14 August
2006 - Minister for the Environment and Heritage,
Senator Ian Campbell, said a new deal worth more
than $10 million dollars agreed today under the
US-Australia Climate Action Partnership (CAP)
would improve the economic viability of solar
power throughout the world.
“Today’s agreement between Australian
company, Solar Systems, and the US’ Spectrolab
Inc, a subsidiary of Boeing, is the result of
Australia’s practical approach to international
co-operation on climate change and brings together
the expertise of these two companies,” Senator
Campbell said.
“The result is the world’s first
full-scale ultra-high efficiency photovoltaic
generator. It’s a major shift in the technology
and offers a new pathway for sustainable development.
“The Australian Government is
investing $100 million in the Asia-Pacific Partnership
on Clean Development and Climate (AP6), including
$25 million to help boost renewable energy initiatives,
and is hosting a meeting of the AP6 Renewable
Energy Taskforce in Sydney this week to identify
additional practical projects like this one.
“Through the CAP initiative,
the two companies have taken Spectrolab’s very
high efficiency solar cells, which were originally
designed for space applications such as powering
satellites, and have optimised them for land-based
use.”
The solar cells are three times
more efficient than typical solar panels. Under
the initial deal, Spectrolab will supply 500,000
solar cells to Solar Systems for use in their
solar concentrators, creating more than 26 gigawatt
hours of electricity per year.
Solar Systems successfully trialed
the new technology in April at its Hermannsburg
power station in central Australia. It upgraded
one of its ‘concentrating dishes’ from a capacity
of 24kW to 35kW simply by replacing the existing
silicon cells with the new technology.
At a meeting with US senior
climate negotiator, Dr Harlan Watson, Senator
Campbell heralded the new solar energy technology
as an example of the environmental and economic
benefits that can come from practical international
cooperation on climate change.
“The increased efficiency of
the new technology makes solar power more economically
viable and will help the world’s major emitters
meet rapidly growing energy demands,” he said.
“If the world is to make deep
cuts in its greenhouse gas emissions, we need
to work together on developing and deploying new
low emission technologies. This is one of the
reasons why I am leading Australia’s biggest ever
renewable energy business mission to China in
October.
“New technologies like this
are one of the big advantages of international
co-operation on climate change. I look forward
to making more announcements like this with the
United States and other countries in the Asia-Pacific
Partnership on Clean Development and Climate (AP6).
“I congratulate Solar Systems
and Boeing Spectrolab for leading the way and
look forward to more successful technology developments
under Australia’s international partnerships.”
Dr Watson is currently in Australia
for the second meeting of the AP6 Renewable Energy
taskforce in Sydney. The AP6 brings together Australia,
China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, and the
United States to meet goals for energy security,
national air pollution reduction, and climate
change in ways that promote sustainable economic
growth and poverty reduction.
Today’s announcement highlights
the importance of the AP6 initiative and new renewable
energy technologies.
Rob Broadfield
