Four pioneers behind the electricity-generating silicon solar cell have won this year's Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering.

Martin Green, Andrew Blakers, Jianhua Zhao and Aihua Wang developed so-called Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell, or Perc, technology.

This transformed the efficiency of solar panels and is now built into 90% of all installations worldwide.

The team is to be honoured at a special ceremony later in the year.

The quartet will share a £500,000 award and a trophy, to be presented by the Princess Royal.

I read that article too and was quite please about the progress being made. 

How does this all affect us end users?

In a nutshell, less roof space for the same amount of energy or more energy from the same roof space.

I would imagine the price would increase along with the extra buzz word "perc".

Our cells include the perc effect which makes them better performers and so we have to charge more........

Globally esteemed engineering award given to Australian research team

 

The prestigious Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering has this year been awarded to the University of New South Wales’ Professor Martin Green, Dr Aihua Wang and Dr Jianhua Zhao, as well as the Australian National University’s Professor Andrew Blakers, for their research work and development of PERC solar technology.

 

The esteemed engineering accolade is presented to engineers responsible for ground-breaking innovations that have been of global benefit to humanity, with judges deeming Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell (PEERC) technology as underpinning solar’s success story, ultimately enabling low cost, decarbonised energy the world over.

 

In 1983, Martin Green and Andrew Blakers at the University of New South Wales produced solar cells with 18% efficiency, surpassing the 16.5% recorded previously. Over the next few years, they published cell results of 19% and 20% efficiency, and theoretically determined the maximum achievable efficiency to be close to 30%.

 

Green’s Lab at the University of South Wales held the global record for efficiency for 30 of the 40 years from 1983 to 2023, with Aihua Wang and Jianhua Zhao leading the work which eventually reached Green’s 25% efficiency target.

 

 

Read the full article from PV Magazine here