Machine Learning Applications for Photovoltaics

The continuous increase in energy conversion efficiency and decrease in the cost have made solar power the cheapest form of electricity in most countries. As a result, silicon-based solar cell technologies are currently dominating the global photovoltaic (PV) market. Furthermore, with the global push to combat climate change, it's estimated that over 80 TW of solar power will need to be installed by 2050 - which is a huge increase from the current global cumulative capacity of 1 TW achieved in 2022. Such growth in the PV industry was previously driven by economies of scale. To facilitate and continue this immense growth, the industry will need the assistance of artificial intelligence in all aspects of the PV supply chain.

Characterisation plays a vital role in the development and monitoring of solar cells in all aspects from manufacturing of the wafers to a PV module’s end-of-life. Utilising machine learning (ML) to unlock powerful characterisation techniques as well as making current techniques more effective will enhance the development and monitoring of PV cells and modules. We are seeking a motivated PhD candidates to develop state-of-the-art ML applications for different aspects of the PV value chain. You will join a strong team of talented researchers working to apply ML to:

• extract various electrical properties for luminescence images of silicon wafers, solar cells, and PV modules
• improve the reliability of manufacturing lines and installed PV systems
• develop the new generation of solar cells
• automate the decision making process for end-of-life processing of PV modules

In this PhD project, you'll dive into advanced characterisation techniques like luminescence imaging and outdoor imaging systems. Plus, you'll innovate by adapting existing ML and deep learning models to advance other existing characterisation techniques. And with access to powerful computational resources, state-of-the-art labs, and rich datasets for training ML models, you'll have everything you need to conduct cutting-edge research and make significant contributions to the field of solar cell characterisation.

Scholarship

• $37,684 per annum (2024 rate) 3.5 years
• Tuition fee scholarship for International candidates

Eligibility

• Domestic and International applicants
• PhD only
• GPA above 8 out of 10 or equivalent

How to apply

Please email the following to Professor Ziv Hameiri at ziv.hameiri@unsw.edu.au:

• updated CV
• a short video (approximately 7 min) discussing previous research experience
• full undergraduate and masters academic transcript
• copy of master’s thesis as well as links to publications (if applicable)