Our leading-edge research encompasses basic sciences, engineering and techno-economics for development and advancement of solar thermal and hybrid energy conversion technologies. Fundamental investigations span across optics, thermal and thermochemical sciences, and materials. The main applied research themes are concentrating solar technologies, solar fuels and commodity materials, solar power, and solar heating and cooling. We conduct system-level and techno-economic studies to support technology scaling and commercialisation.

We maintain and operate a comprehensive experimental infrastructure that includes state-of-the-art optical, thermal, chemical and materials laboratories. The unique in-house developed solar facilities include the ANU 500 m2 Big Dish and the 45 kWe indoor high-flux solar simulator.