5B appointed to deploy folding PV modules at hybrid Australian lithium mine

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
5B Maverick modules are prefabricated and deployed at project sites in concertina-style folding blocks, which speeds up deployment times. Image: 5B.

Australian solar equipment manufacturer 5B has been appointed to supply its Maverick module technology to a 95MW hybrid power station in Western Australia.

The project, developed and constructed by Zenith Energy, will feature a 16MWp solar installation from 5B to support the operation of a battery metals mine, the Kathleen Valley Lithium Project. Once complete, it will operate on 60% renewable energy and is expected to be Australia’s largest off-grid renewable energy hybrid power station.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

Zenith will deploy 342 of 5B’S Maverick array systems beginning in June 2023, and the entire project is expected to begin production in mid-2024.

Zenith Energy’s managing director and CEO Hamish Moffat said: “5B has demonstrated that it has the potential to get the Kathleen Valley site to full solar PV generation capacity three months ahead of conventional single access tracker solutions with the potential to save more than sixty percent of the man hours required on site. This is creating a faster pathway to market for solar PV renewable energy generation assets.”

5B creates rapid-deployment, accordion-style folding solar module deployment units that mount low to the ground in an east-west configuration. The technology is prefabricated in the factory and then shipped to a project site to be deployed.

Last week, PV Tech Premium published an interview with 5B founder and CEO Chris McGrath, discussing the company’s approach to rethinking the way that solar modules are deployed as prices come down and land use becomes more of a concern.

Late last year the Australian science agency published a roadmap for achieving an integrated domestic renewable energy supply chain, as the country has vast reserves of raw materials but little manufacturing infrastructure in place to employ them.

Read Next

September 17, 2025
Spanish renewables developer and operator Acciona Energía has commissioned its 412MWp Juna solar PV plant in Kawani village in the western state of Rajasthan. 
September 17, 2025
Nexamp has secured US$350 million through a long-term financing facility to expand its 6GW utility-scale solar and battery storage pipeline in the US. 
September 17, 2025
Chinese module producer DAS Solar is planning a 5GW manufacturing facility focused on producing high-efficiency back contact cells.
September 17, 2025
QatarEnergy has signed an EPC agreement with Samsung C&T for its 2GW Dukhan project. 
Premium
September 17, 2025
PV CellTech: Martin Pochtaruk, CEO of North American solar module manufacturer Heliene, says US producers must learn to survive without tax incentives.
September 16, 2025
Sunotec has launched Sunotec Nordic to spearhead solar and hybrid renewable project development across the Nordic region.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
October 2, 2025
London,UK
Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
Manila, Philippines
Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
San Francisco Bay Area, USA