Martin Andrew Green (born 20 July 1948) is an Australian engineer and professor at the
University of New South Wales who works on
solar energy
Solar energy is radiant light and heat from the Sun that is harnessed using a range of technologies such as solar power to generate electricity, solar thermal energy (including solar water heating), and solar architecture. It is an essenti ...
.
He was awarded the 2021
Japan Prize
is awarded to people from all parts of the world 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." The P ...
for his achievements in the "Development of High-Efficiency Silicon Photovoltaic Devices". He is editor-in-chief of the academic journal ''
Progress in Photovoltaics
''Progress in Photovoltaics'' is a monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal
In academic publishing, a scientific journal is a periodical publication intended to further the progress of science, usually by reporting new research.
Content
Arti ...
''.
Education
Green was born in
Brisbane on 20 July 1948,
and was educated at the selective
Brisbane State High School
, motto_translation = Knowledge is Power
, city = South Brisbane
, state = Queensland
, country = Australia
, coordinates =
, type = Public, selective, co-educational, secondary, ...
, graduated from
University of Queensland and completed his PhD on a
Commonwealth Scholarship at
McMaster University in Canada, where he specialised in solar energy. In 1974, at the University of New South Wales, he initiated the Solar Photovoltaics Group which soon worked on the development of
silicon solar cell
A solar cell, or photovoltaic cell, is an electronic device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect, which is a physical and chemical phenomenon. s.
The group had their success in the early 80s through producing a 20% efficient silicon cell, which now has been improved to 25%.
Research
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. Green's portrait was painted with fellow scientist
Ross Garnaut for the
Archibald Prize 2010. The painting was a finalist, losing to a portrait of
Tim Minchin.
Awards and honours
Green has received several awards including:
* 1982
Pawsey Medal (Australian Academy)
* 1988 Award for Outstanding Achievement in Energy Research
* 1990
IEEE Cherry Award
* 1992
CSIRO
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is an Australian Government
The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of Australia, a federal parliamentar ...
External Medal
* 1995
IEEE Ebers Award
* 1999
Australia Prize The Australia Prize was Australia's pre-eminent prize for scientific research from 1990 until 2000, when it was replaced by the Prime Minister's Prizes for Science. The award was international, 10 of the 28 recipients were not Australians.
Recipie ...
* 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 v ...
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
* 2006 Finalist,
European Inventor of the Year
The European Inventor Award(formerly European Inventor of the Year Award, renamed in 2010), are presented annually by the European Patent Office, sometimes supported by the respective Presidency of the Council of the European Union and by the Euro ...
(together with Stuart Wenham)
* 2008 Winner, 2008 Scientist of the Year Award
* 2009 Zayed Future Energy Prize finalist, recognised at the award ceremony for his ground breaking research in photovoltaic (PV) technology that will result in increased efficiencies, bringing solar energy closer to grid parity.
*
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
Member of the Order of Australia "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 of London
His nomination for the
Royal Society reads:
* 2015
James Cook Medal 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.
The Society was established as the Philosophical Society of Australasia on 27 June ...
* 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
Japan Prize
is awarded to people from all parts of the world 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." The P ...
* 2022
Millennium Technology Prize
References
External links
Australia Prize website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Green, Martin
1948 births
Living people
People associated with solar power
20th-century Australian engineers
University of New South Wales faculty
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