Australian solar research has received a $29.2 million funding boost form the Australian Renewable Energy Agency and UNSW were granted 11 of the 22 projects as reported by the UNSW Newsroom.
Research partner, Australian National University received $7.89 million for 6 projects and then followed by the CSIRO with $3.31 million and lastly, is Monash University has $1.59 million. And with the added contributions from industry partners like Jinko Solar Co, Trina Solar, SunPower and LONGi Solar and leading research institution from the United States, Asia and Europe, the total value of the ARENA projects is more than $100 million.
The funded research includes pushing brand new solar PV efficiency records, creating more affordable, greener and less toxic materials, using new materials to cut manufacturing cost, enhancing the quality and lifespan of the silicon base material of PVs and lastly, providing new ways in fixing small defects in solar cells that constrain efficiency.