隨著新南威爾士大學（簡稱UNSW，The University of New South Wales）和一些亞洲發展最快的太陽能電池生產商簽訂的三個新協議，其作為一個光電學技術的國際領先供應商的地位繼續得到保持。

這些發展迅速的太陽能電池生產商包括Suntech Power，一家在紐約證券交易所上市的太陽能電池生產公司。此公司的執行官正是由UNSW畢業的 Zhengrong Shi.博士。

中國政府國家可再生能源媒體和長期發展計劃中顯示可再生能源預計到2020年將占到中國總能源供應的16%。可再生能源法于2005年2月實施以來，一場無聲的較量已經在這些太陽能電池的生產廠家之間展開。誰能用最低的成本生產出最有效的太陽能電池產品誰就是贏家。這些廠家把找到世界上最好的技術作為其發展策略之一，他們和來自UNSW的ARC卓越光電學研究中心的研究員共同探討如何能找到最好的技術。在Stuart Wenham 領導下的電光學研究中心是世界一流的電光學研究團隊。

Wenham 教授說：“ARC的資金贊助以及UNSW的技術支持使我們具備了建立起世界上最好的太陽能電池研究實驗室的資本。此外我相信太陽能電池研究員團隊的國際化賦予了UNSW一個發展世界領先技術的大好機會。

太陽能電池將成為世界能源供給的重要組成部分。對于澳大利亞來說，繼續保持在這些創新方面的領先地位有著極其重要的意義。

這三份新的協議是最近由New South Innovations 簽訂的。 UNSW的技術轉移的有力助手是臺灣的E-Ton Solar 公司，中國南京的CEEG PV Tech公司以及 Suntech Power公司。

Professor Wenham說：“每一份協議都能為UNSW提供研究資金的保障。這些資金使我們能雇傭更多的員工。更重要的是使我們能夠讓我們的員工和學生接觸和學習到生產的技術經驗。可以說，它使我們走出實驗室并且使我們有機會致力于太陽能事業。

我們能自豪的說這些公司已經想過其他一切的可行辦法但是最后還是選擇了UNSW。因為他們的全面評估表明UNSW擁有當前最好的技術和發展前景。

和臺灣的E-Ton Solar Tech 簽訂的專利使用權轉讓協定以$1700000 成交。其中包括UNSW發展兩個用于商業產品用途的高效率太陽能電池技術的合作性的項目。E-Ton是一家發展迅速的專注于高性能太陽能電池產品的公司。他們期望能利用他們現有的技術和UNSW的研究以確保他們在太陽能電池生產方面的領先地位。

第二個和中國南京的 CEEG PV Tech公司簽訂的專利使用權轉讓協定以$1400000 成交。此協議包括了一項改編UNSW的保持世界記錄的PERL太陽能技術以適應廣泛的商業生產用途合作性研究項目。

第三個協議是和Suntech簽訂的一個著重于發展一種形成金屬連接點的新方法以改進太陽能電池的效率。 此協議是基于之前UNSW 和 Suntech 一起合作研究的半導體太陽能技術的成功合作的延續。

UNSW的副校長Fred Hilmer教授還說道， Shi博士的公司去年還慷慨資助UNSW$1500000來支持UNSW的光電學研究。
 
UNSW在過去的25年以來始終保持著在光電學方面領先地位。

Hilmer 教授提到，可能大家會擔心海外市場會對我們的技術失去興趣。然而，我們正和一些企業如 E-Ton, CEEG Nanjing PV Tech and Suntech 在技術研究方面合作。 這種合作意味著UNSW將繼續把我們的太陽能技術在亞洲作商務性的推廣和利用。同時，在未來的幾十年里， 我們有信心將相應的產品銷往世界其他國家。

這對澳大利亞經濟的發展貢獻了極大的力量。我們進入亞洲市場的機會已經來了，因為中國有著發展綠色能源的目標以及在相關產品上的巨大需求。然而， 雖然我們有技術的解決方案，這些生產公司仍然需要提高生產效率和降低生產成本以配合市場的發展。

在新加坡政府的支持下， 我們同時也在新加坡發展了我們的研發團隊。

ARC卓越光電學研究中心同樣也在日本和韓國發展合作性研究項目。用他們的技術所生產的產品暢銷全世界。 UNSW 將繼續尋求類似的有利于大學本身和國家的商業合作。

Asian deals for UNSW solar technology

UNSW’s international leadership as a supplier of photovoltaic technology continues as three new agreements are signed with some of the world’s fastest growing solar cell manufacturers in Asia. One of these is with Suntech Power, the NYSE listed solar cell company formed by UNSW graduate Dr Zhengrong Shi.

The Chinese Government’s State Renewable Energy Medium and Long Term Development Program, states that renewable energy is expected to account for 16 percent of China’s total energy supply by 2020. Once the Renewable Energy Law came into effect in February 2005, the race was on amongst solar cell manufacturers to see who could make the most efficient and cost effective products. Part of the strategy of these manufacturers in finding the world’s best technology today, involved a conversation with researchers from UNSW’s ARC Photovoltaic Centre of Excellence.

The Centre is a world-class group working under the Directorship of Professor Stuart Wenham.

“Funding from the ARC and support from UNSW has allowed us to establish one of the world’s best solar cell research laboratories,” says Professor Wenham. “Combining this with what I believe is the best team of solar-cell researchers internationally has given UNSW a great opportunity to develop world-leading technology.

“The time draws ever-nearer when solar cells will provide a significant part of the world’s energy needs so it is important that Australia continues to be at the forefront of these innovations.”

The three new deals that were recently signed by NewSouth Innovations, the technology transfer arm of UNSW are with E-Ton Solar Tech Co in Taiwan, CEEG Nanjing PV Tech in China and Suntech Power in China.

“Each of these deals will see valuable funds flowing back to UNSW,” says Professor Wenham. “This means we can employ more staff and, most importantly, expose our staff and students to the hands on technical experience of manufacturing. They get us out of the lab and working at ‘solar-face’ so to speak.

“We are proud to say that these companies have looked at what else is available but have come to UNSW because their assessments show that we have the best technologies today and for the future.”

The $1.7million licensing agreement signed with E-Ton Solar Tech in Taiwan, R.O.C. includes a collaborative research program to develop two of UNSW’s latest high efficiency solar cell technologies for commercial production. E-Ton is a rapidly growing solar cell manufacturer specialising in high performance products. By combining their existing technology with UNSW’s research they hope to ensure they stay at the cutting edge of solar cell manufacture.

The second deal is a $1.4 million licensing agreement with CEEG Nanjing PV Tech in China. This agreement includes a collaborative research program to adapt UNSW’s world-record holding PERL solar cell technology to suit large-scale commercial production.

The third deal with Suntech is a research agreement that focuses on developing an innovative way of forming metal contacts to improve solar cell efficiency. This deal follows the successful development of Semiconductor Finger Solar Cell technology which came out of previous collaborative research between UNSW and Suntech.

UNSW’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Fred Hilmer added that Dr Shi’s company also generously gave $1.5million to the University last year to support UNSW’s photovoltaic research.

The University’s reputation as world leader in photovoltaics has been built up over the past 25 years.

“There was a time when there were fears that our technology would be lost to overseas interests but we are now working with companies like E-Ton, CEEG Nanjing PV Tech and Suntech on research at the University. These types of collaborations mean that UNSW will be commercialising our solar technology in Asia and selling it to the rest of the world for decades to come,” Professor Hilmer says.

“The benefits flowing back to the Australian economy are enormous. Our push into Asia has come, partly, because of China’s green-energy targets and their huge demands for products but we are proud to have the solutions these companies need to drive efficiency and push their manufacturing costs down.

“We are also developing R&D capacity in Singapore with the support of the Singapore Government.”

The ARC Photovoltaic Centre of Excellence has collaborative research work also taking place in Japan and Korea, and the technologies these companies produce is sold in products throughout the world.

UNSW will continue to look for commercial deals like these which provide benefit to the University and to the nation.