A new generation of camouflaged photovoltaic modules is under development through a collaboration between Praxis Labs (Praxis) and researchers from the University of Adelaide’s Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS) – with critical fabrication and technical support provided by the Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF).

The project, supported by the Defence Trailblazer, aims to deliver lightweight, rugged and covert solar technology to enhance Defence energy resilience. The new solar modules will be suitable for currently untenable areas of solar coverage, such as armoured vehicles and other tactical vehicles power applications (crewed or uncrewed), making the technology ideal for the rigorous demands of Defence.

The first ‘Camouflaged Tactical Solar’ prototype will be fabricated and tested both at Praxis and at ANFF-OptoFab’s University of Adelaide facility, which offers specialist glass processing and advanced manufacturing capabilities.

This collaboration builds on long-standing support provided by ANFF to both Praxis and IPAS researchers. Praxis has received technical support at ANFF-SA’s Flinders University facility and is an alumnus of ANFF-C’s pre-seed program, which helps bridge the gap between research and commercialisation in advanced fabrication. IPAS also maintains a deep partnership with ANFF-OptoFab, supporting cutting-edge materials research in photonics and sensing. 

Phase One of the project – validating the camouflage solar approach at a panel scale – is supported by funding from the Defence Trailblazer’s Accelerating Sovereign Industrial Capabilities (ASIC) program. In Phase Two of the project, Praxis aims to develop a prototype for Defence to test in the field. 

This partnership exemplifies the power of collaboration between industry, academia and national research infrastructure to drive innovation in sovereign defence capabilities. By combining Praxis’s agile development approach with IPAS’s scientific expertise and ANFF’s advanced fabrication support, the project is poised to deliver transformative energy solutions for Defence and lay the groundwork for a new frontier in Australian solar manufacturing.

Read the full Defence Trailblazer media release here.

To learn more about Praxis, visit the Praxis website.

To learn more about IPAS, visit the IPAS website.