Canberra
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Good morning.
It is a pleasure to be at the ANU to launch another Australian Solar Institute Round 2 supported project – that makes two in two weeks.
Last week at Melbourne University I launched the ‘Printing solar cells project’ and I am pleased today to be launching the ‘Roof-mounted hybrid Concentrating Solar Thermal system for distributed generation of heating, cooling and electricity’.
Innovations such as these two projects and what they show us about where solar technology is heading are truly exciting.
Innovation is an area where we clearly excel here in Australia.
This is demonstrated by our Australian research teams which have historically led the world in silicon based photovoltaics.
Photovoltaics are a growing industry globally and some may say an opportunity lost for Australia – however the manufacture of these panels is not where Australia's competitive advantage lies.
The opportunities for Australia in the rapidly growing global solar energy market lie in innovation, research and development and in licensing and exporting our technologies.
Importantly, what projects such as the hybrid system we are launching today prove is there is still a huge amount of innovation potential in solar technology to come.
We just have to look at how far mobile phone technology has come over the past couple of decades to see how much technology can evolve.
In the eighties and early nineties mobile phones were either confined to use in a vehicle or the size of a brick.
Today these small compact portable devices not only serve as phones but provide the capability to use email, the internet, GPS and camera's all-in-one.
This all-in-one concept is how I think of the hybrid solar project we are launching today.
This technology combines the best of Australian solar photovoltaic and solar thermal technology to deliver a complete solar energy solution for homes and businesses.
So how is the technology in this project different to the solar panels that we are seeing more and more of installed in rooftops all over Australia?
In a way it takes roof top solar to the next level.
Rather than simply generating electricity this all-in-one solar system also has the potential to provide heating and cooling, as well as hot water.
It will maximise the potential of rooftop areas when it comes to meeting the energy demands of the modern home.
Using energy directly where it is generated in this way is not only highly efficient but has the potential to be highly cost effective too.
Bringing together all these elements is a real innovation.
Projects such as this one have the potential to pave the way for the next generation in solar technology.
It is evidence that we can always innovate and improve on what we have done before.
The same goes for the delivery of government programs that support these technologies.
That’s why today I am very pleased to launch the Australian Government's Emerging Renewables Program – an innovation in delivering support to renewable energy technology.
The Emerging Renewables Program has been developed by the Australian Centre for Renewable Energy (ACRE) following extensive consultation.
The Program is a first-of-its-kind in terms of how it will be delivered and its support for a broad range of renewable energy technology across the innovation chain.
It will support innovative renewable energy and enabling technology projects – including solar, geothermal and ocean – as well as supporting capacity building activities.
It’s flexible design is critical for emerging technologies, helping to ensure government support is tailored to the needs of industry as they evolve over time, while also putting in place the appropriate safeguards for taxpayer funded investments.
On this basis we have also increased funding by $26 million for the Emerging Renewables program with funds returned from the Geothermal Drilling Program, taking the total program funding to $126 million.
The program aims to build on the work of the ASI and renewable energy R&D efforts from research institutions such as the ANU, to prove the technical feasibility of renewable technologies in real world application and assist in scaling-up these technologies to commercial competitiveness.
It will be delivered through a new streamlined continuous application process and offers the potential for collaboration amongst applicants.
I would like to thank the ACRE Board members for their hard work in the development of the Program.
ACRE will manage the program until the newly announced Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is established.
The $3.2 billion independent ARENA forms part of the Government's recently announced Clean Energy Future package.
A packaged designed to provide a transformation in the technologies that power our electricity system.
Combining a price on carbon, with the 20 per cent Renewable Energy Target, ARENA will centralise support for developing renewable energy technology, and will be complemented by the $10 billion Clean Energy Finance Corporation.
The design of these measures aims to build on the experiences shared by Government and the renewable energy industry alike in developing renewable energy technologies.
Just as researchers by their very nature must be innovative in developing new and improved technologies, we as the Government need to be innovative in how we support these developments to maximise their benefit for Australia.
This comprehensive policy framework is designed to provide the incentives and support needed to pull Australian renewable energy technologies along the innovation chain to commercial viability.
I am confident that through these measures the Government is providing renewable energy technologies such as the project I am launching here today every chance of success.
I would like to congratulate everyone involved in the project, particularly lead investigator Professor Andrew Blakers, industry partner Chrosmasun and project contributor NEP Solar.
The work you are doing has the potential to help transform Australia’s energy future.
Thank you