**Check against delivery
Good morning ladies and gentlemen.
The fundamental reason that we are here today is because the energy sector is changing and changing fast.
For the last 100 years, energy - derived primarily from fossil fuels - has underpinned economic development and shaped living standards.
What we are seeing now is the acceleration of a new trend – a move toward low emissions and renewable energy sources.
The head of the International Energy Agency, Mr Nobuo Tanaka visited Canberra last week to outline the findings of the World Energy Outlook 2010.
These findings predict that the use of renewable energy will triple between 2008 and 2035, with renewable energy’s share of electricity supply rising from 19 per cent in 2008 to 32 per cent by 2035.
And of course one of the most important sources of renewable energy is solar.
Australia is fortunate to have an abundant solar resource, as well as talented individuals working in this space.
We are well-represented among the world’s leading solar research institutions, through our universities and CSIRO.
And we want to remain at the forefront of this global trend.
Our challenge is to harness our natural resources and overcome cost barriers to bring solar energy online efficiently and extensively.
Government Investment
That is why the Australian Government is supporting the development of solar and other renewable and clean energy technologies.
It is a key part of our vision for a low-emissions economy.
In 2009 the Government established the $100 million Australian Solar Institute to drive solar R&D in Australia to help reduce the costs of solar technologies.
Earlier this month we increased our commitment to the ASI with the Prime Minister announcing an additional $50 million to support collaborative R&D with the United States.
The ASI is an important part of the Australian Government’s $5.1 billion Clean Energy Initiative which also includes the $1.5 billion Solar Flagships Program.
ASI Laboratory
The ASI has provided $5 million in funding to the ANU to assist in the establishment of a world-class solar research facility.
It is my great pleasure to be here today to open this facility.
The opening today of the Australian Solar Institute funded solar research laboratory, here at the ANU, marks an important step forward in achieving our goals for solar R&D in Australia.
Here at the ANU, you have a well-earned reputation as a world-leader in solar research.
With facilities like these, you have the tools for enhancing this reputation and attracting leading solar researchers to Australia.
Over the next five years the Laboratory will support an estimated $30 million worth of new research projects.
It will service the needs of both public and private sector researchers and will make Australia an even more attractive place to invest in solar technologies.
ASI Round 2 Grants
Building on the first round of ASI grants, I am also here today to announce that the ANU has been successful in securing two further grants with a total value of $6.5 million.
The first grant of $3.3 million will support industry-ready silicon solar cells.
The second grant of $3.2 million is for a roof mounted hybrid Concentrating Solar Thermal system for distributed generation of heating, cooling and electricity.
These two grants are part of a broader pool of 14 projects sharing in a total of $21.6 million from Round 2 of the ASI’s solar research and development grants.
Together, they leverage total project investment of around $73.4 million.
It now brings total support for ASI-funded projects to around $66 million leveraging over $209 million of total project investment.
Scholarships and Fellowships
But world-class projects and facilities are only part of the story – we also need world class people.
To support the second half of this equation, I am pleased to announce that the ASI will fund four PhD Scholarships and four Post Doctoral Research Fellowships.
I offer my congratulations to all recipients, including Tom Ratcliff of the ANU who is here with us today.
Australia has a history of excellence in innovative solar energy research.
This funding will help support the next generation of researchers and, I hope, will inspire them to emulate the success of their predecessors.
Conclusion
Ladies and gentlemen, I congratulate all those involved in developing this world-class Laboratory.
This research is important to help us over time meet our energy security goals alongside our climate change aspirations.
To all those working at the ANU’s solar lab, the fourteen successful Round 2 projects and the eight successful scholarship and fellowship recipients, I wish you every success.
Thank you