Australian solar PERC pioneer wins technology innovation gong
Andrew Blakers has waited a long time to see his innovation take its place in the sun.Now, the technology he created is helping to power half the world’s solar panels.
The engineering professor’s breakthrough work was recognised at the Australian Academy of Technological Science and Engineering Awards in Melbourne.
Professor Blakers, who is now researching hydroelectricity, said he hoped the recognition would inspire more scientists to pursue their goals, and more organisations to back early and late stage scientific achievements.
His invention, passivated emitter and rear contact (PERC) solar cells, allow solar panels to produce more energy than conventional panels.
But the discovery was treated as a “laboratory curiosity” for years, until scientists worked out how to manufacture it.
In the case of the PERC solar cell, there was a gap of 20 years between the early PERC cells in the laboratory and the development of large-scale industrial processes.
The professor has turned his attention to identifying potential pumped hydro energy storage sites around the world and said Australia had more than 5000 locations from which to choose.
By combining this technology with renewable energy generated from solar panels and wind turbines, he said, Australia could rapidly move to a less polluted energy model.
Other award winners at the event included Professor Sara Couperthwaite, from QUT, who developed a way to turn mining waste into alumina for use in lithium-ion batteries.