APVI - Australian PV Institute

🏆 2024 APSRC Award Winners! 🎉 Please join us to congratulate Jamie Harrison for winning The Energy Advances Best Student Poster award! Jamie's study named "Potential Power Output of Terrestrial Thermoradiative Diodes from Atmospheric Modelling" introduces a thermoradiative diode, a device capable of generating power through the emission of infrared light; this allows a diode on Earth to generate power at night through the passive radiative cooling of the Earth. Accurate assessment of the potential power output of such terrestrial thermoradiative diodes requires knowledge of the downwelling radiation incident on the device from the atmosphere. Here, atmospheric modelling of this radiation is used alongside a detailed balance model of the diode to evaluate its performance under nine different atmospheric conditions. 🎉 Congratulations to Jamie and her team of Co-author. Sponsored by Energy Advances, part of the Royal Society of Chemistry, this award of $500 goes to Outstanding Poster in PV Device Research by a student. ------ 👉 For more information on the APSRC, visit: https://lnkd.in/gqPHckdZ 👉 For more information on APVI, visit our website: https://apvi.org.au/ #APVI #APSRC #Photovoltaics #Sustainability Alison Abrahams Roger Dargaville Ziv Hameiri Renate Egan Rong Deng Ken Guthrie Marnie Shaw Jessica Yajie Jiang Linda Koschier Michelle Taylor Robert Passey Yan Zhu Robert Taylor Dave Ferrari Wil Gardner Min Schmich Ostini

I am thrilled to share that I have recently submitted my Honours thesis in Renewable Energy Engineering, titled "Photovoltaic Energy Access Schemes: Evaluation of the Fijian Solar Home System Program". This milestone marks the culmination of nearly seven years at UNSW, where I completed a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) and a Bachelor of Renewable Energy Engineering (Hons). My thesis reflects the journey and experiences that shaped my personal and professional interests: working on social enterprise projects in Malawi, gaining offshore wind experience while studying abroad in Germany, and a New Colombo Plan-sponsored humanitarian engineering field trip to Fiji. These opportunities fostered a passion for addressing global energy challenges, particularly in low-income nations and communities. The focus of my research was Fiji’s government-led Solar Home System (SHS) program, which has provided energy access to over 500 remote island communities for more than a decade. During my NCP field trip in late 2023, I witnessed the significant household impacts caused by declining SHS performance – households that once powered multiple lights and televisions were often reduced to a single light for just a few hours each day. Preliminary research also revealed a gap to me: nuanced evaluations on the performance of global energy access programs are underrepresented compared to rapid electrification efforts. To address this, my thesis provided a quantitative, evidence-based analysis of the Fijian SHS program, assessing both community-level impacts and policy shortcomings. Combining fieldwork and interviews with program implementers, households, and community leaders, the study identified the conditions of current systems, causes of technical degradation, household usage patterns, and user aspirations for improved energy access. It culminated in practical, context-specific recommendations to enhance system performance and ensure long-term program sustainability. I am incredibly grateful to have collaborated with stakeholders across Fiji, including the Fijian Department of Energy, private energy partners, and – most importantly – the four case study communities who welcomed me in June for a second trip to Fiji. The time I spent in these vibrant communities is something I will always cherish. This collaboration enabled me to present key findings at the Asia Pacific Solar Research Conference (APVI - Australian PV Institute) last week, where my paper "Towards Greater Nuance in Energy Access: Lessons from Fiji’s Rural Electrification Program" was nominated as a finalist for both the REDI Stream & Wal Read Memorial awards for best paper. I extend my deepest gratitude to my supervisors, Anna Bruce, Iain MacGill, and Edoardo Santagata, for their unwavering support and guidance during this year long journey. As for now… I am looking forward to a much needed hiatus and am excited for 2025, where I plan to publish my findings and continue working in this space.

🏆 2024 APSRC Award Winners! Please join us to congratulate Sijin Wang for winning The REDI Award for Best Student Paper in the REDI Stream Sinjin's study named "Applications of a machine learning model for real-time interpolated PVsyst simulations" aims to develop a machine learning (ML)-based method to interpolate the intra-hourly PVsyst simulations to enhance its resolution and usefulness. We then demonstrate the benefits and capability of such a developed model by accurately investigating the bifacial gain of a bifacial utility-scale PV plant, and through developing a real-time fault detection capability. 🎉 Congratulations to Sijin and his team of Co-author. The APVI has great pleasure in supporting the REDI Award for Best Student Paper in the REDI Stream for $750 for Honours, Masters or PhD students. Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics contributes to this award. Stay tuned for more information on this year award winners! ------ 👉 For more information on the APSRC, visit: https://lnkd.in/gqPHckdZ 👉 For more information on APVI, visit our website: https://apvi.org.au/ #APVI #APSRC #Photovoltaics #Sustainability Alison Abrahams Roger Dargaville Ziv Hameiri Renate Egan Rong Deng Ken Guthrie Marnie Shaw Jessica Yajie Jiang Linda Koschier Michelle Taylor Robert Passey Yan Zhu Robert Taylor Dave Ferrari Wil Gardner Min Schmich Ostini

"The SunSPOT calculator can help you identify which size solar system suits you best. It was built by photovoltaic engineers and data analysts from UNSW’s School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering and not-for-profit solar research organisation the Australian PV Institute." UNSW suggests 3 simple actions to make the most of your rooftop solar. Read more here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gRPzDQd8 #solar #rooftop #sun #calculator

🏆 2024 APSRC Award Winners! Please join us to congratulate Zubair Abdullah-Vetter for winning The ACAP PV Devices Award for Outstanding Student Paper in the PV Devices stream Zubair's study named "An unsupervised learning approach to model potential induced degradation in photovoltaic modules" proposes the use of time-series generative machine learning models to predict the performance of photovoltaic modules throughout a 96-hour potential-induced degradation stress test. Using only the data collected during the first 60% of the test, the proposed deep learning model accurately predicts the modules' performance throughout the entire test duration. The model has also been used to investigate how the accelerated test conditions impact the PV modules' degradation. This study is a critical step towards enabling the development of more reliable photovoltaic systems; the developed capabilities will help revolutionise the photovoltaic market. 🎉 Congratulations to Zubair and his team of Co-author. The Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics (ACAP) is a funding Partner of the APSRC and also has great pleasure in supporting the ACAP PV Devices Award for Outstanding Paper by a student in the PV Devices and REDI Streams, with a value of $750. Stay tuned for more information on this year award winners! ------ 👉 For more information on the APSRC, visit: https://lnkd.in/gqPHckdZ 👉 For more information on APVI, visit our website: https://apvi.org.au/ #APVI #APSRC #Photovoltaics #Sustainability Alison Abrahams Roger Dargaville Ziv Hameiri Renate Egan Rong Deng Ken Guthrie Marnie Shaw Jessica Yajie Jiang Linda Koschier Michelle Taylor Robert Passey Yan Zhu Robert Taylor Dave Ferrari Wil Gardner Min Schmich Ostini

🏆 2024 APSRC Award Winners! Please join us to congratulate Vox Kalai Wong for winning the Monica Oliphant Award for Best Female Student Poster Vox's study named "Optimal Performance of Semi-transparent Solar Cells in Cities" focused on Semi-transparent photovoltaics (STPVs) that offers significant potential for sustainable energy generation in urban areas as building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPVs). Transparency in a photovoltaic cell can be achieved at the material level by modulating visible light absorption. Neutral density (ND) modulation can ensure colour fidelity, where visible light across all wavelengths is absorbed evenly, allowing all colour lights to be partially transmitted. With ND modulation, the theoretical efficiency limit of a highly transparent absorber (70% average visible transmittance, AVT) is approximately 24%. 🎉 Congratulations to Vox and her team of Co-author. Sponsored by Exemplary Energy and Energy Partners, the Monica Oliphant Award of $500 is dedicated to Outstanding Poster from female Honours, Masters or PhD students. Stay tuned for more information on this year award winners! ------ 👉 For more information on the APSRC, visit: https://lnkd.in/gqPHckdZ 👉 For more information on APVI, visit our website: https://apvi.org.au/ #APVI #APSRC #Photovoltaics #Sustainability Alison Abrahams Roger Dargaville Ziv Hameiri Renate Egan Rong Deng Ken Guthrie Marnie Shaw Jessica Yajie Jiang Linda Koschier Michelle Taylor Robert Passey Yan Zhu Robert Taylor Dave Ferrari Wil Gardner Min Schmich Ostini

🏆 2024 APSRC Award Winners! Please join us to congratulate Zeinab Haydous, recipients of The Muriel Watt Award for Outstanding Female Student Paper. Zeinab abstract named "Energy Yield vs. System Longevity: An Innovative Algorithm for Single-Axis Solar Trackers in a Curtailment-Prone Landscape" presents a new algorithm for single-axis solar trackers that reduces thermal and UV degradation under clipping and curtailment by optimizing tracking angles. It aims to improve energy output, reduce temperatures, and enhance system longevity and efficiency. Simulation results are presented to compare its performance with a traditional algorithm. 🎉 Sponsored by ITP Renewables, the Muriel Watt Award of $1,000 is dedicated to Outstanding Paper from female Honours, Masters or PhD students. Muriel Watt is currently appointed to the Advisory Panel for Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and the Board of Zero Emissions Byron, where she leads the Electric Vehicle and Emissions reporting programs. Stay tuned for more information on this year award winners! ------ 👉 For more information on the APSRC, visit: https://lnkd.in/gqPHckdZ 👉 For more information on APVI, visit our website: https://apvi.org.au/ #APVI #APSRC #Photovoltaics #Sustainability Alison Abrahams Roger Dargaville Ziv Hameiri Renate Egan Rong Deng Ken Guthrie Marnie Shaw Jessica Yajie Jiang Linda Koschier Michelle Taylor Robert Passey Yan Zhu Robert Taylor Dave Ferrari Wil Gardner Min Schmich Ostini

The deadline for expressions of interest to speak at/or attend The 3rd Future of Neighbourhood Batteries in Australia Conference hosted by The Australian National University has been extended until Tuesday December 17th. If this is of interest, please email: [email protected] with the following information. 1. Name and organisation 2. Topics, questions, ideas for discussion, speaker ideas – all related to neighbourhood/community batteries #conference #batteries #future #renewable #australia

I’m glad to share that I have presented my research work in the session on “PV Devices: Characterization and Modelling” at the prestigious Asia-Pacific Solar Research Conference (APSRC) 2024 (https://lnkd.in/gZRntTbq), organized by the APVI - Australian PV Institute at the Stamford Plaza Airport Hotel in Mascot, Sydney! My talk focussed on mitigating the degradation issues of #perovskitesolarcells using passivation layers and advanced characterization tests. The results of my research fall in-line with the Australia’s net-zero goals ensuring industrial #commercialization of perovskite solar cells by enhancing their #reliability in the field. It was an incredible experience to meet Professor Ziv Hameiri, Professor Anita Ho-Baillie, Dr. Jessica Yajie Jiang, Dr. Di Kang, Professor Pietro Peter Altermatt, Dr. Gianluca Coletti and many distingusihed solar researchers from industry and academia. Special thanks to Prof. Ziv and Alison for creating such a welcoming environment that made the entire experience even more enjoyable. I also had the privilege to evaluate the posters, participate in the inspiring plenary sessions, and extend my volunteering services in APSRC 2024. I am grateful to Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics and Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) for their sustained support of #Photovolatic Research in Australia andencouraging global participation. Looking forward to future collaborations and contributing to the #renewableenergy and #sustainability. #solar #australia #APVI #ARENA #renewable #sustainability

🏆 2024 APSRC Award Winners! Please join us to congratulate Rama Sharma for winning The Wal Read Memorial Awards for ECR Paper! Rama's study named "Automated Multiclass and Severity Classification of Defects in Photovoltaic Module Luminescence Images using Unsupervised Machine Learning" introduces an unsupervised machine learning model for automated defect classification in photovoltaic module luminescence images at cell level, addressing the limitations of traditional manual and supervised methods. By operating independently of labelled datasets, the model offers a more consistent, fast approach to defect detection. It enables multi-class and multi-severity defect classification, enhancing module quality assessment. The validation against manually labelled data shows the reliability of this method, which not only classifies defects autonomously but also aids in generating labels for supervised learning, potentially improving module assessment and generalisability across different datasets and cell technologies. 🎉 Congratulations to Rama and her team of Co-author. The Wal Read Memorial Award comprises a Certificate of Recognition from the Australian PV Institute, and cash prizes of $1,000 for Best Student Paper and $1,000 for Best ECR Paper. Stay tuned for more information on this year award winners! ------ 👉 For more information on the APSRC, visit: https://lnkd.in/gqPHckdZ 👉 For more information on APVI, visit our website: https://apvi.org.au/ #APVI #APSRC #Photovoltaics #Sustainability Alison Abrahams Roger Dargaville Ziv Hameiri Renate Egan Rong Deng Ken Guthrie Marnie Shaw Jessica Yajie Jiang Linda Koschier Michelle Taylor Robert Passey Yan Zhu Robert Taylor Dave Ferrari Wil Gardner Min Schmich Ostini