Complete Report - University of New South Wales

Summary
The Centre for Advanced Silicon Photovoltaics and Photonics incorporates the activities of
the former Key Centre for Photovoltaic Engineering. The former Key Centre started in 1999,
after the award of special funding from the Australian Government to promote teaching
and research in the area of photovoltaics. One of the primary new initiatives of this Key
Centre was the establishment of the world’s fi rst undergraduate degree in Photovoltiacs and
Solar Energy. This was one of only eight such Key Centres awarded Australia-wide across all
disciplines, demonstrating the importance the government placed on this new and exciting
fi eld of photovoltaics. In 2003 the Key Centre and its activities were incorporated into the
new Centre of Excellence, awarded to the same team at the University of New South Wales.
The Centre offers undergraduate, postgraduate and research programs encompassing a
range of aspects relating to the photovoltaic and renewable energy industries. These programs
have been developed in consultation with representatives from industry to ensure graduates
are appropriately qualifi ed to enter the fi eld upon completion of their studies. Since 2003,
the Centre has seen a total of 40 students graduate from its undergraduate programs, and
23 students from its postgraduate degrees. These graduates are now taking advantage of
a range of opportunities being created in the booming photovoltaics and renewable energy
industries.
During 2005 there was a signifi cant amount of curriculum development and revision due
to new initiatives of the Faculty of Engineering which aimed at adding value to engineering
programs at UNSW. Throughout the year the Centre continued to attract bright students
to all our educational programs, and we were very excited to be able to offer a new Co-
Op Scholarship sponsored by Suntech Power Co. Ltd. School Offi ce staff also concentrated
on reinvigorating existing promotional material, and utilising new promotional activities to
increase the awareness of Photovoltaics and Renewable Energy Engineering at UNSW.
At the end of 2005 there were 137 undergraduate students, 7 postgraduate coursework
students, and 23 research students enrolled in the Centre’s educational programs.
5.1 Undergraduate Educational Programs
The Centre offers two undergraduate coursework
engineering programs, which can be taken in
combination with a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of
Science or a Bachelor of Commerce. These degrees
aim to develop well-educated graduates with the
basic skills, attributes and knowledge required to
practise as professional engineers in the growing
photovoltaics and renewable energy industries.
The photovoltaics program draws on the expertise
of Centre staff in this fi eld and was the fi rst of
its kind internationally. The program focuses on
photovoltaic devices, and includes training in
technology development, manufacturing, quality
control, reliability and life cycle applications, system
design, maintenance and fault diagnosis, marketing,
policy development and the use of other renewable
energy technologies. It has two unique features:– a
project in the second year of the program, and a ‘strand’, a second area of specialisation. Since
2003 a total of 40 students have graduated from the program, as previously mentioned, and
another 10 are expected to graduate in March 2006 after completing their studies at the
end of 2005.
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