UNSW takes the lead on solar energy

07 November 2006

UNSW’s School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering will lead a project aimed at building international expertise in solar energy engineering.

The project is one of the initiatives announced by the Prime Minister John Howard as part of the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate (AP6). The AP6 brings together Australia, China, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the United States to meet goals for energy security, national air pollution reduction, and climate change in ways that promote sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction.

The UNSW project, for which in-principle funding of up to $4.6 million from the Federal Government has been approved, is one component of the AP6 Renewable Energy and Distributed Generation Task Force. It aims to address the worldwide shortage of highly trained photovoltaic and solar energy engineers, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region.

“This project is an exciting step forward in the race to make solar energy an effective tool in meeting the world’s power needs,” says Dr Richard Corkish, Head of the School in the Faculty of Engineering.

“UNSW has been a leader in the development of photovoltaic energy for some time. This funding will allow us to train an increasing number of solar energy specialists to help address the global crisis.”

Dean of Engineering, Professor Brendon Parker, says: “This new funding acknowledges the prominent role of UNSW in the booming field of photovoltaic engineering research and education, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, which is expected to become both a huge manufacturer and market for renewable energy equipment and services.”

The in-principle funding will support UNSW in offering several scholarship schemes to international PhD and coursework Masters students, engineering students from AP6 partner countries and undergraduate engineering students from partner universities.