Antinuclear

Australia steps up investment into solar power research projects

Australia takes a shine to solar energy research
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/business/carbon-economy/australia-takes-a-shine-to-solar-energy-research-20121212-2bajc.html#ixzz2ExSaP4LQ   December 12, 2012  Peter Hannam Carbon economy editor The Gillard government will step up its investment in joint solar energy research with the US, using additional funds from its new $2.2 billion renewable energy agency.

Martin Ferguson, Minister for Resources and Energy, will today
announce more than $83 million for research as part of the United
States-Australia Solar Energy Collaboration (USASEC) launched in 2010.

The funding taps into money not yet spent from the $50 million
Australian contribution to USASEC, managed by Newcastle-based
Australian Solar Institute (ASI).

In addition, the new Australian Renewable Energy Agency will
contribute about $38 million in funds to the research. The agency will
absorb the ASI at the start of 2013.

“These projects will leverage an investment of $140 million from
industry, resulting in more than $220 million for solar research and
involving over 40 organisations across Australia and the US,” Mr
Ferguson said in a statement.

Most of the combined funding will be spent on two research endeavours.

About $33 million will go to the US-Australia Institute for Advanced
Photovoltaics to develop the next generation of PV technologies and
spur increases in performance and lower costs. The University of New
South Wales will lead the research, supported by other universities in
Australia and the US, and commercial partners including BlueScope
Steel and Suntech R&D Australia.

The other major research focus, the Australian Solar Thermal Research
Initiative (ASTRI), will receive $35 million aimed at making Australia
a global leader in so-called Concentrating Solar Power technologies.
The effort will be led by the CSIRO and mostly involve Australian and
US universities, and Sandia Corp.

An additional $15.5 million will be allocated to collaborative
research projects under the Open Funding Round of the USASEC, the
statement said.

Projects range from developing an Australian Solar Energy Forecasting
System – a venture the CSIRO had sought funding for – that will
improve the integration of solar energy generation, to a solar device
that simplifies incorporation of solar energy into hybrid fossil fuel
applications.

December 13, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, solar