The Swinburne University of Technology and CSIRO will carry on ground-breaking solar cell research following a $4 million grant under the Science and Industry Endowment Fund (SIEF).

The funding will see researchers from the two institutions take NanoPlas – a patented thin film solar cell technology – from the laboratory to small scale pilot project.

The NanoPlas technology works by incorporating a thin layer of metallic nanoparticles into conventional thin film solar cells to effectively scatter light into the cells. This increases the amount of light entering the cells, improving the conversion of light into electricity. The SIEF grant will enable the integration of the NanoPlas solar technology with a thermal management system for cooling of the cells.

"One of the critical challenges the thin film solar cell faces is low energy conversion efficiency due to the insufficient absorption from the very thin silicon layer," Swinburne’s Professor Min Gu said. "The new funding will allow us to address this issue."

Professor Gu said the NanoPlas technology addresses the biggest challenge of thin film solar cells: the cost-effectiveness, making building integratable solar cells a more viable technology for the building sector.

Integrating solar cells with buildings is an attractive concept for the building industry because it potentially allows skyscrapers to self-power themselves with purely green solar energy.

"We believe the NanoPlas technology can make a difference to Australian solar manufacturers through further research and development to scale up the technology. It could enable skyscrapers to be powered entirely by sunlight, transforming our cities."