The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) announced it would provide University of Sydney researchers with $7.25 million towards a $19.5 million project to develop more durable Silicon (Si)-perovskite tandem solar cells in order to maintain their high efficiencies for commercial use.
The University of Sydney team will partner with Brisbane-based solar panel manufacturing startup Unison Solar Energy and scientists from Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University to take the next-generation technology from research towards commercial-scale production.
“Our ambition is to pioneer a new era of Australian solar manufacturing and commercialise leading technologies here at home,” Unison Solar Chief Executive Officer Allen Guo said.
Si-perovskite tandem cell technology has demonstrated the potential to overcome the performance limitations of current solar technologies that rely on silicon as the sole semiconductor. Silicon’s conversion rate – the amount of solar energy it converts into electricity – currently peaks at about 25% but the researchers said Si-perovskite tandem cell technology could theoretically deliver conversion efficiencies of about 40%.
Team leader Professor Anita Ho-Baillie, John Hooke Chair of Nanoscience at the University of Sydney Nano Institute and School of Physics, said the researchers’ efforts have focused on stacking perovskites, made from synthesising metal with halogens, on top of silicon to form a tandem solar cell, rather than using silicon as the sole semiconductor.
“There isn’t much room for silicon to improve because its theoretical limit is only 30%, but for perovskite-silicon tandem, it is about 40%,” she said.
The research team has already shown the greater efficiency of the Si-perovskite technology, achieving Australia’s first 30% efficient Si-perovskite tandems on small and large areas. The team has also reported tandem cells passing industry standard tests against thermal extremes and moisture.
Despite the potential of the technology, scaling devices beyond the laboratory and ensuring their stability under real-world conditions has proven challenging. Perovskite materials can break down when exposed to light, heat, moisture and mechanical stress.
Ho-Baillie said the new funding will help the researchers prove the reliability of Si-perovskite cells under a series of industry standards and take tandem-cell technology one step closer to becoming commercially viable. The ultimate goal is to improve the cells’ ability to maintain their conversion rate over the life expectancy of solar panels.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for us to make research we’ve been doing at the university for the last six years translational,” she said. “Our next round of testing will prove this technology’s ability to cope with UV light and mechanical stresses.”
Unison Solar, which is establishing a solar panel production facility in Brisbane’s outer suburbs with an initial 500 MW manufacturing capacity, will work with the researchers during the commercialisation stage.
Guo, a former chief operating officer at Jinko Solar, said the Queensland-headquartered company will assess manufacturing costs, supply chains, customer needs and pathways to pilot production and scale-up.
“This project marks the beginning of collaboration with leading Australian research institutions for Unison Solar Energy,” he said, with the company aiming to establish gigawatt-scale production of advanced solar products in Australia.
Goa, a former chief operating officer at Jinko Solar, said Unison’s goal is to establish a manufacturing-ready technology platform capable of delivering next-generation tandem solar products with outstanding performance and long-term field reliability.
“Australia has been at the forefront of global solar research for more than 50 years, but local manufacturing remains limited and has not reached the scale our energy transition demands,” he said. “By combining Unison’s capability, technology and vision with ARENA’s support and the University of Sydney’s research expertise, we intend to deliver affordable, high-quality Australian-made solar products to Australian families. This is the start of our exciting journey.”
The project is one of 20 research and development initiatives to secure funded as part of a $105.6 million funding round announced by ARENA.
The funding will support projects spanning improved efficiency, cost and stability across advanced cells and modules, to innovations that can help improve solar farm deployment, operations and maintenance. and reduce the levelised cost of electricity (LCOE).
“Australia has played a leading role in the development of solar technology, and these projects will help ensure we continue to strengthen that position,” ARENA acting CEO Chris Faris said.
“The portfolio brings together a mix of near-term improvements and breakthrough technologies that have the potential to lower costs, improve performance and accelerate the deployment of solar energy both in Australia and around the world.”
“Achieving ultra low-cost solar requires innovation across the entire value chain. From the solar cells and modules themselves through to the way solar farms are built, operated and maintained, these projects will help unlock practical solutions that support a faster, more affordable energy transition.”
The funding is to be delivered over five years, commencing in 2027.
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