Andrew Blakers (AO FAA FTSE FRSN) is Emeritus Professor of Engineering at the Australian National University. He was winner of the 2024 Clunies Ross Technology Innovation Award. He was joint winner of the 2023 Queen Elizabeth Prize (the top global engineering prize) for PERC solar cell technology. PERC comprises half of all solar panels ever made, has cumulative panel sales of US$180 billion, and is mitigating 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions through displacement of coal. Prof Blakers engages in analysis of 100% renewable energy systems based on wind and solar photovoltaics supported by storage for which he was joint winner of the 2018 Eureka Prize for Environmental Research. He and his team developed a global atlas of a million off-river pumped hydro energy storage sites which is highly influential in the renewable energy storage industry, with projects stemming from the atlas worth tens of billions of dollars. He is an Officer of the Order of Australia and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, the Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering and the Royal Society of NSW.

Research

• Advanced silicon solar cells, solar concentrator systems, cells and components
• 100% renewable energy systems including off-river pumped hydro energy storage
• Publications: 449; cited 10300 times; h-index = 53; (Google Scholar via Harzing’s PoP)
• Downloads and reads of my journal articles: 136,000
• Top 0.4% globally in the 2023 Elsevier Science-wide database of citation indicators

Grants and industry engagement

• Design & fabrication of the 1st reported silicon solar cells with 18%, 19%, 20% and 22% efficiency
• First author of the first 3 papers for PERC silicon solar cell technology which comprises ~50% of global solar sales to date. Cumulative PERC sales are ~$240 billion. PERC modules are mitigating about 2% of global emissions through displacement of coal generation.
• Co-inventor of Sliver solar cell technology, the subject of a $240 million commercialisation effort by Transform Solar (Origin Energy & Micron) ($14 million royalties paid to ANU)
• Instrumental in establishment of the Australian Solar Institute in 2007/08 (forerunner of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency).
• Instrumental in the establishment of ACAP (Australian Centre for Advanced PV); ANU node Director of ACAP1 (2013-22); and key role in delivering ACAP2 (2023-30)
• Founded the solar cell research group at ANU in 1991 (currently 60 staff and PhD students)
• Research funds procured since 1979 (as a Chief Investigator, current dollars) ~A$174 million
• Development of the ANU Global Atlas of pumped hydro energy storage. This has triggered planning and construction of pumped hydro projects in the range of dozens of billions of dollars.

Prizes and awards

• Clunies Ross Technology Innovation Award (2024) from the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
• Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering (2023) (Blakers, Green, Wang, Zhao) – premier global Engineering prize
• Eureka Prize for Environmental Research (2018) (Blakers, Stocks and Lu)
• ANU Media and Outreach Awards 2017: (i) Impact award for reach and influence (ii) Award for improving the quality of public debate.
• Member, Australian Solar Council Hall of Fame (2016)
• Australian of the year, ACT Division – one of four finalists (2012)
• Chairman’s Award, “2nd Generation Sliver Cell Technology” du Pont Innovation Awards (2008)
• Engineers Australia Australian Engineering Excellence Award for Sliver sub module assemblies (Everett, Blakers & Weber, 2007)
• Weeks Award, International Solar Energy Society (Blakers & Weber, 2007)
• Engineers Australia (ACT Division), Engineering Excellence Award (2007)
• Australian Institute of Physics Alan Walsh Medal for services to industry (2006)
• ACT Sustainable Cities Awards (2006): (i) Environmental Innovation and (ii) Overall Award (2006)
• Banksia Award, Environmental Leadership in Infrastructure & Services, “SLIVER Cells - a Breakthrough in Solar Technology - ANU & Origin Energy” (2005)
• Aichi World Expo Global Eco-Tech 100 Award for SLIVER solar cell technology (2005)
• Australian Institute of Energy Innovation in Energy Science & Engineering Award “Sliver cells – A breakthrough in solar technology” (2005)
• Finalist, Sherman Eureka Prize for Environmental Research (2005)

Professional

• Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science
• Fellow of the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
• Fellow of the Australian Institute of Physics
• Fellow of the Australian Institute of Energy
• Fellow of the Royal Society of New South Wales
• Life Member of the Australian Association of Humboldt Fellows
• Life Member of the International Solar Energy Society
• Life Member of the Australian Conservation Foundation
• Leader of the Energy Futures program of the ARENA Australian Centre for Advanced PV
• Chair, International Advisory Panel, Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore
• Member, Editorial Board of the journal Solar
• Reviewer: several technical journals and conferences
• Foundation Director of ANU’s Centre for Sustainable Energy Systems, an externally funded group of about 60 staff and PhD students.
• ANU Node Director of the ARENA Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics (2013-23)
• Director of the ARC Centre for Solar Energy Systems (2003-11)
• ANU Node Director of the Australian CRC for Renewable Energy (1996-2000)