The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced up to $4.96 million in funding for Nextracker to deploy its proprietary solar construction and tracker technologies across multiple solar farms, including the Goulburn River Solar Farm in New South Wales.
The project aims to streamline and automate solar foundation installation, reducing costs, risks and build times for large-scale solar developments. Delivered in partnership with leading developers and Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contractors, it represents a key advancement in construction efficiency as Australia pushes towards ultra low-cost solar.
Automation driving down costs
At the centre of the initiative is Nextracker’s NX Earth Truss foundation system, a new approach to solar tracker installation that removes one of the industry’s biggest pain points – complex piling. Unlike traditional methods that rely on multiple steps, the NX Earth Truss foundation can be installed in a single pass, cutting labour requirements, equipment use and ground disturbance.
The innovation is designed to operate effectively across diverse soil types and terrain, opening new opportunities for projects on previously challenging or uneconomical sites.
Peter Wheale, Vice President and General Manager of Nextracker Australia, said:
“Simplifying and optimising the most labour-intensive phase of solar construction for any soil or terrain condition is a real breakthrough,” Wheale said.
“With more than 10 gigawatts of Nextracker systems already deployed locally, we are excited to introduce technology that not only cuts costs and build time but also helps projects succeed on more complex sites.”
The ultra low-cost solar ambition
Darren Miller, CEO at ARENA said the initiative demonstrates how innovation can drive down the cost of renewable generation in line with the agency’s Ultra Low-Cost Solar (ULCS) priorities.
“Ultra low-cost solar is not the solar we know today. While today’s PV technology is mature and cost-effective, much cheaper solar is essential to decarbonise our electricity system, create green export opportunities and support hard-to-abate industries,” he said.
The ULCS program targets 30 per cent module efficiency at an installed cost of 30 cents per watt by 2030, which would equate to a Levelised Cost of Electricity below $20 per megawatt hour – roughly one-third of current costs.
By trialling and validating Nextracker’s integrated foundation and tracker system in Australian conditions, the project will deliver valuable data and best-practice insights to accelerate adoption across the sector.
Enabling faster, smarter solar deployment
The initiative complements broader government efforts, including the Solar Sunshot program, which supports domestic solar manufacturing and commercialisation of Australian innovations.
As demand for renewable electricity surges from emerging sectors such as green metals, low-emissions fuels and data centres, ARENA’s support for construction automation technologies marks another step towards a faster, cheaper and more resilient solar future.
“This kind of innovation helps unlock new efficiencies at every stage of development. It is exactly the type of solution that will help Australia achieve its clean energy goals at the scale and speed required,” said Miller.