MELBOURNE, Victoria, AU, April 11, 2007.
Four research projects in Victoria will receive Aus$8 million, with one project designed to develop new solar cells.
Funding of $6 million will go to the Organic Solar Consortium to research the next generation of large, non-silicon, flexible and cheap organic solar cells. That is half of the cost for a project headed by the University of Melbourne to develop and increase the efficiency of organic solar cells as an alternative to silicon based cells in the generation of solar power.
The project could lead to establishment of a centre of excellence in Victoria in research in this area. Partners in the research include Monash University, CSIRO, Securency (including Innovia Films), BP Solar, Merck, Bluescope Steel and NonoVic.
“One of the potential large-scale offshoots of the research could see organic solar cells being embedded into manufactured roofing panels for houses and buildings,” says Victorian energy minister Peter Batchelor. “This would not only protect the buildings from the elements, but also generate electricity.”
The grants from the Sustainable Energy Research & Development program highlighted the commitment of the Brack government to thriving, next generation businesses and industries, he explains. “This research highlights the creative and cutting edge work that will be required to tackle the challenges of climate change and a carbon-constrained future.”
The research into organic solar cells is above other investments in solar energy such as the $420 million Solar System’s 154 MW photovoltaic power station in Northern Victoria. Batchelor says the allocation of grants under SERD will boost Victorian researchers’ capacity to compete internationally.
Other successful projects include $1.2 million grant for a second project led by the University of Melbourne to develop a hydrogen-fuelled car engine and storage of hydrogen. Another $650,000 will go to Monash University to research the recycling of waste plastics for production of diesel fuel and $250,000 to the Australian Sustainable Industry Research Centre to investigate the efficiency of solvent-based fuel derived from recycling industrial liquid wastes.
The projects must be completed by 2010.
