Newcastle City – Renewable, Sustainable, Smarter technology future

Newcastle City – Renewable, Sustainable, Smarter technology future

Rewriting our Energy Future: Perovskites, Photovoltaics and Organic Electronic Ink

These are some of the exciting topics explored by the end of this Hunter Environmental Institute Event! The event was held at 4:30pm on Wednesday 5th of June at Room X321 at The University of Newcastle Newspace Building.

We were excited to have Dr Timothy Jones from CSIRO Energy talking about solar technologies that will change the future, Dr Matthew Griffith from the University of Newcastle speaking about the innovative solar pain they have developed, Alec Roberts from CLEANaS speaking about community solar energy, and Nigel Hancock from Pingala speaking about Solar Gardens.

We’d like to take a moment to thank NGH Environmental, who are kindly sponsored drinks and nibbles for this event – thanks for keeping us comfortable and satiated with sweet treats!

Please purchase tickets below and note – student members and pensioner members, and people under 18 can attend free of charge (no need for a ticket!). Please note if you purchase a membership through this page, you will also receive free entry to the event. 

 

Dr Timothy Jones from CSIRO Energy

Dr Timothy Jones is a research scientist at CSIRO Energy. His research interests include upscaling perovskite solar technologies including developing industrially-compatible manufacture methods. A particular research interest is elucidating structure-performance relationships. He is a previous recipient of a competitive Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) post-doctoral fellowship, aimed at targeted development of future science leaders in solar energy research. He has a PhD in applied electrochemistry /materials science, and his work is published in 20 papers across the fields of battery science, electrochemistry, inorganic chemistry, perovskite-, organic-, and dye-sensitised solar cells.

The Prospects of Perovskite Photovoltaics:

Perovskite semiconductors have captured the imagination of the photovoltaics community. Unprecedented international progress in device efficiency have established perovskite solar cells as the leading candidate for next-generation photovoltaic devices. The most exciting developments include advanced tandem structures – which possesses the potential for solar cells with significantly higher efficiencies than commercial devices.

 

 

Presentation:

To view or download a copy of the presentation click on the link below.

Perovskite photovoltaics: from the micro-scale to industrial scale by Dr Timothy Jones

Dr Matthew Griffith from the University of Newcastle

Dr Matthew Griffith develops world-leading scientific innovations in the field of printed electronic materials and devices at the University of Newcastle, Australia. He received a Bachelor of Nanotechnology from the University of Wollongong in 2007, and a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Wollongong in 2012. He was a NEDO Postdoctoral Fellow at Shinshu University, Japan from 2012 to 2013, where he worked on understanding printable electronic materials for renewable energy generation. In 2013 he moved to the University of Newcastle, where he worked on developing printed sensors and energy devices at large scale, becoming a Lecturer in 2017. His latest research interests include using printed electronic smart inks to create biocompatible, implantable sensors for a wide range of applications, including energy generation, edible electronics for the health industry, smart drug delivery systems, and radiation sensors for low cost, flexible personal health monitoring and advanced medical X-ray detectors.

Printed Solar Power – Organic Solar

“Imagine a planet that harnesses the abundant light energy that it receives. Where every building and vehicle generates electricity in the sun. Where low cost energy is accessible by all. ” Professor Paul Dastoor

Organic solar modules hold the possibility of being able to generate low-cost electricity, on almost any surface. They are extremely thin, making their cost very low as very little material is used. As the modules are almost entirely plastic, they are completely recyclable. Organic solar cells work by converting the energy from sunlight into separate positive and negative charges that can be used as electricity.

Solar modules are printed using roll-to-roll (R2R) technology, the same way stickers, labels, and other printed products are produced. 1000 square metres of organic solar is a little heavier than an average adult male (100 kg). Compare that to traditional silicon solar, which would weigh the same as 3 large African Elephants (11 tons)! The modules arrive rolled up on cores, similar to paper towel. Able to be wrapped around almost any surface, their flexibility opens up almost endless possibilities for deployment.

Organic solar modules are printed on-demand. If a disaster happened, we could be printing solar modules to provide power immediately.

Presentation:

To view or download a copy of the presentation click on the link below.

Printed Organic Electronics: A New Way to Think About Energy by Dr Matt Griffith

Alec Roberts from CLEANaS

Alec Roberts is an experienced project manager, community renewable energy advocate and the current chair of CLEANaS (Clean Energy Association of Newcastle and Surrounds). CLEANaS is a not-for-profit community energy association that aims to drive the uptake of renewable energy generation technologies in Newcastle and surrounds through developing projects for community funded renewable energy installations and by running events and initiatives to educate members and the public about the opportunities that exist in participating in clean energy.

Alec commenced with the Tom Farrell Institute for the Environment (TFI) at the University of Newcastle in 2015. In the role of a project officer, Alec develops and manages content on initiatives on environmental sustainability across media platforms – website, e-newsletter, and social media. Alec also coordinates events, forums and conferences.

Community Renewable Energy

Across the world communities are coming together to respond to fundamental challenges such as climate change, regional economic development and energy access and affordability. They are doing this through creating community owned and community run renewable energy projects. From wind to solar, bioenergy to water power there are literally thousands of community renewables projects across the world that are providing income, employment and energy for their regions.

Community Energy is an approach to renewable energy development that involves the community in initiating, developing, operating, owning and/or benefiting from renewable energy generation. It includes projects such as a small collectively-owned solar array on a public building to a wind turbine owned by neighbouring farmers to a bioenergy facility fed by local waste and owned as a joint-venture between a local council and residents. In urban areas, Community Energy allows renters and apartment owners to participate in the benefits of solar energy, even if they don’t own an appropriate roof space.

CLEANaS aims to drive the uptake of renewable energy generation technologies in Newcastle and surrounds through developing projects to provide opportunities for community funded renewable energy installations and by running events and initiatives to educate members and the public about the opportunities that exist in participating in clean energy.

Presentation:

To view or download a copy of the presentation click on the link below.

Community Renewable Energy by Alec Roberts

Nigel Hancock from Pingala

Nigel is a passionate and dedicated renewable energy volunteer who has been member and community engagement volunteer for Beyond Zero Emissions, Australian Student Environment Network and Central Coast Community Energy.

Having grown up in the Northern Territory, but also spent time in Germany he has been engaged in advocating a zero carbon future in remote, urban and built up environments.
Currently he is volunteering as the Treasurer of the Pingala Association and as a Committee Member of Central Coast Community Energy, being a foundation member of both.
Nigel holds a Post-Graduate Certificate in Commerce, completed at UNSW in 2018.

Pingala vision of a fairer energy system, where communities are empowered to collectively own and operate local renewable energy projects; re-localising business and sharing the benefits and opportunities of our transition to renewable energy.  Pingala has completed three incredible projects; a 30kW system of Young Henrys craft brewery in Newtown, a 120kW project on the warehouse roof of the 4 Pines Brewery in Brookvale and just recently finished a 7kW and 10kWhr solar and battery system for the Sydney Buddhist Centre in Enmore! Facilitated through the Pingala Co-operative by selling shares issued for funding the project.  With our Young Henrys, we achieved several firsts in the process: the first operating community solar co-operative with investors; the first community solar lease; the first equity crowdfunded community solar project.

Concurrently, Pingala has been working on a range of fair energy projects that increase the profile of community renewable energy and of Pingala as a leader in the field:

• three remote Aboriginal communities in north-west NSW on energy independence and affordability, plus their visions of increasing self-sufficiency and community resilience;
• Shine-Hub, to co-ordinate and promote a solar bulk-buys scheme across greater Sydney;
• UTS, Blacktown Council, Powershop, and the Western Sydney Community Forum on developing a pilot Social Access Solar Garden.

Presentation:

To view or download a copy of the presentation click on the link below.

Solar Garden Presentation by Nigel Hancock

 

Event Photos

 

 

 

Thanks again to our event sponsor, NGH Environmental!