About the Solar Technologies Group

About the CSIRO Solar Technologies team

Australia has the highest average solar irradiation per square metre in the world, no matter the season. We’re making solar a reliable, stable power source for Australia’s energy future.

Our Solar Technologies team in Newcastle works on solar thermal and photovoltaic technologies for power generation and energy storage.

Through our National Solar Energy Centre (NSEC) we work on solar thermal activities across the entire technology chain. This includes solar collection field design and optimisation, solar receiver technologies, and integrated chemical process engineering for the use and storage of solar thermal energy.

 

Through our Photovoltaic Research Laboratory (PVRL) we work on current commercial photovoltaic and next generation solar cell technologies with world-class research facilities. Our research in this area encompass an R&D program, including new materials discovery, device fabrication and optimisation, materials characterisation and cell performance determination, energy yield and device durability. We also have the only accredited cell measurement laboratory in Australia, the CSIRO Photovoltaic Performance Laboratory (PVPL).

 

We are leaders of concentrated solar thermal (CST) R&D in Australia.

An important component of this work is CSIRO’s leadership of the Australian Solar Thermal Research Institute (ASTRI). This collaborative program is a key mechanism for the development and delivery of engineering and technology solutions, created by CSIRO and the ASTRI partners.

 

Our Strategic Vision

We will continue to deliver major projects and outcomes for Australia in solar research.

“We will provide technology pathways for uptake of large scale solar through support and growth of photovoltaic (PV) industry and power generators, identification of new markets and applications for emerging PV technologies and exploit the cost-competitiveness of CST with thermal storage in energy intensive industrial processes”

Partner with us. 

We are seeking industrial partners to transfer our R&D from laboratory breakthrough to commercial success. If you have any questions, please contact Dr Greg Wilson, the Research Group Leader at Gregory.Wilson@csiro.au.