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Unlocking solar's
full potential

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A Sustainable Future

SunDrive is a solar technology company based in South Sydney, Australia. We’re creating unique solutions to reduce the cost of high-efficiency solar cells, whilst enhancing their performance and sustainability by utilising more abundant materials. We've grown from a small PhD project in a garage to producing some of the most efficient solar cells ever made in the world.

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A photo of a technician in protective wear holding a small blue solar panel, angling it towards some lights.

Near Unlimited Potential

Every hour there is enough energy from the Sun to power the entire world for a year. Maximising the potential of this near unlimited energy source will play a defining role in solving the greatest challenge of our time.

Our technology
Our technology

SunDrive has evolved this breakthrough technology into advanced tooling and automation solutions

Solar is scaling at an extraordinary pace and is on track to become the world’s dominant energy source, yet it already consumes more than 30% of global industrial silver.
SunDrive’s frontier technology replaces silver with 
copper in a unique manufacturing process backed by breakthrough IP.
Compared to traditional solar cell technology, our direct copper plating creates thinner metal lines on a cell surface that lets more light enter the cell, generating
more electricity.
Building on the technology development, we have created multiple metalisation stacks and accompanying automation that delivers for our customers and partners.
Gloved hand inspecting flat glass panels on a conveyor belt in a cleanroom manufacturing environment.
Diagram of a solar cell with zoomed-in section showing metal finger structure including metal cap, metal core, metal base, anti-reflective coating, and silicon.
Automated robotic arm with suction cups handling a smartphone screen protector in a manufacturing setting.
Technician in white coat closely inspecting complex robotic machinery with tubes and cables in a laboratory or factory setting.
Capabilities

We deploy full stack capability to turn novel chemistry into industrial scale production

Material Science

We develop unique chemistries in photoresist, pretreatment and plating to optimise the product and process performance.

Process Development

We develop highly efficient production processes to pair with equipment designs, optimisation is done through design or experimentation and simulating our processes with analytical models.

Equipment Design

Our equipment design team consists of mechatronics, software, mechanical design 
and integration.

Testing & Validation

All our designs, solutions and hardware are rigorously validated throughout the 
design lifecycle.

News & Updates

Check out the latest news and updates from Sundrive

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After raising AUD 14 million from ARENA, the Australian technology company has now secured up to AUD 25.3 million from the federal government agency

SunDrive Secures New Funding For Copper Metallization Solar Cell Tech

November 11, 2025

One of Australia’s biggest domestic solar manufacturing hopes, SunDrive, has won another $25 million in federal government funding to scale and commercialise its copper-based PV technology and edge closer to the goal of ultra-low cost solar.

Home-grown quest to make “silver-free” and ultra-low cost solar wins another $25m in federal funding

November 11, 2025

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) says its AUD 25.3 million ($16.5 million) investment will help SunDrive commercialize copper-based solar cell technology as a low-cost, silver-free alternative.

Australia funds SunDrive to scale copper solar cells

November 11, 2025

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has committed AU$25.3 million (US$16.53 million) in funding to support PV cell technology startup SunDrive Solar’s continued development of copper-based solar cell technology.

Australia’s SunDrive Solar bags AU$25.3 million ARENA funding for copper-based solar cells

November 11, 2025

Prime Minister The Hon. Anthony Albanese MP and Minister for Climate Change and Energy, The Hon. Chris Bowen MP, officially opened SunDrive’s solar manufacturing pilot production and commercialisation facility in Kurnell, NSW, today.

PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA AND MINISTER FOR CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENERGY OFFICIALLY OPEN SUNDRIVE SOLAR

Prime Minister The Hon. Anthony Albanese MP and Minister for Climate Change and Energy, The Hon. Chris Bowen MP, officially opened SunDrive’s solar manufacturing pilot production and commercialisation facility in Kurnell, NSW, today.

November 1, 2023

Australia’s biggest coal generator AGL Energy has teamed up with local solar innovator SunDrive to explore the joint development of a “first of its kind” solar manufacturing facility at the site of AGL’s former coal power precinct.

Australia’s biggest coal generator teams up with SunDrive to make solar at Liddell

March 28, 2024

Energy giant AGL will partner with a technology company backed by its biggest shareholder, billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes, to assess building a first-of-its-kind solar panel manufacturing plant on the site.

AGL and Cannon-Brookes want to make solar panels at former coal power station

March 28, 2024

SunDrive, the start-up hoping to replace expensive silver elements in solar cells with cheaper copper, has drawn the support of heavyweight investors as it raises $21m in new funding.

Canva, Atlassian billionaires join Turnbull in solar hopeful

October 13, 2022

Australian solar technology company SunDrive continues to impress with its copper-based solar cell technology, achieving 26.41% efficiency for a full-size silicon cell using mass-production compatible heterojunction technology.

SunDrive achieves 26.41% efficiency with copper-based solar cell technology

September 5, 2022

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