international companies seeking to establish, expand or demonstrate relevant manufacturing and product development in Australia.

Solar Sunshot supports the manufacture and scale-up of technologies that can help make large-scale solar cheaper and faster to build. Round 3 will support the next step for companies that can help achieve ARENA’s ultra-low-cost solar ambition for Australia by targeting the equipment, manufacturing processes and deployment technologies that influence how quickly and cost-effectively solar farms can be built.

ARENA CEO Darren Miller said Australia has the opportunity to build the technology and manufacturing capability needed to support the continued expansion of large-scale solar.

“Australia is already a world leader in deploying solar. The next challenge is to reduce the cost and complexity of building projects at much greater scale,” he said. “We want to hear from ambitious Australian and international companies with commercially mature technologies that can manufacture at scale in Australia.

“Round 3 is about more than supporting individual projects. We are looking for projects that can build lasting capability, strengthen local supply chains and share skills and knowledge across the broader solar sector.”

Round 3 builds on earlier Solar Sunshot program investment in Australian solar module manufacturing and solar deployment innovation, helping grow Australia’s capability in solar manufacturing, deployment and innovation. Rounds 1 and 2 funded projects led by Tindo, 5B and Sunman, as well as the recently announced funding for Luminous Robotics and Built Robotics Australia.

Round 3 is focused on the commercial-scale manufacture of solar balance-of-plant and deployment technologies. These could include racking and tracking systems, robotics, advanced automation, prefabrication and other technologies that can help reduce the cost of constructing and operating large-scale solar farms.

Expressions of interest will open on 2 November 2026 and applicants are encouraged to contact ARENA early to discuss projects with a credible pathway to commercial scale and benefits for Australian capability.

Those interested can visit ARENA’s website to review the Solar Sunshot Round 3 funding opportunity and register for the upcoming webinar on 26 October 2026.

Image credit: iStock.com/Bjoern Wylezich