Engineering & Computer Science

Powering up solar collaboration

The very first Singapore-Australia Solar Energy Workshop was held at The Australian National University in Canberra, on 30 and 31 March 2009. The purpose of the workshop was to explore and develop substantial research, commercial and governmental solar energy collaboration between Singapore and Australia, and stemmed from discussions between Professor Andrew Blakers and Professor Joachim Luther (CEO of the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS)) in January.

"The workshop was a considerable success," said Professor Blakers. "Twelve respected Singaporeans attended representing key research institutions and organisations, together with 38 Australians from national solar research centres and businesses."

"At the workshop dinner, Dr Andy Hogg from the Research School of Earth Sciences gave a well received, and scary, talk on the ever-more alarming news from climate science," he said.

Thirty-five presentations covering photovoltaic, solar thermal, institutional and government policies contributed to a much-improved understanding by participants of solar energy R&D, and funding in the two countries.

"It is likely that substantial future cooperation will flow from the workshop," said Professor Blakers. "For ANU, closer cooperation with SERIS and UNSW in particular is likely."

A 2nd workshop may be held in 2010 or 2011 in Singapore.