Solar @ UQ

Paul Meredith Centre for Organic Photonics and Electronics, School of Mathematics and Physics

Global Change Institute UQ Energy Initiative

MAGEEP Solar Energy Session - Planning Future Collaborative Activities

Context

Australia: Stationary Power Generation

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Coal Gas Nuclear Hydro

Solar Power 101: CST [Utility]

$4-$6/watt

Ivanpah: High Temperature Cycles

Solar Power 101: PV [All-scales]

Solar Power 101: PV [All-scales]

<$3/watt

<$4/watt

Australian Solar

• Australian Renewable Energy Agency ($3.2B - $1.7B still available to 2018) – Emerging Renewable Program; – Renewable Energy Venture Capital Fund ($200M); – Solar Flagships Projects; – Australian Solar Institute Programs (including PV and CST Strategic Research

Initiatives USA-AU total $67M to 2020)

• >2GW PV deployed (mostly distributed - FiTs, RET, State incentives) – 10MW largest in WA, UQ 1.22MW 2nd largest; – World class R&D

• <1M CST deployed, but strong technical capability (recent failure of

250MW Solar Dawn project); 60MW Solar Boost 2014/2015

• Biggest issue: transmission and distribution of intermittent sources; market mechanisms and failures;

• Massive opportunities for utility, off-grid and distributed solar

Challenges: Distribution and Transmission in Australia

Beyond Zero

Solar Initiatives @ UQ

MAJOR PROGRAMS: • Fundamental research (PV) – materials and architectures; • Transmission, distribution, storage – power systems; • Commercial-industrial scale PV & CST; • Hybrid cooling for CST & alternative power cycles; • Energy economics and energy market economics; • Policy and whole of system analysis.

SELECTED MAJOR PROJECTS: • 1.22MW PV array; • Collinsville CST replacement for coal (50MW); • Mapping Australia’s Power System; • AGL / FirstSolar Solar Flagships Project (3.275MW pilot-array + 1MW Battery); • ASI Strategic Research Initiatives in PV and CST; • Next generation organic PV; • Silicon cell processing; • Solar assisted algae biofuels; • Smart grids and integrating distributed generation.

UQ MW Array

• 1.22MW c-Si (Trina Solar) and CPV (SolFocus) + Aurora PowerOne Inverters + 90kW Zinc Bromine Flow Battery;

• $4.85M in 2011 (public and private capital), commissioned July 2011 – 1.75GW h in its first year;

• Viewing platforms, visitor / resource centre (> 1000 visitors in the first 12 months), web interface;

• Energy infrastructure, teaching, research, engagement, business case development, policy tool;

• 5% of UQ peak power, 2-3% of energy per annum; • Research (Commercial-Industrial Scale):

o Storage; o Smart modules; o Operational optimisation; o Coatings; o CPV vs. flat panel fixed PV; o Power system stability; o Yield and economic value.

http://www.uq.edu.au/solarenergy/index.html

UQ MW Array

Multi-storey Car Parks 1 & 2 (2 x 339 kWp)

Gatton PV Pilot Plant

• 3.275MW First Solar fixed axis, 1-axis and 2-axis tracking systems; • $Total $40.7M project including additional laboratories at UQ and UNSW

Sydney; • Solar Flagships Research Infrastructure Project to go alongside the Nyngan

/ Broken Hill 159MW project; • Research infrastructure due for completion end 2014;

• Research Infrastructure Project Objectives: o “assist the early stage construction, commissioning and operations” o develop national expertise in large-scale solar

• Detailed research agenda: o Optimal storage solutions for power shaping and shifting; o Operations optimisation and yield analysis; o Power quality; o Off-grid solutions; o Energy economics and national market interactions; o Pilot-scale test bed for new technology; o National facility – largest of its kind in the world

Competitiveness of Australia’s Power System (Global Change Institute)

Conclusions & Perspectives

• Australian Solar has enormous and now recognised potential;

• UQ has a strategic vision to be global leaders across solar research - putting in place the facilities and expertise;

• Areas of strategic overlap with the MAGEEP partners: o Off-grid, remote area; o Low income energy efficiency; o Comparative analysis of national power system competitiveness; o Pilot-scale testing of both CST and PV components and technology; o Next generation concepts and fundamental research; o Policy development and harmonisation across the globe; o Hybrid systems; o Smart grids and intelligent networks; o Challenges of embedding solar into networks.