The Australian Solar Institute (ASI) is part of the Australian Government’s Resources, Energy and Tourism. ASI is also part of the Australian Government’s Clean Energy Initiative which includes a commitment to develop a suite of cost‐effective low emission energy technologies. The Australian Government has also set a renewable energy target of 20% by 2020.
The Australian Solar Institute is seeking applications for grants that will advance the knowledge base and reduce barriers to deployment of solar energy in Australia which:
- examine grid and transmission development needs to enable solar expansion
- team with the fossil fuels industry to investigate options to increase solar field deployment and reduce emissions through solar / fossil hybrid applications
- increase finance sector confidence to invest in solar technologies and projects by identifying key investment risks and proposing global best practice mitigations
- research generation forecasting techniques that build on best practice in solar deployment in Europe and wind in Australia
Grant Priorities
ASI is seeking highly meritorious grant applications which are summarised below:
- Photovoltaics (PV) -ASI has a particular focus in this round on R&D in technologies not yet commercialised in the market place that offer the opportunity to substantially lower the lifetime cost of solar electricity and therefore increase commercial deployment within the next decade.
- Concentrating solar thermal (CST) – ASI is seeking proposals that will reduce the levelised cost of solar energy by increasing the efficiency of CST energy generation and reduce the cost of its capture and delivery.
Timeline
The grant application process will occur in two stages. First a call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) will be made followed by an invitation to a shortlist of EOI applicants to submit full funding proposals.
Closing date for submissions is 21 May 2010
Invitation to submit a full grant application for funding willl occur in June – August 2010
Project Type
ASI will support solar R&D projects that are technically “excellent” and that will lead to increased commercial deployment of PV and CST technologies — whether that commercial deployment is in the short, medium or long term. ASI will proactively foster the development of, and fund and support, excellent industrial and academic proposals in the areas of:
- Applied R&D (including leading to pilot‐scale demonstration) projects designed to move PV and CST technologies to an investment‐ready point either for pre‐commercial, large‐scale demonstration funding or for business‐support funding.
- Basic R&D projects designed, as the major aim of the project, to establish “proof‐of‐principle” at an experimental level of a new PV or CST technology.
- Core Institution R&D projects, for which funding is drawn from the Commonwealth’s allocation of 40% of its ASI funding commitment to the designated Core Institutions: CSIRO, Australian National University and University of New South Wales.
Projects may be industry‐only (sole company or consortia); industry‐led (research‐provider supported); research‐provider led (industry supported); or research‐provider only, noting that collaboration is encouraged and assessed. ASI may also proactively commission, on a competitive basis, R&D projects that it considers are critical to the PV or CST sectors in Australia.
Available Funding
- Applied R&D Projects - The minimum funding level for Applied Projects will be $1 million and the maximum will be $5 million except in exceptional circumstances that would require significant justification by project proponents.
- Basic R&D Projects – The maximum funding level for Basic R&D Projects will be $1 million.
Expression of Interest Form
We have extensive experience with REDP and the Solar Flagships Program. For assistance with the grant application process please feel free to contact us.
