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Helping make solar power cheaper

Solar energy: The Centre for Energy Technology is helping lower the costs of solar thermal power

Thursday, 13 December 2012

The ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Adelaide's is part of a major solar research initiative aimed at lowering the cost of solar thermal power, announced by the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥n Government today.

Led by CSIRO, the will be worth a total of over $87 million.

The eight-year collaboration aims to lower the cost of solar thermal power from 25 to around 10 cents a kilowatt hour.

Centre for Energy Technology Director said the Centre looked forward to making a significant contribution to the initiative.

"Not only is solar energy one of the key forms of renewable energy, it is also one of the fastest growing forms of energy technology, so offers significant opportunity for the industrial sector," Professor Nathan said.

"The Centre for Energy Technology is already working on the development of next generation solar energy systems, especially in novel hybrid systems and solar fuels.

"We welcome this opportunity to work with the CSIRO and other partners to keep ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥, and South ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥, at the forefront of solar research."

The ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥n Solar Thermal Research Initiative is supported by the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥n Solar Institute and ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥n Renewable Energy Agency with a $35 million contribution. The initiative will also leverage significant US investment into the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥n concentrated solar power (CSP) industry, and mobilise the international CSP industry to invest in ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥.

CSIRO's Energy Transformed Flagship Director, Dr Alex Wonhas, said: "A world-class collaboration of this scale ensures we are well on our way to lower the cost of solar thermal technology."

The collaboration partners are CSIRO, ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Adelaide, the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥n National ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥, ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Queensland, ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of South ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥, Queensland ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Technology and Flinders ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥, as well as the United States' Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Sandia Corporation and Arizona State ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥.

The ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥'s Centre for Technology is also a partner in a project to develop 'Tools for design and scale-up of solar thermochemical reactors', with ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of NSW and National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

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