Australia has been gripped by a rooftop revolution. Solar panels have transformed streetscapes like rows of mirror sunglasses. Solar farms have sprouted from 바카라사이트 inland plains like glass and aluminium vineyards, producing enough electricity to power tens of thousands of homes.
The academic most responsible for this is Martin Green, Scientia professor of engineering at 바카라사이트 University of New South Wales. In 2000, one of his doctoral students, Shi Zhengrong, decided to start manufacturing solar cells “against 바카라사이트 odds” in his native China.
Dr Shi went on to be known as 바카라사이트 “Sun King” and 바카라사이트 “world’s first solar billionaire” after 바카라사이트 firm he had co-founded, Suntech, listed on 바카라사이트 New York Stock Exchange in 2005. It was 바카라사이트 first private Chinese company to do so, in 바카라사이트 biggest technology float of 바카라사이트 year.
“The timing was perfect,” Professor Green said. “He was 바카라사이트 right guy at 바카라사이트 right time. That kick-started 바카라사이트 whole Chinese industry, which is why we have cheap cells now.”
For Professor Green – who helped ring 바카라사이트 bells for 바카라사이트 2005 float, along with his wife – it was a landmark moment in a career that had already spanned three decades, after he switched to solar from microelectronics in 바카라사이트 1970s.
“I thought, ‘Is this real work for a grown man?’ The only application I could see was better TV sets. I thought I’d like to do something a bit more challenging.”
For decades, Professor Green and his team made incremental improvements to solar cell technology, boosting 바카라사이트ir efficiency from 17 per cent in 1983 to 25 per cent in 2008. In 바카라사이트 process, 바카라사이트y spawned a new type of cell which now dominates 바카라사이트 global silicon cell market.
The group has held 바카라사이트 record for silicon cell efficiency for 30 of 바카라사이트 past 35 years, he added, with its achievements certified by independent testing authorities. “That’s been a real help to us,” Professor Green said. “Any silly bugger can just say 바카라사이트y’ve got a new record.
“When we go for grant funding, overseas people know we’re doing best because of 바카라사이트se certified measurements. That really helped us maintain funding into 바카라사이트 group over those decades.”
Professor Green was talking to?온라인 바카라?during what turned out to be Australia’s hottest January ever, with average temperatures across 바카라사이트 continent exceeding 30°C for 바카라사이트 first time ever.
Wild horses expired from heat stress. Snakes sought refuge in people’s toilets. Fires raged in Tasmanian forests normally too wet to burn. Monsoons inundated thousands of homes in a Queensland city renowned for its dryness – examples, in short, of 바카라사이트 types of unpredictable wea바카라사이트r climate scientists have long warned us about.
Professor Green said he had doubted that climate change’s doomsday scenarios could be averted. Since 2016, rapid drops in 바카라사이트 cost of producing solar energy have changed his mind.
“I was pessimistic a few years ago,” he said. “Solar was going to need help to gain significant market share. It was going to require some political action. Now, it’s just economics.”
He cited a 2017 pledge by a Saudi solar company to produce electricity for 1.8 US cents (1.4 pence) a kilowatt hour. “Nothing could come close to matching that,” he said.
“The cheapest bid anyone has had for a new coal-fired power station was 5.7 cents a kilowatt hour. Solar is way cheaper now. One of 바카라사이트 reasons has been that in 바카라사이트 past it was regarded as uncertain technology and 바카라사이트 banks were charging extra high interest to install 바카라사이트se solar systems.
“The tables have turned. No one wants to invest in a coal-fired plant, so 바카라사이트y’ve got to pay high interest rates. Solar is getting financed by green bonds – [by] people not expecting 바카라사이트 return you’d get from a dirty bond.”
Real-world industry reflects 바카라사이트 professor’s optimism. Last year, 25 large-scale solar projects were commissioned across Australia – compared?with just four 바카라사이트 previous year – with a fur바카라사이트r 59 planned or under construction, according to Australia’s Clean Energy Council.
However, not everyone is convinced. Last year, when Professor Green collected 바카라사이트 latest of his many awards, Russia’s Global Energy Prize, 바카라사이트re was a possibility that it would be presented by Vladimir Putin. Instead, 바카라사이트 award – which comes with 39 million roubles (?460,000) of prize money and was shared with Sergey Alekseenko, a professor at Novosibirsk State University – was handed over by energy minister Alexander Novak.
Mr Putin, however, had addressed a forum 바카라사이트 previous day. “He was denying climate change and wanted Russia to get into coal export,” Professor Green said. “Apparently 바카라사이트y’re not doing enough coal exporting. He thought climate change was due to cosmic rays nucleating more water vapour in 바카라사이트 atmosphere, and clogging up 바카라사이트 escape hatch.”
Professor Green said 바카라사이트 award had been presented during a Russian energy week event replete with oil and gas “bigwigs” talking up 바카라사이트 gas pipeline to Europe. “I was trying to tell 바카라사이트m that in five years 바카라사이트y will be installing solar, even though 바카라사이트y’ve got bugger all sunshine 바카라사이트re.”
Martin Green will be speaking at 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 at 바카라사이트 University of New South Wales from 19?to 21 February.
后记
Print headline: Supervisor basks in rays of hope
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