Martin Andrew Green (born 20 July 1948) is an Australian engineer and professor at the

University of New South Wales The University of New South Wales (UNSW) is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was established in 1949. The university comprises seven faculties, through which it offers bachelor's, master's and docto ...

who works on

solar energy Solar energy is the radiant energy from the Sun's sunlight, light and heat, which can be harnessed using a range of technologies such as solar electricity, solar thermal energy (including solar water heating) and solar architecture. It is a ...

. He was awarded the 2021

Japan Prize is awarded to individuals whose original and outstanding achievements in science and technology are recognized as having advanced the frontiers of knowledge and served the cause of peace and prosperity for mankind. As of 2024, the Japan Prize h ...

for his achievements in the "Development of High-Efficiency Silicon Photovoltaic Devices". He is editor-in-chief of the academic journal '' Progress in Photovoltaics''.

Education

Green was born in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...

on 20 July 1948, and was educated at the selective Brisbane State High School, graduated from

University of Queensland The University of Queensland is a Public university, public research university located primarily in Brisbane, the capital city of the Australian state of Queensland. Founded in 1909 by the Queensland parliament, UQ is one of the six sandstone ...

and completed his PhD on a Commonwealth Scholarship at

McMaster University McMaster University (McMaster or Mac) is a public research university in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main McMaster campus is on of land near the residential neighbourhoods of Ainslie Wood, Ontario, Ainslie Wood and Westdale, Ontario, Westd ...

in Canada, where he specialised in solar energy.

Research

In 1974, at the University of New South Wales, he initiated the Solar Photovoltaics Group which soon worked on the development of silicon solar cells. In the early 1980s, Green developed numerous technologies that increased the efficiency of solar power generation. Many of Green's students during this period later became significant in the development of China's solar industry, including

Shi Zhengrong Shi Zhengrong (, born on February 10, 1963) is a Chinese- Australian businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder and, up to March 2013, chairman and chief executive officer of Suntech Power. Biography Shi was born in Yangzhong, Jia ...

. Green has published several books on solar cells both for popular science and deep research. The "buried contact solar cell" was developed at UNSW in 1984. Green also served on the Board of the Sydney-based Pacific Solar Pty Ltd (later known as CSG Solar), as Research Director.

Awards and honours

Green has received many awards including: * 1981

Pawsey Medal The Pawsey Medal is awarded annually by the Australian Academy of Science to recognize outstanding research in the physics by an Australian scientist early in their career (up to 10 years post-PhD). This medal commemorates the work of the late Jos ...

(Australian Academy) * 1988 Award for Outstanding Achievement in Energy Research * 1990

IEEE The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is an American 501(c)(3) organization, 501(c)(3) public charity professional organization for electrical engineering, electronics engineering, and other related disciplines. The IEEE ...

Cherry Award * 1992

CSIRO The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is an Australian Government agency that is responsible for scientific research and its commercial and industrial applications. CSIRO works with leading organisations arou ...

External Medal * 1995 IEEE Ebers Award * 1999 Australia Prize * 2000 Gold Medal from the Spanish Engineering Academy * 2000 Medal of Engineering Excellence for Distinguished Achievement in the Service of Humanity from the World Engineering Federation (Hannover, 2000) * 2000 Millennium Award from the World Renewable Congress * 2002

Right Livelihood Award The Right Livelihood Award is an international award to "honour and support those offering practical and exemplary answers to the most urgent challenges facing us today." The prize was established in 1980 by German-Swedish philanthropist Jakob vo ...

for "his dedication and outstanding success in the harnessing of solar energy, the key technological challenge of our age." * 2003 Karl Böer Solar Energy Medal of Merit Award from the

University of Delaware The University of Delaware (colloquially known as UD, UDel, or Delaware) is a Statutory college#Delaware, privately governed, state-assisted Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Newark, Delaware, United States. UD offers f ...

* 2006 Finalist, European Inventor of the Year (together with Stuart Wenham) * 2008 Winner, 2008 New South Wales Scientist of the Year Award * 2009 Zayed Future Energy Prize finalist, recognised at the award ceremony for his ground breaking research in

photovoltaic Photovoltaics (PV) is the conversion of light into electricity using semiconducting materials that exhibit the photovoltaic effect, a phenomenon studied in physics, photochemistry, and electrochemistry. The photovoltaic effect is commercially ...

(PV) technology that will result in increased efficiencies, bringing solar energy closer to grid parity. *

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

Member of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...

"for service to science education as an academic and researcher, particularly through the development of photovoltaic solar cell technology, and to professional associations." * 2013

Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the Fellows of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...

of London His nomination for the

Royal Society The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...

reads: * 2015

James Cook Medal The James Cook Medal is awarded on an occasional basis by the Royal Society of New South Wales for "outstanding contributions to science and human welfare in and for the Southern Hemisphere". It was established in 1947 from funds donated by Henry Fe ...

of the

Royal Society of New South Wales The Royal Society of New South Wales is a learned society based in Sydney, Australia. The Governor of New South Wales is the vice-regal patron of the Society. It is the oldest learned society in the Southern Hemisphere. The Society traces its ...

* 2016 Ian Wark Medal and Lecture * 2018 Celebrated Members of IEEE Electron Devices Society * 2018 The Global Energy Prize for research, development and educational activities in the field of photovoltaics that have revolutionized the efficiency and costs of solar photovoltaics, making this now the lowest cost option for bulk electricity supply * 2021

* 2022

Millennium Technology Prize The Millennium Technology Prize () is one of the world's largest technology prizes. It is awarded once every two years by Technology Academy Finland, an independent foundation established by Finnish industries, academic institutions, and the st ...

* 2023

Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering Queen most commonly refers to: * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen (band), a British rock band Queen or QUEEN may also refer to: Monarchy * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * ...

for invention of PERC solar photovoltaic technology, alongside

Andrew Blakers Andrew Blakers is a professor of renewable energy engineering at the Australian National University. He has contributed to several innovations in solar photovoltaic technology, including PERC solar cells. Blakers has secured many research gra ...

, Aihua Wang, and Jianhua Zhao. On December 20, 2023, he was awarded the VinFuture Grand Prize for his involvement in the same innovation, along with M. Stanley Whittingham, Rachid Yazami, and

Akira Yoshino is a Japanese chemist. He is a fellow of Asahi Kasei, Asahi Kasei Corporation and a professor at Meijo University in Nagoya. He created the first safe, production-viable lithium-ion battery, which became used widely in cellular phones and noteb ...

. * 2024

Sydney Ferries Sydney Ferries is the public transport ferry network serving the city of Sydney, New South Wales. Services operate on Port Jackson, Sydney Harbour and the connecting Parramatta River. The network is controlled by the New South Wales Government ...

named a brand new

Parramatta River-class ferry The Parramatta River class are a ferry type operated by Transdev Sydney Ferries on Sydney Harbour. The ships are designed for future conversion to electric propulsion for low-emissions travel. History In June 2023 Transport for NSW announce ...

after Martin Green

References

External links

Australia Prize website

{{DEFAULTSORT:Green, Martin 1948 births Living people People associated with solar power 20th-century Australian engineers Academic staff of the University of New South Wales University of Queensland alumni McMaster University alumni Members of the Order of Australia Australia Prize recipients Fellows of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering People educated at Brisbane State High School Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science Fellows of the Royal Society Recipients of the M. A. Sargent Medal 21st-century Australian engineers Australian expatriates in Canada