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LEADING SOLAR SCIENTIST IN CANBERRA TO TALK LOW COST, HIGH EFFICIENCY SOLAR CELLS
2 October 2008

One of Australia's top solar researchers, Professor Martin Green, will discuss his team's Eureka Prize winning work on 'third generation' solar cells and their potential to provide electricity at competitive prices, at a public lecture at the Shine Dome in Canberra on Tuesday 7 October.

Professor Green's research group at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) have developed the world's highest efficiency silicon solar cells after improving the performance of cells by over 50% from previous benchmarks. His group has commercialised several technologies and currently holds a number of world records for cell performance.

He will discuss research improving the energy conversion efficiency of cells and reducing silicon wafer thickness to keep costs down. The most exciting developments are with thin-film technologies, where silicon wafers are eliminated entirely. With improved energy conversion efficiency, streamlined manufacturing processes and the right choice of materials, these thin-film cells have the potential to provide electricity at prices competitive with other large-scale generation options over the next twenty years.

The solar photovoltaics industry is currently booming, having grown at over 40% per year during the last decade. With ongoing cost reduction and technological development, this already $20 billion industry could become one of the largest this century.

Under his leadership, the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering at UNSW won the 2008 Eureka Prize for Innovative Solutions to Climate Change for producing low cost, high performing solar cells

Professor Green recently won the 2008 NSW Scientist of the Year in the Environment, Water and Climate Change Sciences category. He is currently an ARC Federation Fellow and Scientia Professor at UNSW and Research Director of the Photovoltaic Centre of Excellence at the University.

This is the second public lecture in the Australian Academy of Science's series 'Australia's renewable energy future'.

Audio and PowerPoint slides will be available the following day from: www.science.org.au/events/publiclectures/re. Full transcripts will be available 2 to 3 weeks after the lecture.

Event:	Public lecture: Solar photovoltaics – Power source for the future?
Speaker:	Professor Martin Green
When:	Tuesday 7 October 2008 Drinks 5.30pm Talk 6.00–7.00pm
Where:	Shine Dome, Gordon Street, Acton, Canberra
Cost:	Free entry and parking
Contact:	Richard Bray, 0416 331 821, Ph: 6201 9452, richard.bray@science.org.au
More info:	The lecture series: www.science.org.au/events/publiclectures/re/ Professor Green: www.pv.unsw.edu.au/Staff/martingreen.asp Eureka Prize: www.austmus.gov.au/eureka/go/finalists NSW Scientist of the Year 2008: www.osmr.nsw.gov.au