Melbourne based company Solar Systems has commercialised high efficiency solar concentrator photovoltaic technology over a 17-year period. The company has established four commercially operating solar dish power stations in central Australia and are now developing a large scale format of the technology to install a 154MW, $420 million (30% government funded) power station in northern Victoria.

Solar Systems own patented technology for the production of hydrogen when its solar power stations are generating electricity. The hydrogen is then used as a storage medium in a highly efficient reversible process to generate electricity in times of cloud or darkness.

In 2008 Solar Systems is commencing the commercialisation process for its hydrogen technology. The capability to produce hydrogen from solar energy will greatly increase our commercial capability in the national electricity market. This success of the hydrogen commercialisation process would make solar power a mainstream source of electricity in the future.

This presentation will give an overview of the solar hydrogen technology, including the current strengths and challenges of the commercialisation process, and explain the market potential of solar power in Australia's National Electricity Market to 2020 given the competitive boost of commercialised hydrogen storage technology.