Matt Thistlethwaite (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Treasury) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I pay tribute to Professor Stuart Wenham of the University of New South Wales who, unfortunately, recently lost his battle with melanoma. If you have solar panels on your rooftop then you've benefitted from the work of Professor Wenham. Literally, this man has changed the lives of millions of people throughout the world. He is remembered as the 'Einstein of the solar world' and was Director of the Centre of Excellence for Advanced Silicon Photovoltaics and Photonics at the University of New South Wales. Professor Wenham was a fearless innovator at the forefront of the field, having co-invented suites of solar cell technologies which have had a major impact on renewable energy generation throughout the world.

Professor Wenham was respected around the world for his research and pioneering inventions such as the advanced hydrogenation and hydrogen passivation technology which has allowed efficiency of solar cells to be boosted a hundredfold. With his friend and colleague Professor Martin Green he produced the world's best solar cells. In 1999 they received the Australia Prize for science from Prime Minister Howard for their work, they received the CSIRO Medal for research and their work has been named in the top 100 Australian inventions of the 20th century.

Professor Wenham also helped secure partnerships between the University of New South Wales and some of the biggest silicon producers, who've sought to utilise his technology in production lines. These companies include Suntech Power, BP Solar and Samsung, who have an annual photovoltaic production valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars, helping to make the industry one of the world's fasting growing in the energy sector. Professor Wenham was a true giant of the field, helping secure $8 million in funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency for his UNSW team to further improve commercial solar cells just weeks before his passing on 23 December last year.

A memorial service to Professor Wenham was held at the university on 8 January. Hundreds of people, from all around the world, attended to pay tribute to this giant of the solar world. He will be very, very sadly missed. Professor Wenham loved engineering, graduating with a university medal in electrical energy. He loved his tennis and was a devote Christian at the Menai Illawong Uniting Church.

Many people leave a lasting legacy to the world. Professor Wenham's will be in solar cell technology and renewable energy. I offer my condolences to his partner, Ran, and his children, Alison, Paul and Laura.