Australian educational and research opportunities arising through rapid growth in the photovoltaic industry

Abstract

In recent years, the photovoltaic (PV) industry has been growing rapidly at the rate of 30–40% per annum. As a result of this rapid growth, new opportunities through collaborative research with industry and in the educational area have arisen. To address these needs, the Australian government, through the Australian Research Council (ARC), has established a Key Centre for Teaching and Research in Photovoltaic Engineering at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). This is one of only eight such centres established Australia-wide across all disciplines. The primary new initiative of this Key Centre is to establish the world's first undergraduate engineering degree in photovoltaics and solar energy, commencing in March 2000.