This year marks a significant milestone in the history of solar energy as the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney commemorates 50 years since Professor Martin Green established the solar photovoltaics research group in 1974.

What began as a modest lab with borrowed equipment has evolved into a world-leading research centre that has revolutionised the global solar industry.

Professor Green’s team at UNSW is credited with inventing the Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell (PERC) technology, which has become the cornerstone of modern solar cell manufacturing.

Today, PERC technology is used in over 90 per cent of the world’s solar panels, making it a crucial weapon in the fight against climate change.

The Solar Industrial Research Facility (SIRF) at UNSW continues to push the boundaries of solar technology.

With a $16 million state-of-the-art pilot line manufacturing facility, SIRF enables the development of silicon solar cell technologies from laboratory processes to factory-ready industrial processes.

Professor Green’s work has not only advanced solar technology but has also made it economically viable.

Between 2008 and 2020, the wholesale price of solar dropped from over US$4/Watt to US$0.17/Watt, making solar power the cheapest electricity in history according to the International Energy Agency.

As the solar industry continues to grow, new challenges emerge.

These include addressing land and labour shortages, ensuring the safe integration of distributed solar energy into the power grid, and developing sustainable end-of-life solutions for solar panels.

The achievements of Professor Green and his team at UNSW have positioned Australia as a leader in solar energy research and development.

As we look to the future, their work continues to drive innovation and sustainability in the global fight against climate change.