Dr Jessica Yajie Jiang | UNSW Research

Biography

Dr. Jessica Yajie Jiang is a Senior Research Fellow at the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering (SPREE) at UNSW Sydney, where she also serves as the UNSW node leader for the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics (ACAP). She completed her PhD in 2015 under the supervision of Scientia Professor Martin A. Green, investigating the optical properties of photovoltaic materials. Following her doctoral studies, Dr. Jiang was subsequently awarded the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) postdoctoral fellowship in 2015 and the ACAP research fellowship in 2017. Her innovative research focuses on enhancing the performance of solar cells and modules through comprehensive understanding of their optical, electrical, and thermal properties, spanning material synthesis, cell and module fabrication, characterization, and testing, supported by advanced computer simulation.

Dr. Jiang has secured over AUD $22 million in project funding for research and development initiatives. Beyond her research contributions, she serves as an editor for the IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics and manages the ACAP Industry Consortium, which enables Australia's leading photovoltaic researchers to stay engaged and informed about industry progress and current and future challenges. She is also co-founder of EnerJIN, a UNSW spin-out company that manufactures autonomous multifunction sensors for photovoltaic applications. In addition to her research and industry engagement, Dr. Jiang initiated the Empowering Emerging Leaders in Clean Energy (ELICE) Program, to accelerate clean energy innovation and build a more sustainable future.

Her research encompasses a diverse range of photovoltaic technologies, including silicon solar cells and modules, advanced characterization techniques, high-efficiency III-V photovoltaics, spectrum splitting, perovskite technology, and building-integrated and vehicle-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV & VIPV). Her current research interests are:

Next-generation silicon solar cells enhanced by photon multiplication
Super-efficient coloured photovoltaics for building and vehicle integration
Achieving 30% efficiency in silicon photovoltaics using singlet fission
Reducing photovoltaic module operating temperatures to improve efficiency and durability
Developing landmark 50% efficient spectrum-splitting solar modules

My Grants

Lead CI, Aiko solar, $4.1M, Revolutionizing Solar Energy: Next-Generation Silicon Solar Cells Empowered by Photon Multiplication for Unprecedented Efficiency,
CI, ARC LIEF, $1,3M, Closing the Gap in High-Efficiency Solar Cell Research in Australia,
CI & Project manager, ARENA project, $4.5M, 2023-2028, “Rear-Junction p-type PERC/TOPCon Hybrid Solar Cells (RJ-PERP)”
CI & Stream lead, ARENA project, $5.8M, 2023-2028, “Low-cost >30% Efficient Silicon Photovoltaic Solar Cells Achieved through Singlet Fission”
Lead CI, ACAP X-project, $60,000, 2022, “High Efficiency Coloured PV based-on Highly Luminous Perovskite Quantum Dots”
Lead CI, ACAP Collaboration Grants Round 6, $70,000, 2021-2022, “Super-efficient coloured PV for vehicles”
CI, ACAP Collaboration Grants Round 6, $70,000, 2021-2022, “Development of III-V cells on GaAs & InP for a 50% efficient spectrum splitting CPV receiver”
Lead CI, ACAP Infrastructure grant, $359,550, 2021-2022, “Infrared-Variable Angle Spectroscopic Ellipsometer”
CI, ACAP X-project, $50,000, 2021-2022, “Demonstration of Vehicle Integrated Solar Power Generation”
Lead CI, Materials & Manufacturing Futures Institute Seed grant, $20,000, “Coloured glass for high efficiency vehicle integrated solar modules”
CI, ARENA project, $ 2.12M, 2020-2022, “Reduced Solar Module Temperature”
CI, UNSW Digital Grid Futures Institute 2020 Interdisciplinary Seed Funding, $20,000, 2020, “Autonomous Data-Sensing to Enable the Smart Energy Revolution”
CI, Contract Research, $102,000, 2020-2022, “Enhancing the performance of photovoltaic panels by phase change inhibited materials”
Lead CI, ACAP Collaboration Grants Round 4, $70,000, 2018-2020, “High efficiency spectrum splitting CPV receiver using a triple-junction solar cell with internal Bragg reflector”
Lead CI, ACAP Postdoctoral Fellowship, $410,000, 2018-2020, “Practical 50% efficient spectrum splitting CPV receivers using intermediate Bragg reflectors”
Lead CI, ARENA Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, $96,924, 2015-2016, “Characterisation of light distribution within silicon solar cells”
Lead CI, UNSW Faculty Postdoctoral Writing Fellowship, $12,036, 2015
Lead CI, ACAP X-project, $60,000, 2022, “High Efficiency Coloured PV based-on Highly Luminous Perovskite Quantum Dots”