From Research to Rooftop
13 Feb 09
Bio21 Institute based researchers, led by organic chemist, Professor Andrew Holmes, are one step closer to realising their dream - to develop materials that can be used to produce cheap, paper-thin, printable, organic solar cells.
Victorian Minister for Energy and Resources, Peter Batchelor announced the commencement of printing trials by industry leader Securency International. On site at the Craigieburn factory, techniques used to develop the flexible printed plastic solar cell were demonstrated - a result of the research led by the University of Melbourne team in collaboration with Monash University, CSIRO's Future Manufacturing Flagship and Securency International.
Applying cutting edge technology similar to that used for printing plastic banknotes, "the production of these film-like solar cells will literally be as easy as printing money", Mr Batchelor said.
Professor Holmes, Dr David Jones (program coordinator) and researchers from the University of Melbourne, CSIRO's Future Manufacturing Flagship and Monash University and industry partners Securency International, BP Solar, Bluescope Steel and Merck are part of a research-industry partnership, the Victorian Organic Solar Cell Consortium (VICOSC). The consortium has been working together with the aim of developing flexible, large area, cost-effective, reel-to-reel printable plastic solar cells.
"Although the technology is still in its early days, the research is progressing well ahead of schedule and the recent announcement will allow the VICOSC members to look at opportunities for scaling up this technology", said Professor Holmes.
Using their knowledge of materials science and the way in which nature harnesses solar energy in photosynthesis, Professor Holmes and colleagues are well on the way to seeing the transfer of technology from Research to Rooftop.
The cutting edge solar technology offers a number of benefits over traditional solar cells because they can be mass produced, are cost-effective, can be installed over large areas and are an environmentally friendly way of generating power.
"Reducing the future energy demands is a key driver to finding alternative sustainable energy sources," says Professor Holmes. "By leveraging on our technological and scientific strengths in sustainable energy research, Victoria is leading the world in this field.
The three year $12 million VICOSC project received $6 million from the Victorian Government though an Energy Technology Innovation Strategy, Sustainable Energy Research and Development Program.
The Victorian consortium is also well positioned internationally with access to scientists, research and industry networks at Imperial College, Cornell University, Georgia Institute of Technology and Singapore Agency for Science Technology and Research.
To find out more about the research conducted by Holmes' team and the VICOSC project go to http://www.chemistry.unimelb.edu.au/staff/aholmes/research/