5B awarded Solar Sunshot funding to scale Maverick in Adelaide

Australian company 5B was selected as the first recipient of funding under the Australian Government’s $1 billion Solar Sunshot Program. The company was awarded up to $46 million to expand local manufacturing of its prefabricated and prewired ‘Maverick’ solar deployment system. The technology aimed to reduce time, labour, and costs in utility-scale solar installation. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) stated the project aligned with national goals to scale up solar manufacturing and reach 1 terawatt of solar PV by 2050. The funding targeted a 25% reduction in 5B’s production costs and supported the manufacture of at least 200 MW of Maverick systems at 5B’s Adelaide facility within three years.