Super-powered solar powered research

Key Australian and US photovoltaic research centres are combining forces to develop the next generation of higher performing, more economical, solar technologies.

Monash University is joining with CSIRO, four Group of Eight counterparts, 12 international institutions, four industry partners and three US laboratories to form the US-Australia Strategic Research Initiative in Photovoltaics. Subject to milestones, the consortium is eligible for up to $33 million in Australian Solar Institute funding over eight years.

The domestic arm, the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics (ACAP) is led by Professor Martin Green of the University of New South Wales and is funded by the Australian Solar Institute.

Monash is represented in ACAP through researchers Professor Leone Spiccia from the School of Chemistry and Professor Yi-Bing Cheng and Associate Professor Udo Bach from the Department of Materials Engineering.

The trio, as part of the Victorian Organic Solar Cell Consortium, has been developing solar cells that can be printed on metals or plastics, with the aim of reducing high manufacturing costs - one of the main barriers to the uptake of solar technology in Australia.

Professor Cheng said the establishment of the consortium was an exciting development.

"This initiative provides excellent opportunities to further advance our research in thin film solar cell technologies through substantial collaborations with leading research groups in Australia and the USA," Professor Cheng said.

Professor Spiccia said the potential of solar energy was receiving well-deserved recognition.

"We are very pleased that the Federal Government, through the Australia Solar Institute, have recognized the importance of solar energy research by providing substantial long-term funding for this exciting Australia-USA collaborative project," Professor Spiccia said.

Associate Professor Bach said the new funding underpinned Australialong-term's commitment to a sustainable global energy economy.

"The challenges that lie ahead are too large to be solved within the confinements of individual countries.  This new funding will enable us to team up with other leading research groups in Australia and the USA to identify and develop the next generation of low-cost, high-efficiency solar cell technologies that we will find on our roofs tops 10 years from now," Associate Professor Bach said.

In addition to technological advancement, the US-Australia Strategic Research Initiative in Photovoltaics will provide high-quality training opportunities for research students. It also aims to educate the public on the potential of solar power and support policy development in this area.