UNSW Sydney academics have been awarded $64.8 million from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) for 12 different solar projects.
Researchers from UNSW’s Engineering and Science faculties have been granted the bulk of a $105.6 million investment by ARENA in Australia’s next wave of solar innovation.
ARENA almost doubled its grant allocation for Ultra Low-Cost Solar PV Research due to the high quality of applications it received. It marks the organisation’s largest single investment in solar photovoltaic research.
The UNSW projects, 12 of the 20 to receive funding, include improving silicon solar modules so they last longer, improving the efficiency of solar cells, developing materials to improve the cost and efficiency of solar panels and better monitoring of solar farms.
Professor Bronwyn Fox, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Enterprise, said UNSW had long been at the forefront of solar research and that these grants would provide a huge boost to a wide range of significant projects driving the future of solar energy.
“Ever since UNSW’s pioneering work developing high-efficiency silicon solar cells 50 years ago, the University has been a leader in solar energy research,” Prof Fox said.
“UNSW is thrilled to partner with ARENA on these 12 projects which continue to build on this strength and help drive the development of more affordable solar technology.”
Eleven of the projects are attached to UNSW’s School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, with one from the School of Chemistry.
UNSW Dean of Engineering, Professor Julien Epps,said: “This funding enables some of the leading experts worldwide in solar photovoltaics to work hand-in-hand with industry to drive forward innovative research and development that is pivotal to the energy transition and pivotal to climate change mitigation.”
Ever since UNSW’s pioneering work developing high- efficiency silicon solar cells 50 years ago, the university has been a leader in solar energy research.
The successful projects from UNSW are:
Lower-temperature connections for advanced solar panels
- Awardee: Professor Brett Hallam
- Grant: $5.4 million
- This project aims to make solar panels more sustainable by reducing the amount of bismuth and silver used in their manufacture, as well as lowering the temperatures needed to produce them.
Making silicon solar panels more efficient and durable
- Awardee: Professor Timothy Schmidt
- Grant: $7.1 million
- UNSW and its partners will develop two technologies to improve silicon solar panels. One will convert ultraviolet (UV) light, while the other will help protect solar cells from damage caused by UV exposure.
Testing next-generation solar panels in real-world conditions
- Awardee: Dr Jessica Yajie Jiang
- Grant: $5.6 million
- UNSW will field-test perovskite and tandem solar modules from different manufacturers in outdoor conditions. The project will also use laboratory and accelerated testing to track how the panels perform, understand why they degrade and compare real-world results with laboratory findings.
Improving solar panel durability in Australian conditions
- Awardee: Professor Bram Hoex
- Grant: $6.5 million
- UNSW and its partners will develop a framework to test and validate the reliability of solar panels. The project will combine laboratory testing, outdoor trials in different Australian climates, advanced diagnostics and modelling to understand how and why panels degrade, and how long they are likely to last.
Making perovskite-silicon solar panels more efficient and reliable
- Awardee: Scientia Professor Xiaojing Hao
- Grant: $6.3 million
- UNSW and its partners will develop and test solar cells and panels that combine perovskite and silicon. Using UNSW’s technology, the two parts can be made separately before being joined together. The project will improve the materials and manufacturing processes, test how reliably the panels perform in the laboratory and outdoors, and trial larger-scale production with industry partners.
Using AI and advanced manufacturing to improve tandem solar panels
- Awardee: Professor Ziv Hameiri
- Grant: $5.1 million
- This project will help develop larger tandem solar panels that convert more than 30 per cent of sunlight into electricity. It will use machine learning and advanced manufacturing technologies to improve reliability, lower production costs, detect problems earlier and help manufacturers optimise the production process.
Developing more efficient and affordable tandem solar cells
- Awardee: Dr Kaiwen Sun
- Grant: $6.3 million
- UNSW is developing solar cells that combine chalcogenide and silicon materials. The project aims to improve efficiency, reduce costs and help create next-generation solar panels that convert up to 30 per cent of sunlight into electricity.
Using AI to discover new solar materials
- Awardee: Dr Ning Song
- Grant: $5.2 million
- UNSW will use AI and modelling to find new solar materials for next-generation silicon tandem solar cells. The project aims to support solar modules that can reach 30 per cent efficiency by using an AI-enabled discovery platform.
Developing new materials to make silicon solar cells more efficient
- Awardee: Associate Professor Murad Jehangir Yusuf Tayebjee
- Grant: $5.1 million
- This project will develop new organic layers to improve the efficiency of silicon solar cells and reduce manufacturing costs. The materials will be compatible with existing production methods, making it easier for manufacturers to adopt the technology. The project could support future commercialisation through licensing, material supply and partnerships with solar manufacturers.
Designing solar panels for specific sites to reduce costs
- Awardee: Professor Brett Hallam
- Grant: $4.4 million
- UNSW will design solar panels tailored to the conditions of individual solar farms. The project aims to improve performance and increase the value of large-scale solar projects while reducing the cost of generating electricity.
Using AI to improve solar farm operations
- Awardee: Professor Ziv Hameiri
- Grant: $4.7 million
- This project will develop a digital platform to help solar farms predict faults, manage risks and reduce operating costs. It will support more efficient maintenance and help build Australian expertise in using artificial intelligence and machine learning to manage large-scale solar farms.
Using daylight imaging to detect solar panel problems
- Awardee: Professor Thorsten Trupke
- Grant: $3.1 million
- This project will develop faster ways to use daylight imaging to assess the quality and condition of solar panels. The technology could help operators detect defects caused during manufacturing or transport, support warranty claims and make better maintenance decisions.
ARENA acting CEO Chris Faris said the projects would help ensure Australia remained at the forefront of solar innovation while addressing some of the biggest challenges facing the renewable energy industry.
“Australia has played a leading role in the development of solar technology, and these projects will help ensure we continue to strengthen that position,” Mr Faris said.
“The portfolio brings together a mix of near-term improvements and breakthrough technologies that have the potential to lower costs, improve performance and accelerate the deployment of solar energy both in Australia and around the world.
“Achieving ultra low-cost solar requires innovation across the entire value chain. From the solar cells and modules themselves through to the way solar farms are built, operated and maintained, these projects will help unlock practical solutions that support a faster, more affordable energy transition.”
