**Check against delivery
Good morning ladies and gentlemen and thank you for joining us in Newcastle for this very important announcement.
For almost 50 years, Australia has been at the forefront of solar technology development.
More than one million Australian households and businesses have their hot water heated by the sun ... but despite Australia being at the forefront of domestic solar technology, the sector has yet to make the leap from niche to network.
We're about to change all that.
In 2007, the Australian Labor Party went to the Federal Election committed to providing $150 million for an Energy Innovation Fund, which would include $100 million for solar research and development.
Today, I am very pleased to deliver on that promise with the official launch of the Australian Solar Institute, with its national headquarters in Newcastle.
This new Institute will build on other significant Government initiatives which are to drive the development and deployment of renewable energy in Australia, such as the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, the 20 per cent Renewable Energy Target, and accelerated funding for renewable energy projects.
This Institute will provide vital support for researchers in the field of solar photovoltaics and concentrating solar thermal to help solar power become cost competitive with other energy sources.
Make no mistake - without cost competitiveness there will be no industry.
But the Government believes cost competitiveness is possible and this is why we are driving innovation in this technology; to make solar power a realistic energy option for the Australian community.
The Australian Solar Institute will support this innovation through greater collaboration between Australian and international researchers and through providing funding for research and development of solar thermal and solar photovoltaic technologies across Australia.
This will not be easy.
Throughout the past 12 years, Australia has slowly given up our once dominant position in solar research, along with some of the researchers who put us there.
It is my hope that the Australian Solar Institute can reverse this trend, helping restore Australia's position at the forefront of solar energy research and development.
It will provide a forum to discuss ideas and to promote multi-disciplinary research and institutional collaboration.
And, of course, the Institute will provide much needed funding for Australian researchers to continue their work in solar energy technologies.
It will help to create a more attractive environment for solar energy research, keeping expertise in Australia, attracting new researchers and generating valuable intellectual property.
The good news is that we are not starting from scratch.
Despite funding neglect throughout the past decade, Australian researchers have established strong reputations in solar thermal and solar photovoltaic technology.
Support and collaboration under the auspices of the Australian Solar Institute will greatly assist the work of a number of research institutes and organisations across Australia.
With their international standing and leadership in concentrating solar thermal and solar photovoltaic technologies, the Government called on the CSIRO, the University of New South Wales and the Australian National University to lay the foundations for the Australian Solar Institute.
Today, I am pleased to announce that as part of the initial funding for the work of the Australia Solar Institute, the Australian Government is providing $15 million to establish three foundation projects.
The Australian Government will provide $5 million to support the development of a crystalline silicon pilot line at the University of New South Wales.
This facility will be accessible to all members of the Australian Solar Institute, as well as to companies commercialising new PV technologies.
An additional $5 million will be provided to establish a state-of-the-art solar thermal tower here at the CSIRO Newcastle headquarters.
This project aims to overcome a number of issues with current concentrating solar thermal technologies relating to the low efficiencies in energy conversion and the challenges of energy storage.
It will take a complete systems approach, involving downstream energy products to make maximum use of all of available solar energy.
This includes thermally driven cooling and desalination.
The final $5 million will be used to assist in the establishment of a world-class process and characterisation solar research facility at the Australian National University in Canberra.
Australian researchers will now, finally, have access to world-class solar tools.
The ANU facility will enable Institute members to conduct internationally competitive R&D with scientific instruments and equipment similar or superior to those available at the top international solar research institutes.
The Government recognises there are a number of organisations around Australia undertaking significant research work in the fields of concentrating solar thermal and solar photovoltaic technology.
To ensure the Australian Solar Institute provides support to the wider Australian solar research community, the Institute will make the majority of its research funding available through competitive grants.
All solar researchers across Australia will be able to apply for this funding.
Guidelines will be developed over the next few months and a research panel will be established to recommend allocation of funding based on the merits of applications.
This competitive funding will help advance and accelerate innovation.
This work cannot wait.
The world is crying out for cost-competitive solar technology.
Action is required if we are to restore Australia as a key player in solar energy technologies.
That's why we will start work immediately on bringing the Australian Solar Institute into operation.
To achieve this, I have appointed an Establishment Committee and an Interim Executive Director to set up the Institute over the next few months. A permanent Governing Board and Executive Director will be selected and appointed by 1 July this year.
The Establishment Committee will be pivotal in laying the foundations for the Institute, determining its structure and operational procedures.
Today, I announce the Chair of the Establishment Committee, Ms Jenny Goddard.
Ms Goddard has 23 years' experience as an economic policy adviser to the Australian Government.
Ms Goddard commenced her public service career in the Treasury and most recently held the position of Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Ms Goddard's extensive public policy experience and her detailed knowledge of Australian Government Cabinet and Budget processes equip her well to lead the Establishment Committee for this important new Government initiative.
The members of the Establishment Committee will include representatives of the three core institutions, industry and my Department.
Other members are:
- Dr Jim Smitham, Deputy Director, CSIRO National Research Flagship, Energy Transformed;
- Professor Michael Cardew-Hall, Deputy Dean, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Australian National University;
- Mr Jason Coombes, Director of Strategy, Office of the Vice-Chancellor, University of New South Wales;
- Mr Geoff Stone, General Manager, Energy Futures Branch, Department of Resources Energy and Tourism; and
- Mr Mark Twidell.
Their aim will be to ensure the Institute is set up to maximise the contribution of Australia's solar researchers.
The role of the Interim Executive Director is fundamental in supporting the work of the Establishment Committee and in the development of a robust Institute.
I am therefore pleased to announce that Dr Bruce Godfrey will commence immediately as Interim Executive Director of the Institute.
As many of you will know, Dr Godfrey is an experienced CEO with a demonstrated record in leadership, capital raising and team building, particularly in early-stage companies.
Dr Godfrey's experience and past achievements put him in good stead for this important task, and I wish him every success.
To mark the launch of this great new initiative, I now have great pleasure in unveiling a plaque to mark the opening of the headquarters of the Australian Solar Institute.