Sensing Solar Energy of Australia Δ 11th of January 2014 Ω 11:25 AM

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~ The Solar Bio-Fiels Concortium ~ A/Prof. Ben Hankamer ~ Dr. Peer Schenk	~ Dr. Ute Marx ~ Prof. Tony Larkum ~ Pasific Seeds	~ Victoria builds solar power plant ~ SolarSystems ~ Dyesol
~ Greenough River Solar Farm ~ sense for Ξ ~ sense for Ξ	~ sense for Ξ ~ sense for Ξ ~ sense for Ξ	~ sense for Ξ ~ sense for Ξ ~ sense for Ξ
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«Solar Energy Sensing	Θ	Θ
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~ The Solar Bio-Fiels Concortium

»The Solar Bio-Fiels Concortium

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~ A/Prof. Ben Hankamer

Prof. Ben Hankamer

Research Focus: the structural biology of photosynthetic machinery and its enhancement for high efficiency bio-fuel production
ξ microalgae have many advantages for bio-fuel production
ξ his group uses a broad spectrum of approaches, including the development of industrial feasibility studies,
ξ structural and molecular biology to harness these for a range of high efficiency bio-fuel production systems
ξ to solve the 3D structures of these and other membrane proteins and macromolecular assemblies his group is developing new technologies for protein structure determination

High-resolution Single Particle Analysis (SPA) pipeline
ξ is ideally suited for the rapid determination of the structures of membrane protein complexes and
ξ macromolecular assemblies which are being studied to improve the efficiency of bio-fuel production

Systematic 2D crystal production systems
ξ developing a new template assisted crystallization system
ξ tagged membrane proteins are tethered to a detergent resistant and fluid monolayer before being aligned into 2D crystals

Using such systems
ξ worked extensively on the structures of membrane protein complexes including PSII monomers,
ξ PSII dimers and a range of PSI-LHCI and PSII-LHCII supercomplexes and
ξ a related ATPase, using cryo-electronmicroscopy, single particle analysis, electron and X-ray crystallography

Industrial Feasibility studies
ξ for Bio-H2, bio-diesel, bio-methane and BTL production processes

Antenna engineering
ξ photosynthesis is essential for the production of all the major bio-fuels
ξ it drives the first step in the conversion of light to chemical energy,
ξ produces the substrates for fuel synthesis
ξ typically photosynthetic organisms have a photon conversion efficiency of ~1-2%
ξ these low efficiencies are largely due to the fact that they use photo-protective mechanisms which dissipate excess energy (up to 95% of captured photons) at natural light levels
ξ most of this energy is dissipated in the light harvesting antenna systems
ξ significantly, in green algae it has been estimated that photosynthetic efficiency can be increased towards 10% by reducing the size of these antenna systems
ξ a range of antenna mutants are under construction to determine which yield the highest levels of photosynthetic efficiency

The Visible Cell project
ξ the aim is to develop the molecular 3D atlas of the chloroplast
ξ this 3D atlas will provide the blueprint to guide fine tuning the photosynthetic machinery
ξ through genetic engineering, just as a car manual provides an engine plan to facilitate its tuning
ξ such an atlas will enable us to model interaction of photosystems within & between thylakoid membranes
ξ & the biophysical modelling of light excitation energy transfer at the molecular level, dependant on these arrangements

Bio-H2
ξ together with Olaf Kruse developed a high hydrogen producing strain of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Stm6
ξ Stm6 exhibits one of the highest reported rates of solar powered bio-H2 production (Kruse & Hankamer patent WO2005003024)
ξ a sugar transporter as subsequently engineered into Stm6 to facilitate the simultaneous conversion of sugar and water to H2
ξ and has resulted in a further 50% increase in H2 production

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~ Dr. Peer Schenk

Dr. Peer Schenk

Research Focus
ξ the cultivation of algae offers a cost-effective way of producing bio-fuels all year round with minimal use of land
ξ these are important prerequisites for large-scale commercial production of bio-fuels
ξ in his research team at the University of Queensland, Australia, they use functional genomics and in vitro evolution approaches to improve efficiencies of biofuel production from algae
ξ the development of new improved microalgae strains aims to maximise bio-diesel or bio-hydrogen production in reactors and open/closed pond systems
ξ work closely together with our collaborators Ben Hankamer, Olaf Kruse and Clemens Posten
ξ as well as industry partners that are interested in new algae crop varieties and
ξ biofuel production to cover the future energy market
ξ using functional genomics theu have identified regulatory genes that provide tools for further improvement of bio-fuel producing algae strains
ξ developed a meta-genomics and an in vitro evolution approach for biodiscovery of new algae strains
ξ by applying cutting edge high-throughput analysis tools it currently offers the opportunity to pioneer in this widely unknown area

Goals:
ξ to develop high-yielding bio-hydrogen-producing algae crop varieties
ξ to develop high-yielding bio-diesel-producing algae crop varieties
ξ to develop suitable bio-reactor and open or closed pond systems for large-scale commercial production
ξ to minimise costs and maximise environmental benefits by making use of low quality water (waste-water or high salt contents)
ξ for algae nutrition and cultivation on marginal or unused areas
ξ to further maximise benefits by using algal biomass for either biogas production or for carbon sequestration using dried pellets
ξ to facilitate rapid commercialisation of new algal biofuel technology by closely collaborating with industry partners

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~ Dr. Ute Marx

Dr. Ute Marx

Research Focus
ξ the metabonomic analysis of biofluids is one research area of the facility
ξ metabonomics is the study of biofluids in order to identify subtle metabolic changes related to altered phenotype
ξ data acquisition is carried out with NMR spectroscopy and/or mass spectrometry followed by statistical/chemometric data analysis
ξ the measurement of NMR spectra for metabonomic analysis and the methodologies of PCA (principal component analysis) classification
ξ and PLS (partial least square) prediction for the statistical analyses of these data
ξ to identify metabolic changes are well established in the NMR Facility

Key Projects
ξ within the Solar Bio Fuel Consortium harnesses these techniques to identify metabolite differences
ξ between different phases of algal growth (aerobic, anaerobic, microoxic)
ξ within one strain and to compare algal strains with different H2 producing capabilities
ξ use NMR spectroscopy to monitor the metabolite flows from water and carbohydrates to hydrogen
ξ will allow the identification of the metabolic pathways involved
ξ will assist in the determination of the bottlenecks of hydrogen production
ξ the gained knowledge will facilitate targeted metabolic engineering of H2 production
ξ by engineering critical end point and regulatory genes

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~ Prof. Tony Larkum

Prof. Tony Larkum

Photosynthesis and Light Harvesting in natural and artificial systems
ξ focuses on the pigments and processes that photosynthetic organisms use to capture and harvest solar energy
ξ as a corollary to this it is clear that plants and algae have special mechanisms of down-regulation of light energy (non-photochemical quenching) under excess light
ξ both aspects of light harvesting are currently studied in his laboratory
ξ a range of microalgae and cyanobacteria are used in these studies
ξ the pulse amplitude mosulated fluorometer is the major tool used to investigate these processes together with oxygen electrodes
ξ the Chl d-containing organism Acaryochloris marina has been the focus of our recent studies
ξ also focus has been on prochlorophyte cyanobacterial organisms that containe Chl b
ξ also working on the following: Synechocystis spp., Synechococcus spp., Gloeobacter violaceus, Cryptomonas, Euglena spp, Symbiodinium microadriaticum, Ostreobium sp.

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~ Pasific Seeds

»Pasific Seeds
ξ firmly established in Australia
ξ has been an agricultural seed market leader for over 45 years
ξ are proud of providing a wide range of seed and seed technology solutions to customers
ξ quality, targeted research over many years has resulted in the breeding, production and marketing of seeds,
ξ which fulfill the needs of farmers, industry and food manufacturers
ξ research team ensures the products are not only high yielding but also satisfy the needs of end users, making them more easily marketed.
ξ acceptance by all links in the production chain has resulted in Pacific Seeds' products success in a wide range of Australian and international markets
ξ bred varieties are market leaders in many crop types and countries
ξ strong alliances with major agricultural suppliers and researchers allow quick incorporation of new traits into locally adapted varieties for Australian farms
ξ as agricultural production throughout the world is revolutionised through advances in science and technology,
ξ Pacific Seeds remains focused on delivering real benefits and improved production to Australian producers

»About
ξ established in 1962 by a leading US safflower research firm, Pacific Oilseeds Inc. of Woodland, California

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~ Victoria builds solar power plant

»Victoria builds solar power plant
ξ The go-ahead to the project came with a $285 million commitment from a Victorian electricity retailer.
ξ Solar Systems, a private Melbourne-based company,
ξ will develop the $420 million plant on a number of sites, which are yet to be confirmed,
ξ across the Mildura and Swan Hill regions in northern Victoria.
ξ Victorian electricity retailer TRUenergy has invested $40 million to take a 20 per cent ownership in Solar Systems and
ξ will also invest up to $285 million in the plant, which will connect to the national electricity grid.
ξ Solar Systems says the station will generate 270,000 megawatts of electricity every year,
ξ enough to meet the annual needs of more than 45,000 homes, without generating any greenhouse gas emissions.
ξ The project, which is being launched today, has been financed through a mix of private sector funds and
ξ $129.5 million of federal and state government funds.
ξ TRUenergy managing director Richard McIndoe said his company had moved quickly to secure a role in Australia's "lucrative solar technology industry".
ξ The project is expected to provide 950 jobs during construction, which will start in 2009.

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~ SolarSystems

»SolarSystems
ξ The new solar concentrator photovoltaic (PV) power station in north-west Victoria will involve a total investment of $420 million.
ξ $295 million in private funding and
ξ $125 in State and Federal Governments will be contributed to the project.
ξ The government funding is designed to assist in the development of low emissions technology and
ξ recognise the economic and environmental benefits that will result from the project
ξ the vast majority of the power station technology is Australian and approximately 70 per cent of the total project cost is expected to be spent in Victoria
ξ The project will generate about 950 jobs at the peak of construction and 44 direct, ongoing jobs for operations and maintenance once the station is commissioned
ξ Two new manufacturing plants will be required �
ξ one will potentially located near the power station to assemble plant components and
ξ one in Melbourne to manufacture Solar Systems� proprietary solar concentrator components.
ξ In addition, Australian suppliers are expected to invest in significant plant upgrades to meet the demand generated by the project.
ξ Solar Systems� planned Melbourne manufacturing facility will be the highest capacity PV module manufacturing facility in the Southern Hemisphere
ξ capable of producing more than 50MW each year and with expansion capacity to more than 100MW.
ξ The project will position Victoria to become a centre for growth of a new international industry sector -
ξ solar concentrator PV technology - for which an extensive worldwide market exists.
ξ Also, the project will enable a commercial pathway which will result in Solar Systems creating a new R&D and manufacturing centre in Victoria
ξ By 2030, nearly $8 billion of commercially viable solar concentrator power plants,
ξ with a total capacity of over 5GW, will be rolled out across Australia
ξ It is estimated that these will generate more than 10,000 new jobs in manufacturing and construction,
ξ as well as 1,870 new full-time direct jobs in maintenance and operation.
ξ Solar concentrator PV plant will be exported to the global market, conservatively estimated at more than $500 billion, and
ξ where the solar concentrator technology will have a clear competitive advantage.
ξ Servicing these markets will require more manufacturing capability,
ξ increasing the number of high-tech manufacturing jobs created in Australia.

Development
ξ Solar Systems has continued development, particularly in improving algorithms for control and real-time data acquisition during operation.
ξ integrated new generation multi-junction III-V photovoltaic cells into modules
ξ these have increased the output by more than 50% compared to the previous silicon-based cells

Solar Systems now has ten patents and patents pending registered around the world. These cover our innovations in
ξ optics
ξ controls
ξ cooling
ξ hydrogen production
ξ PV cell design

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~ Dyesol

»Dyesol

What They Do
ξ established the worlds first prototype manufacturing facility for Dye Solar Cells
ξ supplies equipment, materials and components for Dye Solar Cell Technology
ξ is supported by a team of world leading experts and offers consulting services
ξ supplies a range of turnkey solutions, from laboratory and research to prototype manufacturing
ξ participates in both public and private funded Research & Development programs
ξ is seeking suitable parties to licence its Technology

Sylvia Tulloch, BSc, MSc, Managing Director
ξ is a materials scientist with over twenty five years experience in establishment and management of high technology business
ξ contributes to project management, leads the quality assurance team and involves herself in materials science challenges across the company
ξ is co author of several Dyesol patents
ξ past roles included CEO of a window manufacturer and business manager of an advanced technology multinational defence company
ξ was the last President of the Sustainable Energy Industries Association of Australia,
ξ Chair of the Renewable Energy Action Agenda Implementation Group and
ξ on the committee guiding the Australian Renewable Energy Technology Roadmap, and
ξ a Director of the Australian Business Council for Sustainable Energy
ξ holds a Master of Science degree from the University of NSW

Gavin Tulloch, BSc(Hons), PhD. CIEA, FAICD International Business Development and Technology Strategy
ξ founded and is Chairman of STI the forerunner of Dyesol
ξ has been pivotal in the development of DSC in Australia, forming the initial team in 1994
ξ is also Director General of Greatcell Solar � Dyesol�s Swiss subsidiary
ξ has been previously Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer of STI.
ξ Gavin is responsible for Dyesol�s international business development and
ξ has been instrumental in establishment of the collaborative project with Corus and subsidiaries in Singapore and UK.
ξ His technical expertise is in technical ceramics, materials science and manufacturing engineering.
ξ He gained his PhD from UNSW in the field of semiconducting oxides. He is principal or co-author of many patents.

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~ Greenough River Solar Farm

Greenough River Solar Farm

Australia's biggest solar farm was officially connected.
The 10-megawatt Greenough River Solar Farm in Western Australia is a joint project of
First Solar, Inc., GE Energy Financial Services and
Western Australian state-owned power utility Verve Energy
is expected to generate enough solar energy to power 3,000 homes, eliminating 20,000 tons of greenhouse gases each year

is located near the port town of Geraldton
consists of 150,000 of First Solar's advanced thin film PV modules solar photovoltaic panels
spread over 198 acres.

Western Australia's Minister of Energy Peter Collier

Verve Energy and GE Energy Financial Services each own 50 percent of the project.
The Western Australia Government provided $20 million in funding.

Greenough River Solar Farm to demonstrate that renewable technologies can contribute to meeting Australia's future energy needs
on a sustainable, cost-competitive basis /Verve Energy Chief Executive Officer Jason Waters/

Verve Energy and GE are evaluating the possibility of a plant expansion up to 40 megawatts to satisfy growing demand for renewable energy

Australia aims to generate at least 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020.

The project represents GE Energy Financial Services' first renewable energy investment in Australia.
GE says it's portfolio of committed renewable energy projects worldwide totals more than $8 billion.

Matt O'Connor, managing director at GE Energy Financial Services saw "incredible investment opportunities in Australia,"

Australia has the highest average solar radiation per square meter of any continent in the world.

About 858,000 homes in Australia have solar PV panels,
accounting for a total installed capacity of nearly 2 gigawatts /Australian Clean Energy Regulator/
That translates into a rooftop solar installation on one out of every 10 households!

Ray Wills, chief adviser to the Sustainable Energy Association, an industry lobby group,
said at the current rate of installations, he expects the 1 millionth home to be achieved by the end of next June,
The Sydney Morning Herald reported

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