A Melbourne solar technology company says it is battling to keep the manufacture of its product in Australia after being rejected for government grants.
Technique Solar managing director John Keating said the solar module developed by the company is four times more efficient and three times cheaper than available models.
The idea was conceived at RMIT by a Masters student and was funded by the Technique Solar shareholders for five years.
In September 2009, the RMIT team became employees of Technique Solar.
Mr Keating said the invention used a concentrator lens, which meant one of the modules delivered the same energy as achieved by a bank of 12 conventional solar panels. And it is four times more efficient than current household panels.
Mr Keating said the 120 mum and dad shareholders and small corporates had pumped $8 million in so far.
To get it up and running by the first quarter of next year would take another $1.5 million.
“We are struggling along with various manufacturers and trying to raise money,” he said. “We have applied for every funding program via the federal and state governments.”
Mr Keating said it was baffling that they were often invited to apply for grants.
He said even if they did not receive a commercialisation grant it would be good if their suburban manufacturer got some government money.
He said the system was independently validated at RMIT several years ago and a number of prototypes had proved the technology, adding it would have been easier to go offshore.
“The last thing we wanted to do was go and do it offshore or sell the intellectual property offshore and for us to have to import it back here,” he said.
Mr Keating said there was huge interest in the end product.
“For Victoria, it will be the creation of a new industry, employing upwards of 500 people in manufacturing and installation,” he said.
“Already we are planning a training scheme so that there will be a specialist course to create a pool of skilled TSM installers, who will work alongside electricians and plumbers to quickly begin rolling out the system on houses and businesses.”
