Taking solar power into the next generation

Taking solar power into the next generation

On Wednesday I drove down to Wagga Wagga to see the Greatcell Energy research and pilot production facility, to assess its progress. You may recall previous notes on this exciting and innovative energy company, that promises to take solar energy into the next generation.

There is nothing inherently wrong with silicon cells. They form the basis of almost all solar energy collection at present but it is a mature technology. Future improvements are more likely to be about efficiencies in production costs rather than expanding technical capabilities. As an example, there is an Australian company out there proposing to cut the production costs by 30%.

Greatcell is a good example of Australian ingenuity leading the world with ground breaking advancements in solar power technology. It has been making excellent progress on the technical fronts and it is now scaling up production methods in preparation for commercial operations. It has identified initial markets where its products will work well to improve the customers' economics whilst at the same time providing improved environmental benefits e.g. reduced reliance on batteries.

You may ask why we should bother with newer technology, but the answer is simple. Backing innovative companies can lead to great profits for those who pick the winners. It is good to get in at the ground floor.