5B Australia

What 5B Australia does

5B Australia designs, manufactures, and sells the 5B Maverick, a prefabricated, pre-wired, accordion-style ground-mount solar array engineered for rapid deployment, high energy density, and wind resilience. Each unit houses 50–90 solar panels on ballasted frames that fold into standard shipping containers and are unfolded on-site with a forklift, enabling deployment up to 10x faster than conventional solar trackers and roughly 70% fewer labour hours per DNV modelling. The technology is designed and assembled at 5B's Adelaide plant (repurposed former Holden site), with ISO 9001 and ISO 45001 certifications, and is protected by an extensive global patent portfolio. The company has deployed 5,800+ Maverick arrays totalling 253 MWdc across 179 sites in 9 countries as of 2025.

5B monetises primarily through hardware sales of the Maverick system, supplemented by deployment and project services and a developing licensing/technology-partnership model. Its go-to-market combines direct enterprise sales (targeting mining majors, utilities, and large industrial energy users) with a global network of certified deployment partners (Zenith Energy in Australia, SolarMovil in Latin America, Efitec SA in Panama) that execute on-the-ground installation while 5B supplies prefabricated units and technical oversight. Pricing is project-based and not publicly disclosed, with multi-year contract cadences. The customer base spans Australian off-grid mining (approximately 30% market share), global utility-scale developers (AES Corporation across Chile/Panama/El Salvador/Puerto Rico, Enel Green Power, Holcim El Salvador), industrial and water utilities (SA Water, AGL, WattEV), and government/remote community projects (NT Government Tiwi Islands). The company holds AUD 55M in Series B capital (Dec 2022, co-led by AES and Artesian with AUD 20M from bp ventures) and AUD 46M in ARENA Solar Sunshot funding (2024–2029) to scale Australian manufacturing toward gigawatt capacity and expand into North America.

Name

5B Australia

Legal name

5B Holdings Pty Ltd

Website

https://5b.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

5B Australia designs and manufactures the prefabricated 5B Maverick ground-mount solar array, serving mining companies, utilities, and industrial energy users globally with rapidly deployable, high-density solar installations across 9 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ground-Mount Solar Energy Systems

NAICS

Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction (237130), Solar Electric Power Generation (221114)

SIC

Prefabricated Metal Buildings & Components (3448), Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600)

akta.pro primary industry

Solar Mounting, Racking, Trackers & Structural BOS Manufacturing (EUAMAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Solar Mounting, Racking & Trackers (Fixed-Tilt, Single/Dual-Axis, Rooftop Mounts) (EUAMABAF), Solar Balance-of-System Components (Cables, Combiner Boxes, Switchgear, Transformers) (EUAMABAG)

Keywords

• Prefabricated solar arrays
• Ground-mount solar systems
• Utility-scale solar hardware
• Rapid deployment solar
• Renewable energy manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Mascot

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. 5B Maverick Hardware Sales: 5B designs, manufactures, and sells the pre-fabricated 5B Maverick solar array system. Customers purchase the hardware units (individual arrays or full project capacity), which are manufactured in Adelaide, South Australia. The product is sold as a complete ground-mount solar solution, with the hardware constituting the primary revenue stream.
2. Deployment & Project Services: 5B provides technical deployment services, project management oversight, and commissioning support, often through its network of certified deployment partners. Services are bundled with hardware or provided as standalone technical services for customers who use their own contractors. Revenue is generated per project based on capacity deployed.
3. Licensing & Technology Partnerships: 5B explores opportunities to license its Maverick technology and establish manufacturing and assembly hubs internationally, such as planned expansion into North America, as referenced in the Series B funding announcement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

5B Australia designs, manufactures, and sells the 5B Maverick — a prefabricated, pre-wired, accordion-style east-west ground-mount solar array system built in Adelaide, South Australia. Each unit houses 50–90 solar panels and is folded into standard shipping containers for transport, then deployed on-site using minimal labour (as few as 3 people). The product is targeted at utility-scale solar projects for mining operators, utilities, data centres, and remote communities, with deployment partner networks executing installations globally.

Product overview

5B Australia is an Australian solar technology company offering the 5B Maverick, a prefabricated, pre-wired ground-mounted solar array system designed for rapid deployment at utility scale. The core product is the 5B Maverick (available in versions including Maverick 3.0), which consists of up to 90 solar panels per array delivering 50-70 kW, deployable up to 10x faster than conventional solar technologies with 1.6x more power per hectare. The company supports its hardware with the 5B Ecosystem - a global network of deployment partners. The product portfolio targets mining, data centres, and utility-scale solar applications worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 5B Maverick: Prefabricated, pre-wired ground mount solar array technology that deploys rapidly with minimal labor. Features include high energy density, wind resilience up to 93m/s, and redeployability.
• 5B Ecosystem

Products and services

• 5B Maverick A prefabricated, pre-wired east-west ground-mounted solar array for utility-scale solar farms. Each array comprises up to 90 solar panels on engineered frames delivering 50-70 kW, designed for rapid deployment (up to 10x faster than conventional solar), high energy density (up to 2x more power per hectare), wind resilience up to 93 m/s, minimal ground preparation, and redeployability across sites.
• 5B Maverick 3.0 The third-generation 5B Maverick, certified to withstand cyclonic wind speeds up to 72 m/s (3.4 kPa, AS1170.2:2021) with C4 corrosion resistance for highly corrosive environments. Currently deployed in cyclone-prone regions including the Tiwi Islands in Australia's Northern Territory.
• 5B Maverick Deployment & Project Services Technical deployment, project management oversight, and commissioning support for 5B Maverick installations, delivered either directly by 5B or via its network of certified deployment partners. Revenue is generated per project based on capacity deployed, often bundled with hardware sales.
• 5B Maverick Technology Licensing Licensing of the 5B Maverick technology and establishment of international manufacturing and assembly hubs, including a planned North American manufacturing hub announced as part of the Series B funding.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 10x faster deployment than conventional solar technologies
• +11 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• Zenith EnergycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerZenith Energy is 5B's primary Australian deployment partner, executing multiple large-scale mining solar projects including Nova (10 MWp), Jundee (16.9 MWp), Kathleen Valley (17 MWp), Bellevue Gold (26 MWp), and KCGM (~140 MW in delivery). Zenith Energy integrates 5B Maverick into hybrid wind-solar-battery power stations for remote Australian mines.
• SolarMovilstrategicImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSolarMovil is 5B's Latin American deployment partner. They achieved the deployment speed record of 1.1 MW in a single day with 10 people at AES Andes Solar II B in Chile's Atacama Desert, deploying 22 next-generation 5B Maverick arrays.
• Efitec SAminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEfitec SA is 5B's deployment partner for projects in Panama, including the Colón power plant project (1.9 MWp) with AES Panama.
• Northern Star Resources LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorthern Star Resources is the end user of 5B Maverick at both the Jundee gold mine (16.9 MWp deployed) and the KCGM operations (~140 MW in delivery via Zenith Energy). Their waste rock dumps and idle land are being repurposed for productive solar generation as part of their decarbonisation strategy.
• Liontown Resources LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLiontown Resources is the end user of 5B Maverick at the Kathleen Valley Lithium Project (17 MWp). The solar farm is part of a 95 MW hybrid power station being built by Zenith Energy, expected to be Australia's largest off-grid renewable energy hybrid power station for a mining operation.
• IGO LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIGO Ltd is the end user of the Nova Operation solar farm (10 MWp, 7 hectares) — a flagship 5B case study demonstrating redeployability for a mine with a 5-year projected site life. IGO has a target of net zero by 2035.
• The AES Corporation (commercial projects)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAES Corporation (through subsidiaries AES Andes, AES El Salvador, AES Panama) is both a major customer and commercial deployer of 5B Maverick technology across Chile, Panama, El Salvador, and Puerto Rico. AES has awarded multiple contracts to 5B totalling over 90 MWp across geographies.
• Power and Water Corporation NTstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnd user of the Wurrumiyanga remote power project (1.2 MWp on Tiwi Islands). The NT Government invested $6.1 million in the project as part of its remote power system strategy and 50% renewables by 2030 target. 5B's deployment team of 4 unfolded the solar farm in 4 days.
• Lightsource bpstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerLightsource bp (50-50 joint venture with bp) will explore collaborating with bp ventures and 5B on deploying Maverick technology on future bp and Lightsource bp projects, as announced in the Series B funding press release.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Nextracker: Market-leading utility-scale single-axis solar tracker manufacturer (Nasdaq: NXT). Directly comparable to 5B as a ground-mount solar structural systems provider; competes on project economics and reliability in mining, utility, and data-centre solar tenders globally.
• Array Technologies: One of the world's largest manufacturers of solar tracking systems (Nasdaq: ARRY). Competes head-to-head with 5B in utility-scale ground-mount solar where single-axis tracking is the incumbent standard against which 5B Maverick benchmarks its density and speed claims.
• GameChange Solar: US-headquartered manufacturer of fixed-tilt and single-axis solar racking/tracking systems with strong utility-scale and distributed-generation presence. Closely comparable to 5B in product category and project-based sales motion, particularly in mining and remote-site solar.
• STI Norland: Spanish manufacturer of solar trackers and fixed-tilt structures with global project execution capability. Competes directly with 5B in utility-scale and Latin American markets (overlap in Chile, Panama) for ground-mount solar structures.
• PV Hardware (PVH): Solar tracker and fixed-tilt structure manufacturer with strong LATAM footprint and utility-scale focus. Directly comparable to 5B Maverick in target geography (Chile, Mexico, LATAM) and product category (ground-mount solar structures).
• Soltec: Spanish single-axis solar tracker manufacturer with vertical integration into project development. Competes with 5B in utility-scale solar tenders globally; relevant for comparing prefab/tracker business models and mining-segment penetration.

Broad incumbents

• TrinaTracker: Trinasolar's tracker business unit offering utility-scale solar tracking solutions as part of Trina's vertically integrated solar platform. Comparable to 5B at the tracker/structure layer but with broader module and project development capabilities and global scale.

Emerging players

• Sunfolding: Early-stage US-based tracker developer focused on novel actuation and rapid-deployment tracking systems. Comparable to 5B as a technology-forward emerging player targeting utility-scale solar with differentiated structural/installation approach.
• Ideematec: German manufacturer of single-axis solar trackers targeting utility-scale and C&I projects. Comparable to 5B as a specialised tracker/mounting competitor in the European and international utility solar market.
• Enerack: Solar mounting and racking manufacturer with focus on fast-deploy, prefabricated solutions for commercial and utility-scale solar. Comparable to 5B Maverick in addressing installation speed and prefabrication as core differentiators.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/5B_Tech
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/5baus

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors5 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 5B Australia