The Australian Government has today announced funding of $21.6 million for 14 solar energy research projects under Round 2 of the Australian Solar Institute grants program. Collectively, the projects build on the previously announced Round 1 grant recipients and will leverage total investment of $73.4 million.
Minister for Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson AM MP, said investment in solar energy is a key part of the Australian Government’s vision for a low-emissions economy.
“The Australian Solar Institute has an important role to play in supporting solar R&D in Australia and helping to reduce the costs of solar technologies,” Minister Ferguson said.
“Round 2 funding brings the ASI’s total investment in solar research and development to $66.2 million across 27 projects with a total leveraged value of $209 million.
“The global use of renewable energy is predicted to triple by 2035 and these investments position Australia to take advantage of this growth.”
Minister Ferguson announced the Round 2 grants at the official opening of the new solar research laboratory at the Australian National University, funded by $5 million from the Australian Solar Institute (ASI) .
“The world-class facilities at the new ASI Solar Laboratory will enhance our capacity and reputation for solar research and help attract leading solar researchers to Australia,” Minister Ferguson said.
“Our support makes Australia an even more attractive place to invest in solar technologies.”
The Minister said that world class facilities were only part of the equation, and announced that the ASI would also fund four PhD scholarships and four Postdoctoral Fellowships to support tertiary solar research.
“Australia has a history of excellence in innovative solar energy research, and this funding will help support the next generation of researchers and help them to continue the success of their predecessors.” Minister Ferguson said.
The $150 million Australian Solar Institute forms part of the Government's $5.1 billion Clean Energy Initiative, which includes the $1.5 billion Solar Flagships program.
Details of the ASI Solar Laboratory, Round 2 grants and tertiary research recipients are attached.
Media contacts: Fiona Scott (Minister Ferguson) – 0457 542 330
Mark Twidell (Australian Solar Institute) – 0410 566 065
Australian Solar Institute Laboratory at ANU
The new Australian Solar Institute Laboratory at ANU will encourage R&D in solar energy technologies.
The ASI Laboratory provides world-class research facilities for ANU researchers and other world-leading scholars, as well as industry.
Over the next 5 years the Laboratory will support an estimated $30 million worth of new research projects, and significantly enhance the 20 solar R&D contracts ANU already has in place with commercial and government partners.
The Laboratory is supported by $5 million from the Australian Solar Institute.
The new Laboratory will:
- House best-in-Australia equipment to support highly skilled researchers and technicians, in undertaking solar R&D and commercialisation activity;
- Support the needs of industry, and will be capable of accommodating full-sized solar cells;
- Provide cutting edge capability in solar cell characterisation - making sure the right solar cells are used for the right purpose, thus increasing efficiency;
- Accommodate more students and staff;
- Accelerate existing research programs and facilitate new projects, and
- House new rooftop testing facilities that will accelerate commercialisation.
World-class process equipment at the ASI Laboratory is able to produce advanced prototype solar devices, and includes:
- Chemical waterjet, UV and visible lasers for drilling, dicing, grooving and doping solar materials;
- Chemical vapour deposition machines for the application of surface coatings, and
- Equipment to detect surface defects, and measure electrical, thermal and optical performance.
ASI Round 2 Grants
- The projects funded under Round 2 of the ASI’s solar research and development grants are:
- University of New South Wales (UNSW): Tandem Quantum Dot solar cells: $1,375,000 ASI funding.
- University of New South Wales (UNSW): 40% Efficient Photovoltaic “Power Cube” Power Tower Receiver: $550,000 ASI funding.
- University of New South Wales (UNSW): Low-cost solar silicon: $1,119,960 ASI funding.
- University of New South Wales (UNSW): Forecasting and Characterising Grid Connected Solar Energy and Developing Synergies with Wind: $470,284 ASI funding.
- University of New South Wales (UNSW): The Hot Carrier Solar Cell: $563,906 ASI funding. This project is co-funded by the NSW Government through its Science Leveraging Fund.
- Australian National University (ANU): Industry Ready n-type Silicon Solar Cells: $3,335,778 ASI funding.
- Graphite Energy: Graphite Energy Solar Storage Receiver $1,835,000 in ASI funding.
- CSG Solar Pty Ltd: Next Generation Crystalline Silicon on Glass Modules: $1,250,600 ASI funding.
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO): Development of a Thermoelectric Generator for Application in a CST Topping Cycle: $2,200,912 in ASI funding.
- Australian National University (ANU): Roof-mounted hybrid CST system for distributed generation of heating, cooling and electricity: $3,235,710 in ASI funding.
- University of Melbourne: Printing solar cells- A manufacturing proposition for Australia: $1,762,500 ASI funding. This project is co-funded by the Victorian Government through the DPI’s Energy Technology Innovation Strategy (ETIS) Sustainable Energy Research & Development 2 (SERD2) program.
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries: Solar Powered Air Turbine Systems: $3,055,000 ASI funding.
- University of Sydney: Upconversion of the solar spectrum for improved PV energy conversion: $487,584 ASI funding. This project is co-funded by the NSW Government through its Science Leveraging Fund.
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO): Characterising the Effect of High Penetration Solar Intermittency on Australian Electricity Networks: $400,000 ASI funding.
ASI PhD Scholarships
- Jonathon Dore (UNSW) - Crystallisation behaviour and defect annealing for “crystalline silicon on glass” solar cells.
- Thomas Ratcliff (ANU) - SLIVER Solar Cells for Concentrator Applications.
- Nicholas Boerema (UNSW) - Analysis of the potential for liquid metal heat transfer fluids to improve the commercial competitiveness and dispatchability of concentrating solar power.
- Natalie Holmes (University of Newcastle) - The Development of Novel Water-based Materials for Commercial Organic Photovoltaics.
ASI Postdoctoral Fellowships
- Dr Xiaojing Hao (UNSW) - Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) Thin Film Solar Cell: A Novel Alternative For TW-level Thin Film PV.
- Dr Raphael Clady (University of Sydney) - Ultrafast Energy Transfer in Third Generation Photovoltaics.
- Dr Ming Liu (University of South Australia) - High performance thermal energy storage systems with high temperature phase change material.
- Dr Wallace Wing Ho Wong (University of Melbourne) - Synthesis of organic photovoltaic materials using continuous flow methods.