RENEWABLES
THE NEXT GENERATION OF
SOLAR TECHNOLOGIES
By the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics (ACAP)
In a recent announcement by Federal Energy Minister, Chris Bowen, ARENA will fund an extension of the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics (ACAP). Final negotiations are in process on the research program and partnerships, with work expected to start in 2023. Here, ACAP outlines breakthroughs in solar technologies, what the next generation of photovoltaic technologies looks like, and the role this plays in grid overhaul.
program of work, will be trained engineers and innovators to work with industry to deliver on the energy transition. ACAP is the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics (PV), a national centre for solar PV research led by UNSW, in partnership with ANU, CSIRO, the University of Melbourne, University of Queensland and Monash University. ACAP started with this group in 2013, in partnerships with industry and international research institutions to work together on the next generation of photovoltaic technologies to be deployed in Australia and globally. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) provides significant funding for the work of ACAP, and in 2022, renewed its support for another eight years. With the extension comes new partnerships with the University of Sydney and the addition of CSIRO-Energy to complement the activities of CSIRO-Manufacturing. Cell technologies have historically been the great research strength of ACAP, and we’re excited to be continuing our world-leading work in the field. The cells currently in panels that you see now have efficiencies of somewhere between 21 and 25 per cent. The aim is to drive those cell efficiencies up and keep the price pressure on the technologies to make solar even more affordable than it already is. The Solar Industrial Research Facility at UNSW, Sydney. Images courtesy of ARENA. To achieve these higher cell efficiencies, we have ongoing research into new kinds he program of work for the ACAP extension is of materials for solar cells, as well as the framed around ARENA’s 30-30-30 targets, for 30 design of cells and panels themselves. These two elements, per cent module efficiencies, 30c/Wp systems costs new materials and cell and panel design, are at the forefront of by 2030. Together, these targets contribute to the where new performance breakthroughs in solar cell technologies economic stretch target of a low cost of energy of are happening. $15/MWhr for energy from solar. This will enable Tandem cells, which capture more of the light spectrum, and new green manufacturing and support a hydrogen export market. materials like perovskites and adamantine that absorb light in parts ACAP will be focusing on achieving these 30 per cent of the spectrum that complement silicon, are big areas of interest efficiencies with new and emerging solar cell technologies. ACAP to us. We’re confident that continued work on these technologies will also be addressing issues of manufacturability, including local will bring us to 30 per cent efficient cells by 2030, if we really content and sustainability, and design for recycling and recycling back ourselves. technologies. An important output, historically and in the new
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November 2022 ISSUE 20
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