Once again in 2025 the APSRC hosted a number of Industry Workshops that focused on particular topics that may be of particular interest to industry. There were six Industry Workshops as listed below.
PV forecasting and Firm Power Management
Photovoltaic (PV) forecasting is crucial for optimising the integration of solar energy across different time scales, including short-term weather forecasts, sub-seasonal to seasonal predictions, and long-term climate projections. Accurate forecasts of solar irradiance are essential for ensuring consistent power generation by firms to meet demand. With the growing use of renewable solar resources, precise forecasting is vital for proper system sizing and effective planning, operation, and management. This workshop will focus on the importance of PV forecasting for a sustainable energy future, while also addressing the advancements and challenges in this field.
PV recycling and circular economy
As a renewable energy solution PV must also address concerns about its environmental impact. This is the subtopic for abstracts related to environmental science and engineering, circular economy and LCA of PV: Life-cycle analysis (LCA) of modules, systems, and applications, CO2 footprint, ecological effects of PV applications on land and water; sustainability of materials; customised products and sustainable design; reuse and recycling of PV modules; PV decommissioning; raw material availability; resource efficiency and material flows; and PV in the circular economy.
PV manufacturing
PV manufacturing is currently concentrated in China, and with increasing interest in diversifying the PV supply chain, this Workshop Session will look at Manufacturing potential, including in Australia. We will hear from industry and academic studies about the plans, potential benefits and challenges of international and Australian PV manufacturing.
Renewable heat for manufacturing, mining, and fuels
Industry and transport accounts for over 70% of Australia’s total energy end use. A large proportion of this energy is used in the form of process heat and transport fuels. Renewable heat can play a significant role for power generation, industrial process heat applications and for the production of renewable fuels. Renewable heat can be generated via three main pathways, electrification, solar thermal or combustion. This workshop will look at technology pathways for the generation, storage, and utilisation of renewable heat across different end use applications.
Photovoltaic thermal (PVT)
About half of energy consumption worldwide is delivered as heat and about 25% is delivered as electricity. Photovoltaic thermal collectors (PVT) provide both heat and electricity by using a fluid, typically water or air, to collect the heat from a PV panel within an integrated unit. As a combination technology PVT can reach significantly higher efficiency than PV or solar thermal alone. This workshop will provide an overview on the status of PVT technologies internationally by one of the leaders of IEA SHC Task 73 PVT, an update from leading Australian manufacturers on their technology and applications, and an outline of standards for PVT performance testing.
High Comfort, Low Carbon Lighting
Achieving day/lighting solutions that reduce operational and embodied energy while also supporting people’s visual, physiological, and psychological needs remains a major challenge. This workshop will examine examples from industry and research that attempt to address this issue, and open discussion on pathways forward.