Martin Green (professor)

Last updated

Martin Green
AM FRS FAA
Martin Green (cropped).jpg
Martin Green in 2015
Born
Martin Andrew Green

(1948-07-20) 20 July 1948 (age 77)
Brisbane, Australia
CitizenshipAustralian
Alma mater
Awards
Scientific career
Fields
Institutions University of New South Wales
Thesis Properties and applications of the metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) tunnel diode  (1974)
Doctoral advisor John Shewchun [1]
Website research.unsw.edu.au/people/scientia-professor-martin-green

Martin Andrew Green AM FRS FAA (born 20 July 1948) is an Australian engineer who specialises in photovoltaics. [2] [3] [4] [5] He is a Scientia professor of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), where he directs the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics. [6] Green is best known for his development of the Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell (PERC) in 1983, a technology that significantly increased the conversion efficiency of silicon solar cells, reduced the cost of solar energy and powers over 90% of all solar panels globally today. [7]

Contents

He is widely considered the "father of modern photovoltaics", [8] [9] and has won many prizes and awards achievements such as Pawsey Medal in 1981, [10] the M. A. Sargent Medal in 1994, [11] the Japan Prize in 2021 and the Millennium Technology Prize in 2022. [12] Green is one of the world's most highly cited researchers (top 0.1% in field) and has been an author or co-author of over 800 research papers in the field of photovoltaics. [6] He is editor-in-chief of the academic journal Progress in Photovoltaics [13] and holds fellowships with the Royal Society of London, the Australian Academy of Science, the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering and the Royal Society of New South Wales. [14]

Education

Green was born in Camp Hill, Queensland on 20 July 1948, [7] [15] and was educated at the selective Brisbane State High School where he graduated as Dux of the school in 1965. [16] At the University of Queensland, he completed a Bachelor of Engineering in1970 and a Master of Engineering in 1972. [17] He then completed his PhD on a Commonwealth Scholarship at McMaster University in Canada, [15] supervised by John Shewchun, where he demonstrated that traditional silicon solar cell p-n junctions could be advantageously replaced by tunnelling metal-insulator-semiconductor structures. [18]

Research

In 1974, at the University of New South Wales, he set up the Australia's first solar research lab, the Solar Photovoltaics Group, which worked on the development of silicon solar cells. [2] [19] In the late 1970s, his group was developing world record cell voltages by using tunnel oxide passivated contacts (now known as TOPCon). In 1983, using the tunnelling approach, Green and Andrew Blakers developed the first 18% efficient silicon cell, surpassing the previous record of 16.5%. [20] Since then, his team has developed the world's first 19%, 20%, 21%, 23%, 24% and 25% efficient silicon cells, which were amongst his 14 successive world records in the area. [6]

In 1983, he developed the Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell (PERC), a solar cell with passivated emitter and rear surfaces. In 1989, his team published the first paper on PERC technology, which had 22.8% efficiency, the highest ever reported for a silicon cell. [21] As of 2021, his PERC solar cell that he invented accounts for 91.2% of worldwide silicon solar module production. [6]

In 1984, he developed the buried contact solar cell at UNSW with Stuart Wenham, [22] produced 30% more energy than competing technologies and 20% cheaper to produce. In the 1990s, the technology was the largest manufactured solar cell technology in Europe. [7]

Green has also made several theoretical contributions to the field, including the first identification of Auger Recombination as placing the most severe bounds on silicon cell performance, developing the methodology to calculate these bounds and discussing cell designs capable of limiting performance. He was also the first to explore "non-ergodic" light trapping schemes based on the crystallographically-defined pyramidal structures used in all modern silicon cells. [6]

Green has supervised over 120 PhD students who have contributed to the field of photovoltaics, including: [23]

Green is currently the editor-in-chief of the academic journal Progress in Photovoltaics. [13]

Awards and honours

Awards

Green has received many awards including:

His nomination for the Royal Society reads:

Professor Green is cited for his extensive and distinguished contributions to photovoltaic science and technology. These include identifying the fundamental limits upon silicon solar cell performance and then leading his team to demonstrate experimental devices approaching this limit, with 25% cell efficiency now demonstrated. This is over 50% relatively higher in performance than at the beginning of his work. He has also developed innovative commercial versions of these high performance devices and pioneered the field of "third generation" photovoltaics, investigating advanced photovoltaic device concepts targeting Carnot-like solar conversion efficiencies. [50]

Honours

Green is also a fellow at many academic institutes including:

References

  1. ↑ Green, M. A.; Shewchun, J. (1974). "Current multiplication in metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) tunnel diodes". Solid-State Electronics. 17 (4): 349. Bibcode:1974SSEle..17..349G. doi:10.1016/0038-1101(74)90127-0.
  2. 1 2 Wolfe, Philip (22 May 2018). The Solar Generation. Wiley - IEEE. pp. 157, 258. ISBN   9781119425588.
  3. ↑ Green, Martin A.'s publications indexed by the Scopus bibliographic database. (subscription required)
  4. ↑ Green, M. A.; Emery, K.; Hishikawa, Y.; Warta, W.; Dunlop, E. D. (2012). "Solar cell efficiency tables (version 39)". Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications. 20: 12–20. doi:10.1002/pip.2163. S2CID   97769917.
  5. ↑ Green, M. A.; Emery, K.; Hishikawa, Y.; Warta, W. (2011). "Solar cell efficiency tables (version 37)". Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications. 19: 84–92. doi: 10.1002/pip.1088 . S2CID   97915368.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Scientia Professor Martin Green". UNSW Sites. Archived from the original on 11 January 2026. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Martin Green". www.rightlivelihood.org. Archived from the original on 2 December 2025. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  8. ↑ "Australian father of photovoltaics awarded prestigious 2021 Japan Prize". UNSW Sites. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  9. ↑ Templeton, Louise (21 October 2025). "Solar pioneer and ACAP founder Professor Martin Green wins prestigious UK engineering prize". ACAP. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  10. 1 2 "Pawsey Medal | Australian Academy of Science". www.science.org.au. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  11. 1 2 "Past Winners" (PDF). www.engineersaustralia.org.au. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 July 2025. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  12. 1 2 "Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell (PERC)". Millennium Technology Prize. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  13. 1 2 "Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications". Wiley Online Library. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  14. 1 2 3 "Green, Martin Andrew - Person - Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation". Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  15. 1 2 O'Malley, Nick (25 August 2023). "To locals, he's just another Bronte jogger. In solar energy circles? He's a rock star". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  16. ↑ "Past Dux of School". Brisbane State High School. 21 November 2019. Archived from the original on 11 October 2025. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  17. 1 2 "Martin Green (Australia)". Global Energy Prize. 15 October 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  18. ↑ "Professor Martin Green". Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  19. 1 2 3 "UNSW Sydney solar pioneers celebrate 50 years of world-leading research and innovation". UNSW Sites. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  20. 1 2 3 "PERC Solar Photovoltaic Technology". Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  21. ↑ Blakers, Andrew W.; Wang, Aihua; Milne, Adele M.; Zhao, Jianhua; Green, Martin A. (25 September 1989). "22.8% efficient silicon solar cell". Applied Physics Letters. 55 (13): 1363–1365. Bibcode:1989ApPhL..55.1363B. doi:10.1063/1.101596. ISSN   0003-6951.
  22. ↑ "Project: "Nanostructured Silicon-Based Tandem Solar Cells"" (PDF). gcep.stanford.edu. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 January 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  23. 1 2 3 4 Green, Martin A (December 2022). "Silicon solar cells to power the future (2022 Millennium Technology Prize Lecture)". Journal & Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales. 155 (2): 168–181. doi:10.5962/p.432945. ISSN   0035-9173.
  24. ↑ "Dr Richard Corkish". research.unsw.edu.au. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  25. ↑ Templeton, Louise (8 February 2023). "Australian solar pioneers win world's top engineering prize". UNSW Sites. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  26. ↑ Ltd, Shanghai Alex Solar Energy Science & Technology Co. "Alex Solar is Proud to Announce Dr. Ximing Dai as the New Chief Technology Officer". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  27. ↑ "Australian Solar Institute - Dr Xiaojing Hao". Australian Solar Institute. 5 June 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  28. ↑ "Edgeworth David Medal". The Royal Society of NSW. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  29. ↑ "43rd IEEE PVSC | Portland". ieee-pvsc.org. Archived from the original on 14 July 2025. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  30. ↑ "1991 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes winners". The Australian Museum. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  31. ↑ "Ezio Rizzardo wins 1992 Chairman's Medal" (PDF). CoResearch. December 1992. p. 49. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 October 2025. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  32. ↑ "Historical winners of the Clunies Ross Award". Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  33. ↑ "Past J.J. Ebers Award Winners - IEEE Electron Devices Society". eds.ieee.org. Archived from the original on 8 July 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  34. ↑ "13 Nov 2017 - Professor Martin A Green (Australia) and Professor Stuart R Wenham (Australia) - Trove". webarchive.nla.gov.au. Archived from the original on 13 November 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  35. ↑ "SIR LIONEL HOOKE AWARD" (PDF). sant.theiet.org.au. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 September 2007. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  36. ↑ "A HISTORY OF WFEO 1968-2018" (PDF). World Federation of Engineering Organizations. p. 83. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 August 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  37. ↑ "Australian Honours Search Facility". honours.pmc.gov.au. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  38. ↑ "Karl W. Böer Solar Energy Medal". University of Delaware Research. 4 October 2021. Archived from the original on 12 November 2025. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  39. 1 2 "Solar expert is first Australian to win international energy prize". UNSW Sites. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  40. ↑ "Martin Andrew Green and Stuart Ross Wenham (University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia)". European Patent Office. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  41. ↑ "Large Numbers of Scholarships on Offer from Australia". guangzhou.china.embassy.gov.au. 9 October 2007. Archived from the original on 10 January 2026. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  42. 1 2 "UNSW scoops Scientist of the Year Awards". UNSW Sites. 12 September 2008. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  43. ↑ Investment, NSW Trade and (20 November 2025). "NSW Premier's Prizes for Science & Engineering". Chief Scientist. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  44. ↑ "Energia/ Eni Award 2009: ecco i vincitori - Affaritaliani.it". www.affaritaliani.it. Archived from the original on 17 May 2021. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  45. ↑ "Zayed Future Energy Prize - 2009 PRESS RELEASES". Archived from the original on 16 June 2010. Retrieved 8 June 2010.
  46. ↑ "2010 Australian Museum Eureka Prize winners". The Australian Museum. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  47. ↑ "Australian solar cell technology breaks the 20% barrier – Cooperative Research Australia". cooperativeresearch.org.au. Archived from the original on 13 March 2022. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  48. ↑ "Australia Day honours". UNSW Sites. 27 January 2012. Archived from the original on 22 March 2025. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  49. ↑ "Royal Fellowship for Australian scientists | Australian Academy of Science". www.science.org.au. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  50. 1 2 "Martin Green | Royal Society". royalsociety.org.
  51. ↑ "Recipients of the James Cook Medal" (PDF). The Royal Society of NSW. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 April 2025. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  52. ↑ "2016 awardees | Australian Academy of Science". www.science.org.au. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  53. ↑ Jones, Rachael (10 June 2018). "Sydney professor becomes first Australian to win prestigious Global Energy Prize". ABC News. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  54. ↑ "The Japan Prize Foundation". The Japan Prize Foundation. Archived from the original on 16 November 2025. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  55. ↑ "Fellows update—February 2021 | Australian Academy of Science". www.science.org.au. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  56. ↑ O'Malley, Nick (25 October 2022). "NSW professor wins world's best technology prize". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  57. ↑ Templeton, Louise (26 October 2022). "UNSW Sydney solar pioneer wins Europe's biggest technology innovation prize". UNSW Newsroom. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  58. ↑ "LAUREATE 2023 | leighannconnprize". leighannconnprizeorg. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  59. ↑ "Martin Green wins prestigious Leigh Ann Conn Prize for Renewable Energy". UNSW Sites. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  60. ↑ Nhu, Quynh (21 December 2023). "Battery researchers win $3M Vietnamese awards". VnExpress .
  61. ↑ "Professor Martin Andrew Green". VinFuture Prize. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  62. ↑ miguelholland (28 January 2025). "Sydney's newest ferry named after solar pioneer". Transdev Australasia. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
  63. ↑ "Celebrating engineering excellence: National awards honour industry trailblazers". www.theiet.org. 20 October 2025. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  64. ↑ "Celebrated Members - IEEE Electron Devices Society". eds.ieee.org. Archived from the original on 1 January 2026. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
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