{"id":96299,"date":"2025-12-03T04:47:34","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T19:17:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=96299"},"modified":"2025-12-03T04:50:57","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T19:20:57","slug":"sunman-solar-sunshot-mb3326","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/sunman-solar-sunshot-mb3326\/","title":{"rendered":"Australia’s Solar Sunshot Initiative: Return Of The Sun King"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Hunter<\/p>\n

Dr. Zhengrong Shi’s Sunman Group has been conditionally granted a bundle of bucks to set up a solar panel manufacturing facility in New South Wales.<\/p>\n

What’s The Hunter Valley Solar Foundry Project Involve?<\/h2>\n

Sunman Group will receive up to $151 million1<\/a><\/sup> under the Albanese Government’s Solar Sunshot program<\/a> to establish a module manufacturing facility in the Hunter Valley capable of producing 500 MW of panels annually. The support is subject to conditions including the execution of an Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) funding agreement.<\/p>\n

The Hunter Valley Solar Foundry project will manufacture a range of solar panels for use here in Australia and exported internationally. It will also involve an innovation hub to support new solar tech commercialisation and operate as a solar manufacturing foundry offering production capacity to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Additionally, the project will partner with an accredited training partner to deliver an advanced manufacturing training program.<\/p>\n

Construction of the facility is expected to create up to 200 jobs, with a further 100 ongoing roles once the factory is operational.<\/p>\n

“Solar Sunshot is about building on Australia\u2019s world-leading solar research to expand manufacturing capacity, strengthen supply-chain resilience and grow local jobs and skills,” said ARENA CEO Darren Miller. “The Hunter Valley Solar Foundry project reflects these goals, bringing together advanced technology, local workforce development and long-term economic benefits for regional communities.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

More On Dr Zhengrong Shi And Sunman Energy<\/h2>\n

Dr Zhengrong Shi (pictured above: right) has had a long association with Australia PV research and development.\u00a0 He studied at Shanghai University, and in the late 1980’s\u00a0 approached Dr. \u2014 these days Professor \u2014 Martin Green<\/a> (aka “the father of photovoltaics”) seeking work with his fledgling University of New South Wales research team. He was instead offered a research scholarship and helped bring Australian-developed game-changing solar technology to the world.<\/p>\n

Dr. Shi gained his PhD in electrical engineering here and Australian citizenship2<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n

Subsequent efforts by Dr. Shi to establish a solar business in Australia were unsuccessful as he couldn’t attract investors or government support, so he returned to China and founded solar panel manufacturer Suntech<\/a> in 2001. Suntech became a world leader and during this period he was dubbed the “Sun King”.<\/p>\n

But financial mishaps, including the firm being scammed out of\u00a0 560 million euros, saw Suntech deteriorate. The company survived after acquisition by Shunfeng International Clean Energy Limited in 2014, but without Dr. Shi at the helm; who had left the firm the previous year.<\/p>\n

Dr. Shi wasn’t done and he went on to set up another solar panel manufacturer in 2014, Sunman Energy<\/a>. Sunman’s speciality is flexible panels (eArc) that are a fraction of the weight of their conventional counterparts. eArc panels substitute glass with durable polymers, making the panels up to 70% lighter, easier to transport and faster to install. They are targeted towards C&I applications, including low-load roofs with structural limitations.<\/p>\n

Here’s an example of an installation in Australia, combining conventional glass panels (left) and Sunman Energy\u2019s lightweight, flexible modules (right):<\/p>\n

\"Sunman<\/p>\n

We don’t see a lot of use of Sunman Energy flexible panels in Australia yet, but last year Dr. Shi indicated the company may manufacture modules here if the firm could get support from the Solar Sunshot initiative. And it’s envisioned the Hunter Valley Solar Foundry will also produce glass panels.<\/p>\n

Commenting on the venture, Dr. Shi said<\/a>:<\/p>\n

“As a proud Australian and a solar expert trained at the University of NSW, it has been my long-held ambition to establish solar module manufacturing in Australia, and it is my hope that over time the Foundry supports the foundation of a vertically-integrated solar supply chain in Australia.\u202fThis is an important milestone in Australia\u2019s energy transition.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Dr. Shi has been a fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering since 2009, and was appointed Adjunct Professor at the University of NSW in 2012.<\/p>\n

Other Funded Projects<\/h2>\n

Back in August, Australia\u2019s only module manufacturer with products in the market \u2014 Tindo Solar<\/a> \u2014 and several local polysilicon hopefuls were also awarded Solar Sunshot funding<\/a>. And Sydney’s Sundrive last year announced it was leading an application for funding in a joint venture<\/a> with China\u2019s Trina Solar, but as far as I’m aware there’s still been no further developments on that application.<\/p>\n

Thinking home solar power? How to choose the best solar panels<\/a> for your circumstances.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dr. Zhengrong Shi’s Sunman Group has been conditionally granted a bundle of bucks to set up a solar panel manufacturing facility in New South Wales.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":96300,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-96299","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-solar-panels-2","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAustralia's Solar Sunshot Initiative: Return Of The Sun King<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Dr. Zhengrong Shi's Sunman Group conditionally granted a bundle of bucks to set up a 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The $1 billion Solar Sunshot program, being delivered by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), seeks to grow Australia\u2019s solar PV manufacturing industry by supporting local manufacturing innovation,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Solar & Storage News"","block_context":{"text":"General Solar & Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Australian solar panel factory","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/australian-solar-manufacturing.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/australian-solar-manufacturing.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/australian-solar-manufacturing.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/australian-solar-manufacturing.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/australian-solar-manufacturing.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":87518,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/sundrive-trina-sunshot-mb3029\/","url_meta":{"origin":96299,"position":1},"title":"SunDrive And Trina Team Up For Australia’s Solar Sunshot","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"October 15, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Australian PV innovator SunDrive will lead an application for funding under the country's Solar Sunshot program in a joint venture with China's Trina Solar. SunDrive has been developing technology to replace silver in PV cells with copper, which is a more abundant, efficient and cost-effective material. The firm's first major\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Solar & Storage News"","block_context":{"text":"General Solar & Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"SunDrive and Trina Solar","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/sundrive-trina-sunshot.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/sundrive-trina-sunshot.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/sundrive-trina-sunshot.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/sundrive-trina-sunshot.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/sundrive-trina-sunshot.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":86420,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-sunshot-funding-mb2998\/","url_meta":{"origin":96299,"position":2},"title":"Applications Open For Australia’s Solar Sunshot Program","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"September 2, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Funding rounds have been launched by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to support Australian solar PV manufacturing innovation and related supply chains. The $1 billion Solar Sunshot program was announced by the Albanese government in March this year; part of its $22.7 billion Future Made in Australia package. This\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Solar & Storage News"","block_context":{"text":"General Solar & Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Australia - Solar Sunshot","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/australia-solar-sunshot.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/australia-solar-sunshot.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/australia-solar-sunshot.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/australia-solar-sunshot.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/australia-solar-sunshot.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":57765,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/sunman-energy-factory-mb2312\/","url_meta":{"origin":96299,"position":3},"title":"Sunman Energy Cranks Up Lightweight Solar Production Capacity","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"January 12, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Lightweight solar pioneer Sunman Energy, which has a strong Australian connection, has celebrated the opening of its new 1GW production facility in Yangzhong City, Jiangsu Province, China. Sunman Energy focuses on the manufacture of glassless, ultra-light, thin and flexible solar panel products - some of which can be glued to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Solar & Storage News"","block_context":{"text":"General Solar & Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Sunman Energy solar panel factory","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/sunman-energy.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/sunman-energy.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/sunman-energy.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/sunman-energy.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/sunman-energy.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":83098,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-sunshot-australia-mb2905\/","url_meta":{"origin":96299,"position":4},"title":"Homegrown Solar: Are Australians Ready To Pay?","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"April 24, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"We often hear from Australians lamenting the lack of local solar manufacturing. The Solar Sunshot initiative is aiming to change that. When it comes to buying solar panels made in Australia, there's currently only one show in town - Tindo Solar - which manufactures good quality modules using imported solar\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Solar & Storage News"","block_context":{"text":"General Solar & Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Solar Sunshot initiative - Australia","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/sunshot-australian-manufacturing.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/sunshot-australian-manufacturing.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/sunshot-australian-manufacturing.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/sunshot-australian-manufacturing.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/sunshot-australian-manufacturing.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":86485,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/tindo-walara-panels-mb3000\/","url_meta":{"origin":96299,"position":5},"title":"Australian Made: Tindo’s New Walara Series Solar Panels","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"September 4, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"South Australian solar panel manufacturer Tindo Solar has taken the wraps off its 8th generation PV module - the Walara. Manufactured at its facility in Adelaide, Tindo says the Walara series represents the first solar module featuring N-Type cells produced in Australia.\u00a0The company states Walara will be produced in various\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Solar & Storage News"","block_context":{"text":"General Solar & Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Tindo Walara solar panel","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/tindo-walara-panel-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/tindo-walara-panel-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/tindo-walara-panel-2.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/tindo-walara-panel-2.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/tindo-walara-panel-2.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96299","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96299"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96299\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":96308,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96299\/revisions\/96308"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/96300"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96299"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96299"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=96299"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}