The Australian Government's Innovation Report

New national solar energy centre: The first stage in developing
a new energy source for Australian industry is being trialled in
Newcastle at the National Solar Energy Centre.
The $5.3 million centre opened in March 2006 and showcases
solar thermal technologies such as the innovative SolarGas system.
The centre also plays a key role in the ongoing research into
efficient, low-emission energy generation by the CSIRO.
SolarGas is a new energy source that contains about 26% more
energy than the coal-seam methane or natural gas used to feed
the process that creates it. It also produces 26% less carbon dioxide
during production.
The project is a major collaboration between the Department of
Education, Science and Training and New South Wales Department
of Energy Utilities and Sustainability with contributions from Solar
Heat and Power, DLR Germany and the Australian National University.
Some of the 200 mirrors that comprise the National
Solar Energy Centre’s high concentration array, Newcastle.
Photo credits: Stefan Moore
The centre is the only multi-collector facility of its type in Australia and is home to the largest high-concentration
solar array in the Southern Hemisphere. This comprises three main elements including a high-concentration
tower solar array, a linear concentrator solar array and a control room.
The high-concentration tower solar array uses 200 mirrors to concentrate more than 500 kilowatts of energy. This
can create peak temperatures of more than 1000 degrees Celsius. The linear concentrator solar array generates
hot fluid at temperatures of around 250 degrees Celsius, which is enough to power a small turbine generator.
Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology: The first ARC Centre of Excellence headquartered in
Western Australia is focusing its research efforts on the genes, proteins and small molecules that define the
health, growth and productivity of plants.
The ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology aims to help increase our knowledge of how plants
regulate energy generation in the capture of sunlight to produce food.
Plants are sources of food and fuels. These products result from energy metabolism in sub-cellular compartments
(organelles) called mitochondria, chloroplasts and peroxisomes. The centre aims to use functional genomic analysis
to discover and characterise molecular components and control mechanisms that underpin plant energy metabolism.
Knowing the factors that control biogenesis of these organelles will better enable the breeding of plants with
specified metabolic traits. Benefits include enhanced control of biomass and yield, water and nutrient efficiency,
synthesis of nutrients important for human and animal health, and plants better able to tolerate the environmental
stresses of Australia.
Minister Bishop at the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant
Energy Biology.
Photo credits: ARC
Chapter 3 - National research priorities 107