Swinburne University of Technology has teamed up with Suntech Power to create the next generation of solar cells. The university and China-based Suntech will collaborate to develop solar cells that are twice as efficient and run at half the cost of those currently available. Swinburne will contribute $3 million dollars to the venture, with Suntech pledging a further $3 million over the course of the collaboration. The project is also seeking funding from the Victorian Government.
The project will be based around the development of nanoplasmonic solar cells and allows for the efficient collection of solar energy in a wider colour range than cells currently being developed. This will make them twice as efficient as the current generation of cells, and will also make them significantly less costly to run.
