Agreement among German Aerospace Center and Australian Solar Institute to cooperate on research into concentrating solar energy technology

                   The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, DLR) and the Australian Solar Institute (ASI) agreed to cooperate on research into concentrating solar energy technology.

                    It is a burning issue all over the world, that, how to make a solution to handle the situation of energy crises presumed to arise due to depleting conventional energy resources. The countries either developed or in developing stage, all are making efforts to develop technology much efficient so as electricity generated through renewable energy sources should be economical and easily affordable. Solar energy is abundantly available all over the world and so is expected to be a reliable solution of this burning issue. Researchers and Technologists from nations are making efforts and are under way to emerge innovation in technology for use of materials and involved technology with most efficient use in generating electricity through solar energy.

                   The Australian Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Kim Carr and Ulrich Wagner, the DLR Executive Board Member for Energy and Transport, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 16th March 2011, to cooperate on research into concentrating solar energy technology. The technology is best suited to regions with high levels of solar radiation, which includes large parts of Australia. DLR has been researching concentrating solar energy technology for over 30 years, and has one of the largest research teams in the world. As Australia is having excellent research infrastructure and high levels of solar radiation, there is hope of excellent results on reducing the cost of solar power for both the countries by working together using technology developed by DLR. This agreement will provide Australian researchers an opportunity to work with other leaders in the same field from DLR, to investigate cost and efficiency improvements in concentrating solar power. It is hope that this initiative of working of solar energy researchers of Australia with those in Germany will help to accelerate the technology breakthroughs required to allow solar energy to become a sustainable energy source in the future in Australia, Germany and around the world.

                     In the first step to work jointly in the partnership, the researchers planned on building a reactor system developed at DLR, which uses solar energy to convert methane into hydrogen. This will be done at the test facility of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) National Solar Energy Centre (NSEC) in Newcastle, New South Wales. There, the DLR system's performance will be compared with that of Australian systems.

                     The Australian Solar Institute was established as part of Australian Government’s Clean Energy initiative, supporting Australian research and development activities in the area of solar energy with a total budget of 150 million Australian dollars. The Australian Government through its Clean Energy Initiative has committed five billion Australian dollars for the research, development and demonstration of low carbon dioxide energy technologies.

Source of Information: - http://www.dlr.de/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-6224/10236_read-29504/

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