The Minister for Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson AM MP, says the Australian solar energy industry will benefit from sharing expertise with leading European solar researchers following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in Canberra today.
The Australian Solar Institute has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Germany's Fraunhofer Institute, Europe's largest research institution.
The MoU provides a platform for a wide range of activities to strengthen the development and deployment of solar energy technology including joint R&D projects, information-sharing and support for skills development.
The Prime Minister and the German Chancellor announced the intention to develop the MoU on 7 July 2009 on the occasion of the Prime Minister's visit to Germany.
Minister Ferguson said the MoU was another step in keeping Australia at the forefront of global research and development in solar technology.
"The challenge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a global challenge and we must work together to deliver clean energy solutions across all countries," he said. "By sharing expertise with our European counterparts Australia is even better-placed to drive the development of solar energy and benefit from the environmental and economic opportunities it brings.
"Through the Australian Solar Institute and the $4.5 billion Clean Energy Initiative, the Australian Government is building solid foundations for the next generation of low-emissions technology. This co-operation with the Fraunhofer Institute adds a new dimension to this work.
"Solar technology is an important part of our strategy for energy security in a carbon-constrained economy. By making solar energy more efficient and cost-effective, we can get more of it deployed on a commercial scale."
The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is Europe's largest research institution with 17,000 employees and 60 institutes. Its annual budget is over 1.5 billion Euros with two-thirds earned through industrial and public funded projects.
The Australian Government has committed $100 million over four years to the Australian Solar Institute. In December 2009, Minister Ferguson welcomed the announcement of the first grants under the Institute's competitive solar energy grants program. Five grants totalling $11.1 million are for innovative solar research and development projects. The projects are expected to leverage other funding to deliver a total of $31 million in investment in Australian solar research.