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About the Solar Energy Group
History
Solar energy research has been pursued at the University of Sydney since 1973
and has witnessed some important breakthroughs. Work by Dr. B. Window, Dr D.R.McKenzie and
Dr. G.L.Harding lead to a key patent being filed in 1976 for a high temperature solar absorber,
capable of reaching 300deg C under unconcentrated sunlight. This success, lead
to key funding of $5 million being secured from His Royal Highness Prince Nawaf
bin Abdul Aziz of the Kingdom of Saudia Arabia and $1 million from the NSW Government.
has been highly active and prominent (publications) in
developing direct solar energy collection concepts and technology since 1975.
It has licensed for commercialisation world leading technology in the areas of
solar selective absorber coatings, evacuated tube design, optical solar collector
design and thermal solar collector design. For large-scale solar electricity
generation, cost reductions are still needed to compete with low cost
traditional electricity in developed nations. This overlying concern is an
integral element of the work undertaken in Applied and Plasma Physics.
A list of the research performed at The University of Sydney can be seen on
the list in the drop down menu to the left. The dark grey research topics
in the areas of solar thermal power plants (heat transfer and optics), solar
water heating using advanced flat plate collectors, evacuated tube collectors
for water and process heating, and radiative cooling represent mature
technologies. While the lighter grey research topics represent more active
areas being concentrating PV systems and modelling.
Please choose from the menu to read about the interesting work being performed
at the University of Sydney.
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