UNSW

A team of researchers from the University of New South Wales is confident it can get silicon solar cells to a power conversion efficiency above 30% by integrating a process that splits particles of light, or photons, into two smaller energy chunks.

The research group led by University of New South Wales Scientia Professor Martin Green has published Version 64 of the solar cell efficiency tables. There are 19 new results reported in the new version.

University of New South Wales researchers have created vortex generators that can reportedly reduce the operating solar module temperature by up to 2.5 C. They built two different prototypes, based on aluminum and a conductive 3D printable polymer, and tested them under several scenarios in an experimental setting deployed in Sydney.

More than half of Australia’s electricity demand is expected to be met by solar by 2050 but not as we know it with an industry expert tipping solar windows, photovoltaic paint, printed film, and more efficient tandem cells will play a key role.

A team of Australian researchers has developed multi-stage algorithms they say can remotely detect and accurately diagnose underperforming solar panels in residential and commercial PV systems.

A group of Australian engineers claim to have discovered a new material to make power-pole insulators resistant to electrical sparking and fire, promising to prevent dangerous pole-top fires, reduce blackouts and lower maintenance costs.

An Australian research group has used an SMA inverter to switch the operating point of a PV array and has demonstrated its ability to create photoluminescence images for both rooftop and large-scale solar installations.

Researchers at the University of New South Wales claim to have identified three TOPCon panel failure types that are absent in PERC products. They explained that these failures may occur when the modules are exposed to high humidity and contaminants before encapsulation.

Australia has firmly established its status as a global leader in residential solar deployment with 35% of all houses having already installed rooftop systems but new data reveals there is almost 50 GW of “untapped PV potential” on residential buildings across the country.

Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government has announced it will plough $1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those in the solar industry, and guarding against supply chain shocks and geopolitical tension.