Photovoltaics

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UNSW’s School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, a global centre of excellence in photovoltaic research, has over 40 years’ experience in photovoltaic device development and metrology. Successful commercialisation of various solar cell architectures and enabling technologies for the photovoltaic industry.

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Competitive advantage

  • 200 experts in photovoltaic and renewable energy technology
  • World-first degree in photovoltaics
  • Proven track record in commercialising technologies
  • Extensive alumni network, with many in senior industry leadership roles

Impact

  • Solar cells across the rooftops of the world

Successful applications

  • First 25.0% silicon solar cell more than a decade before others
  • PERC solar cell structure developed at UNSW dominates the industry
  • Current world-record holder for large area perovskite, CZTS, and one-sun system efficiency

Capabilities and facilities

  • Solar Energy Research Facility (SERF)—an on-campus R&D pilot line for silicon wafer solar cells
  • State-of-the-art labs for cutting edge academic research in silicon wafer, perovskite, CZTS, organic, and silicon-based tandem (including III-V) fabrication and characterisation