School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering
The School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering is internationally recognised for its research in the area of photovoltaics, most of which is now conducted under the ARC Centre of Excellence in Advanced Silicon Photovoltaics and Photonics. It was also the first organisation internationally to offer undergraduate training in the area of Photovoltaics and Solar Energy, and since then has extended the educational programs offered to include postgraduate and research training opportunities.
Announcements
Nicole Keupper's Youtube video soon to hit 14,000 viewings
Nicole Keupper
3 July 2009
Nicole Kuepper, a 23-year-old PhD student from UNSW's School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, has developed photovoltaic (solar cell) technology involving a simple inkjet printing process. The work could bring electricity to 2 billion of the world's poorest people - and has already two prestigious Eureka Prizes for Nicole. The video from UNSW TV, Solar Star: Nicole Kuepper, is soon to hit 14,000 viewings. Click here to learn more about UNSW TV. Click here to view Nicole's video on Youtube.
SPEED OF LIGHT 2 is available free on-line for duration of World Solar Challenge
Speed of Light 2: The 1999 World Solar Challenge
23 June 2009
The World Solar Challenge (WSC), considered to be the ultimate challenge in solar racing, will run from 25 – 31 October 2009. (Click here to find out more about the WSC.) Run from Darwin to Adelaide, this 3010 km race pushes engineering and tactics to their limits in what has been described as “the ultimate brain sport”. To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the publication of SPEED OF LIGHT 2: The 1999 World Solar Challenge, the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering is placing it on the web until the closing date of the WSC. View the teams, the cars, the solar cells, the batteries and the tactics used a decade ago. (For those interested in purchasing the CDRom it is available from the UNSW Bookshop by clicking here.) To view SPEED OF LIGHT 2 on the web click here.
Dr. Gavin Conibeer Presents: Photovoltaics Technology Overview
Click here to see video of overview
10 June 2009
Deputy Director Gavin Conibeer of the ARC Photovoltaics Centre of Excellence at UNSW has presented an 18 minute overview to the Australian PV Association. To view this video presentation click here.
SPREE student Telia Curtis has won $1,000 at the UNSW Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Showcase for her poster entitled Sunny Solution for a Nutty Nuisance
Telia's Poster
Sunny Solution for a Nutty Nuisance
26 May 2009
Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Showcase 18 & 19 May 2009
The Office of the DVC(R) and the CC&ES Research Showcase Committee have put together a broad and varied program showcasing the breadth of talent working in the areas of climate change and environmental sustainability. Researchers will showcase their work in presentation and poster format.
Research staff and students are encourage to attend. This is a great opportunity to hear about the latest research being done in these critical areas, meet with colleagues and to discuss ideas. To learn more about this and other showcases at UNSW click here. To download the pdf of the poster click here.
Professor Stuart Wenham named New South Innovations Inventor of the Year
Professor Stuart Wenham
24 April 2009
Solar cell inventor Stuart Wenham has won the top prize at the 2009 Inventor of the Year awards hosted by New South Innovations, UNSW’s technology commercialisation company.
Professor Wenham is a world-leading solar cell inventor who heads UNSW’s ARC Photovoltaic Centre of Excellence. In a career spanning more than a quarter of a century, he has invented or co-invented eight suites of solar cell technologies that have been licensed to solar cell makers around the world, including Suntech-Power, BP Solar and Samsung. These companies have annual production volumes valued at hundreds of millions of dollars in an industry that is now the world’s fastest-growing energy sector... Click here to read more of this article from the UNSW Media website.
Professor Stuart Wenham to recieve the IEEE's 34th PVSC Cherry Award
20 April 2009
"This award is named in honor of William R. Cherry, a founder of the photovoltaic community. In the 1950's, he was instrumental in establishing solar cells as the ideal power source for space satellites and for recognizing, advocating, and nurturing the use of photovoltaic systems for terrestrial applications. The William R. Cherry award was instituted in l980, shortly after his death. The purpose of the award is to recognize engineers and scientists who devote a part of their professional life to the advancement of the technology of photovoltaic energy conversion. The nominee must have made significant contributions to the science and/or technology of PV energy conversion, with dissemination by substantial publications and presentations. Professional society activities, promotional and/or organizational efforts and achievements are not considerations in the election for the award." IEEE ~ For more information on the Cherry Award click here.
Darcy & Patricia Wentworth Donation
Left to right: Darcy Wentworth, Dr. Richard Corkish
2 April 2009
“The School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering is grateful to Darcy and Patricia Wentworth for their donation,” said Dr. Richard Corkish, Head of School. “This funding will be used to assist the more complex of the 2nd and 4th year student projects.”
World's Largest PV Class?
A/Prof Alistair Sproul teaching Applied Photovoltaics
18 March 2009
“The School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering may be teaching the world’s largest Photovoltaics class”, says Prof. Stuart Wenham, Director of the ARC Photovoltaics Centre of Excellence. “With 246 undergraduate and postgraduate students, the Applied Photovoltaics class has moved from a specialty area of study into mainstream engineering. Of course we wouldn’t be able to teach a class of this size unless industry needed engineers skilled in these areas but it is still amazing to see how quickly this class has grown.” To find out more about the classes Photovoltaic & Renewable Energy Engineering students take click here. To find out how to enrol in the online version of Applied Photovoltaics for Professional Engineers click here.
President of South Korea Visits UNSW Photovoltaics Labs
Left: President Lee Myung-bak, South Korea
Right: Dr. Richard Corkish, Head of School
Left to Right:
A/Professor Chung-Sok Suh, Director, Korea-Australasia Research Centre (KAREC)
Professor Les Field, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research)
Dr Richard Corkish, Head, School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering
President Myung-bak Lee, President of the Republic of Korea
Professor Fred Hilmer AO, Vice-Chancellor and President
Professor Richard Henry AM, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic)
Ms Jennie Lang, Pro Vice-Chancellor (International)
Mr. Youn-ho Lee, Minister of Knowledge Economy of the Republic of Korea
4 March 2009
The ARC Photovoltaics Centre of Excellence was honoured by the visit of President Lee Myung-bak of South Korea. For more information about this visit please see:
Chinese Governor Visits UNSW Photovoltaics Labs
Above left to right:
Dr. Richard Corkish, Head of School
Governor Guo Geng Mao, Peoples Government of Henan Province, China
Professor Richard Henry, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic)
3 February 2009
The ARC Photovoltaics Centre of Excellence was honoured by the visit of His Excellency Mr. Guo Geng Mao, Governor of Henan Provincial Government and delegates. “We are most pleased to show His Excellency thorough our photovoltaics laboratory.” says Dr. Richard Corkish. “We have very strong academic and industrial links with many Chinese Universities and PV manufacturing groups. Visits such as these are instrumental in fostering collaborative activities.”
New era in solar research
16 January 2009
UNSW has confirmed its position in the front line of Australian renewable energy research with its selection as a foundation member of the Australian Solar Institute (ASI), a $100m research and innovation centre established by the Federal Government to fast-track solar energy technologies. Click here to read more.
6 January 2009
The Schools's Nicole Kuepper (Eureka Prize winner) will join host Jennifer Byrne and a panel of experts including Clive Hamilton (social commentator and author), Prof Hugh Possingham (Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists) and Dr Mike Raupach (Co-Chair, Global Carbon Project) for an evening of lively discussion and debate to celebrate Charles Darwin’s 200th birthday on 11 February 2009. Click here to go to the Dining with Darwin website.
Australian Government Announces Major Building Grant for UNSW Photovoltaics
12 December 2008
THE HON JULIA GILLARD MP ~ DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Minister for Education, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations,
Minister for Social Inclusion
SENATOR THE HON KIM CARR
Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research
The Minister for Education, Julia Gillard, and Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Kim Carr today announced $580 million would be fast-tracked into universities through the Education Investment Fund. The Ministers approved 11 successful projects as part of a $4.7 billion nation-building infrastructure package announced by the Prime Minister to support Australia’s economy in tough times. Click here to view the media release (pdf).
MEDIA RELEASE
The Energy Technologies Building at the University of New South Wales – $75 million
The UNSW will build the Energy Technologies Building as the focal point for its new Centre for Energy Research and Policy Analysis (CERPA). The proposed building will support UNSW’s world-leading work in photovoltaics as well as research into carbon capture and storage, reservoir characterisation, nanomaterials and policy and market analysis.
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IEEE Honours Professor Stuart Wenham14 November 2008 |
UNSW Photovoltaics Centre of Excellence recognized for world record 25% conversion efficiency
28 October 2008
With the International Electrochemical Commission’s adjustment of the internationally recognized solar spectrum the Centre has now achieved 25% conversion efficiency. For more information see the Sydney Morning Herald article here or to listen to the ABC Radio National Science Show's interview with Prof. Green click here.
United Nations Report ~ "Green" energy should create 20 million jobs by 2030
30 September 2008
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Development of alternative energy should create more than 20 million jobs around the world in coming decades as governments adopt policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to a U.N. report released on Wednesday. Click here to go to the Reuters site.
Professor Martin Green honored as New South Wales Scientist of the YearClick here to view video on NSW Office for Science and Medical Research webpage. |
12 September 2008
Pioneering UNSW solar energy researcher, Scientia Professor Martin Green, has been named the New South Wales Scientist of the Year – leading a stellar performance by UNSW academics in the inaugural State awards to recognise scientific excellence.
Professor Green, a Federation Fellow and Executive Research Director of the ARC Photovoltaics Centre of Excellence at UNSW, was recognised with the State’s highest award for science for his innovative work in solar cell development. He also won the Environment, Water and Climate Change Sciences category.
Professor Green has led the development of the world’s highest efficiency silicon solar cells and is a co-inventor of “second-generation” silicon-on-glass solar cell technology, which offers dramatic cost reductions for solar cell manufacture by reducing the amount of silicon used. He is now working on high-efficiency “third generation” thin-film photovoltaic technology... Click here to read more of this article from the UNSW Media website. Click here to go to the NSW Office for Science and Medical Research webpage.
Three Awards for the UNSW Shool of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering
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19 August 2008
Nicole Kuepper, a 23 year old solar cell scientist, has been voted Australia's favorite scientist in the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes People's Choice Award. Nicole has also been awarded the British Council Eureka Prize for Young Leaders in Environmental Issues and Climate Change. Click here to go to the Australian Museum's page for Nicole Kuepper. The School was also awarded the IAG Eureka Prize for Innovative Solutions to Climate Change. Click here to go to the Australian Museum's IAG award page. Click here to learn more about the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes.
New Energy Research Centre Opens at UNSW
View the CERPA Opening 12 minute slide presentation by Prof. Wenham. |
12 August 2008
The UNSW Centre for Energy Research and Policy Analysis is a multi-faculty institute focused on innovation and understanding in all aspects of energy generation, utilisation and conservation. With the goal of developing real-world solutions to the energy challenges of today and the future, CERPA harnesses the diverse strengths of UNSW and brings together world-class researchers who are working together on the key areas of:
- Renewable energy technologies
- Fuels for a cleaner environment
- Distributed Energy Systems
- Efficient energy technologies
- Economic, social and regulatory policy
To go to the CERPA website click here. To read about the opening of the centre click here.
Book Chapter for ATSE's STELR Project
10th July 2008
The School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering has released for web publication the excerpt Understanding the p-n Junction from its publication Solar Cells: Resources for the Secondary Science Teacher. This chapter was written to help high school science teachers teach the concepts necessary for understanding the processes operating within p-n junctions. This material will appear on the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering website for the STELR project. Click here to go to the STELR website. To download the excerpt click here (21 pages - 1.5MB pdf format).
13th June 2008
The University of New South Wales has now enabled two new combinations of Bachelor Degrees. The Bachelor of Engineering in Photovoltaics and Solar Energy Engineering and the Bachelor of Engineering in Renewable Energy Engineering can now be combined with LAWS to form combined degrees. These two new combined degree programs allow students to specialize in both legal professions and PV or RE engineering. “This is so new that the UNSW Handbook doesn’t yet reflect this change”, says Dr. Richard Corkish, Head of School. Students who want to enter one of these two combined degree programs for second term 2008 would need to contact us directly to help them with the admission by emailing pa.pvhead@unsw.edu.au or by phoning +61 2 9385 6155. The current handbook entry can be found at http://www.handbook.unsw.edu.au/undergraduate/programs/2008/4776.html
APPLIED PHOTOVOLTAICS TEXTBOOK NOW IN CHINESE
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Note: this book is now available from the UNSW Bookshop. Click here to go to the bookshop's webpage. |
27th May 2008
The Centre's book Applied Photovoltaics has just been published in Chinese. "We expect that this publication will become one of the most used photovoltaics textbooks in China", says Dr. Richard Corkish, Head of School and co-author. "With the explosive growth of the Chinese PV industry, engineers and students are looking to find authoritative textbooks published in their own language." This publication has been available in English in China for some time and because of its great demand a Chinese translation has now been published through Shanghai Jiao Tong University Press. To view the cover and publication info click here (2 pages PDF). To go to the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Press click http://www.jiaodapress.com.cn/2008061305.htm. You can also order this book from here or here.
AWARD FOR UNSW SOLAR VISIONARY
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(The above video was kindly supplied by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.)
16th May 2008
UNSW solar energy innovator, Scientia Professor Stuart Wenham, has won one of the most prestigious Australian research accolades – an Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering Clunies Ross Award – for his enormous contributions to solar cell development and commercialisation. Click here for more information on this award. Click here to go to the ATSE website. Click here to go to the Clunies Ross Foundation website.
2007 UNSW ARC PHOTOVOLTAICS CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE ANNUAL REPORT
Click here to go to the download page for the Centre's 2007 Annual Report. This report includes the Directors' Report, Highlights, Staff List, Details in Research Areas, Education, Organisational Structure, Progress Against Targets, Financial Summary and Publications Lists.
UNSW MAKING CHANGES TOWARDS A BETTER WORLD
UNSW aims to be the most sustainable campus in the southern hemisphere and lead climate change research. Here's how the uni is going about it.
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=UxbV1jsr4pw&feature=PlayList&p=5F5F335FC2E5F316&index=0
SINGAPORE NATIONAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION
Environment & Water Industry Council & Clean Energy Programme Office
International PhD Scholarships for Singaporean Citizens
Click here for further information (PDF File)
The Environment and Water Industry Development Council (EWI) and the Clean Energy Programme Office (CEPO) in Singapore promote the water & clean energy industries respectively, and envisage growing career opportunities for all in these sectors. The EWI and CEPO, with funding from the National Research Foundation (NRF) are providing PhD scholarships in these areas – the NRF Environment & Water Technology PhD Scholarships and the NRF Clean Energy PhD Scholarships. The objective of the Scholarships is to build up local research capability and groom research leaders in specific Environment & Water Technology and Clean Energy areas that are identified as promising but needing development in Singapore.
UNSW ALUMNI AWARD GOES TO DR ZHENGRONG SHI OF SUNTECH POWER
March 2008
Jenny Lu, Manager of Suntech Power Australia, accepted an award from the UNSW Alumni Association on behalf of Dr
UNSW wishes to recognise alumni who have achieved excellence in their chosen field of endeavour. The Alumni Awards for Achievement are made to eminent UNSW alumni in Australia and throughout the world who have made outstanding contributions to their community, have stimulated new ideas and services and have shown exceptional dedication, creativity or leadership. The Awards, an annual event since 1981, are a celebration of alumni achievement and demonstrate what can be achieved with a UNSW education.
Renewable Energy Corporation (Norway) Signs Co-Op Scholarship Agreement
The School is pleased to announce
that Renewable Energy Corporation (REC) has just signed up with the
UNSW Co-Op program as a new sponsor of one undergraduate scholar in
Photovoltaics and Solar Energy Engineering, starting in 2008. REC is
a large and rapidly growing photovoltaics manufacturer based in
Teaching Agreement with Sun Yat-Sen University
UNSW and Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China have just signed an agreement that will allow students from the Department of Physics at Sun Yat-Sen University to articulate to third and fourth years of UNSW’s Bachelor of Engineering (Photovoltaics and Solar Energy). The students who come under this agreement will be sponsored by the Australian Government under the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate program (http://www.dfat.gov.au/environment/climate/ap6/). The School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering is very pleased to welcome Sun Yat-Sen University as a new and valued partner.
Major new sponsorship for students from China, India and Korea
The School is excited to announce the availability of new sponsored places for PhD and MEngSc students from China, India and Korea. In addition, students from particular programs at selected Chinese universities will be sponsored to study their third and fourth years in the School. Further Information on the APP sponsorships here.
The long awaited 2nd edition of Photovoltaics: Devices, Systems and Applications by Chris Honsberg & Stuart Bowden is now available for review free of charge from the University of Delaware. Click here to go to the UDEL site: http://pvcdrom.pveducation.org This is the companion multimedia CDRom for the PV Centre’s textbook Applied Photovoltaics (this textbook is available from the UNSW Bookshop by clicking here).
Photovoltaic Devices and Applications is the on-line version of the 4 th year and postgraduate engineering class Applied Photovoltaics. New for 2008, this 12 - 16 week on-line class is now available either in an engineering strand for professional engineers or in a essay based ‘minimal mathematics’ strand for professional architects and related occupations ~ click here for more information.
Applied Photovoltaics 2nd ed is the school's most recent publication. All of the web links referenced in the book are now listed and updated monthly. New links are added and dead links are removed.
Download a free copy of RaySim Version 6.0 from the RaySim subsite.
Learn more about the UNSW School of Photovoltaics and Solar Energy Engineering's Bachelor of Engineering in Photovoltaics and Solar Energy Engineering AND the Bachelor of Engineering in Renewable Energy Engineering. Over 1 hour of video ~ click here to open in new (pop up) browser (you may need to Control-Click on some browsers) ~ click here to open in current browser. Presentation 800 by 600.