New investment in printed solar panels

Information from the office of the Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, the Hon Greg Hunt MP, says Australia will lead the world in printed solar panel technology development, courtesy of a newly committed investment to the tune of $1.6 million.

CSIRO and two Australian companies are working to create technology that will integrate printed solar cells into building products, with a target commercial realisation of a few years. 

Hunt says it will trigger job creation and boost export potential. 

“This is an extremely exciting project which sees science partnering with industry to create jobs and growth potential for Australia,” he said.

Printed solar cells are made by printing ‘solar inks’ onto rolls of plastic film using industrial printing equipment. The resulting solar panels are thin, flexible and lightweight, so they can be incorporated into objects and structures in ways that conventional solar panels can’t.

“If successful, the two-year project will help to slash the cost of solar PV and create an environmentally responsible building material that doesn’t compromise architectural integrity,” Minister Hunt said.

While Australia leads the world in uptake of residential systems, the commercial sector remains largely untapped due to the expense, safety risk and difficulty of installing current systems.

“By supporting this project, the Turnbull government is helping Australian industry take advantage of Australia’s commercial solar market, which is estimated to be worth $250 million a year,” Minister Hunt said.

In addition to the commercial solar market in Australia, the global market for printed electronics more broadly is expected to be worth $40 billion a year by 2020, presenting another opportunity for industry.

The two companies partnering with CSIRO are NSW-based start-up Solafast and high-tech Melbourne printing company Norwood.

CSIRO Industrial Innovation’s group leader, Dr Fiona Scholes, said each partner brings something important to the mix.

“CSIRO provides the solar know-how while Norwood can take our printed electronics into the mainstream and create large-scale industrial volumes,” Scholes said.

“Solafast’s innovative steel roll-forming technology completes the picture, allowing the solar cells to be incorporated into roof and external cladding products.”

The funding was provided through the new CRC Projects (CRC-P) initiative as part of the Cooperative Research Centres Programme, which supports industry-led collaborations between industry, researchers and the community.