<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/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, fuelling a global shift to renewable energy.
The engineering professor’s breakthrough work was recognised at the Australian
Academy of Technological Science and Engineering Awards in Melbourne on
Thursday night, in one of seven awards celebrating Australian inventors.
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, Prof
Blakers told
AAP, until scientists worked out how to manufacture it.
“Sometimes it takes a long time for science to be translated into a commercial
product,” he said.
“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 Australian National University professor, who collected the Clunies-Ross
Technology Innovation Award, 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.
“Solar and wind have won the global energy race,” he said.
“We have everything we need now to get to 100 per cent renewable and get rid of
80 per cent of our greenhouse gas emissions.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
