Swinburne and Suntech team up to create the next solar generation
By Susan Wilson
Suntech, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of of solar modules, is teaming up with Australia’s Swinburne University of Technology to develop the next generation of solar cells. Swinburne and Suntech are each contributing $3 million to the joint project.
Swinburne University’s collaboration with Suntech might seem odd except that Suntech CEO Dr Shi Zhengrong, is an Australian citizen. Swinburne Center for Micro-Photonics Director, Professor Min Gu will be leading the Swinburne development while Dr. Zhengrong leads the Suntech end.
Professor Gu stated, “The project will be based around the development of nanoplasmonic solar cells.” These new cells will gather solar energy across a wider color range than current solar cells making them twice as efficient. Because the solar cells will be twice as efficient, the solar cells will be cheaper.
Because Swinburne and Suntech are coordinating their efforts throughout the development and production of the solar cells, there should be a smooth transition between development and production. The improved solar cells should be in production within five years.
The Swinburne and Suntech collaboration is not the only effort to create more efficient solar cells. Hewlett Packard (HP) and Xtreme Energies (XE) are collaborating to to increase solar energy collection by 100 percent. Rennselaer Institute has developed a new anti-reflective coating that increases the absorption of solar energy by current solar cells by 96 percent from any angle. The Idaho National Laboratory has developed a thin sheet of plastic coated with billions of nano antennas that collect solar energy even at night.
Many of the other technologies, a few of which are described above, lack a manufacturing partner. These technologies are still in development and need further refinement before they can be successfully mass produced and marketed.
The collaboration between Swinburne and Suntech blends development and manufacturing. Unlike the other technologies that are being developed, the Swinburne/Suntech technology can move quickly from lab to mass production.
As with so many new green technologies these days, we won’t have access to it for five years. With all of the new cars, fuel, solar and wind technologies that are expected between 2010 and 2015, going green should be cheaper and easier than ever.
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