JA Solar delegation visits ACAP/ UNSW to discuss collaborations and strengthening ties

Monday 27 – Tuesday 28 October 2025

UNSW Sydney and the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics (ACAP) recently welcomed a senior delegation from JA Solar, one of the world’s largest and most innovative solar manufacturers, for two days of technical exchange, lab visits and strategic discussions aimed at accelerating the next generation of high-efficiency solar technologies.

(l-r) Dr Jessica Yajie Jiang (ACAP Consortium Manager), JA Solar Executive President Aiqing Yang. UNSW Spree Head of School Prof. Ned Ekins-Daukes, Prof. Renate Egan (ACAP Executive Director) and JA Solar CTO Zi Ouyang.

The delegation – led by Executive President and CEO Aiqing Yang and Chief Technology Officer Zi Ouyang – met with Professor Martin Green, UNSW SPREE Head of School Professor Ned Ekins-Daukes, ACAP Executive Director Professor Renate Egan, and ACAP Consortium Manager and UNSW Node Lead Dr Jessica Yajie Jiang. Their visit followed JA Solar’s recent commitment as a Platinum Partner of the UNSW / ACAP Industry Consortium, marking a major milestone in industry–research collaboration.

Over the two-day visit, JA Solar representatives toured the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering (SPREE), and the UNSW–JA Solar Collaboration Laboratory. The visit also included a detailed review of the active collaborative R&D projects that link ACAP to the UNSW-JA Solar research, which span advanced cell architectures, efficiency optimisation, materials innovations, and scalable manufacturing solutions.

Strategic discussions focused on progressing ultra-high-efficiency photovoltaics, including the joint project targeting a breakthrough 29.4% conversion efficiency. UNSW researchers also highlighted recent progress enabled by JA Solar’s advanced BC platform “Finger Interconnect Technology”, recognised by UNSW for its potential to simplify metallisation, significantly reduce silver use, and deliver over 10W improvements in module power output.

Both organisations emphasised the critical importance of deep, sustained collaboration in developing cheaper, more efficient and more sustainable solar technologies needed to drive global decarbonisation efforts. With record-breaking PV performance, reduced reliance on critical materials, and rapid pathways from lab to factory, the UNSW–JA Solar partnership plays a central role in advancing the next wave of commercially viable green energy solutions.

JA Solar expressed its strong enthusiasm for expanding the partnership, noting the alignment between UNSW’s world-leading research capabilities and JA Solar’s mission to bring cutting-edge technologies to global markets. ACAP and UNSW SPREE leaders likewise welcomed JA Solar’s continued engagement, with the visit reinforcing the shared commitment to accelerating innovation across the full solar value chain.

The delegation touring the UNSW – JA Solar Collaboration Laboratory.

For more information about the ACAP Industry Consortium, visit: https://www.acap.org.au/industry-consortium