We are absolutely thrilled to congratulate not one, but two of our Hub's leaders — Director Professor Yansong Shen and Deputy Director Scientia Professor Xiaojing Hao — on being named finalists at the 2026 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes!

Prof Shen and Prof Hao were recognised alongside four other UNSW researchers, selected for their outstanding contributions to research, innovation and community engagement. The winners will be announced at a ceremony at Sydney Town Hall on Thursday 3 September.

As Director of the ARC Hub for Photovoltaic Solar Panel Recycling and Sustainability (ARC Hub PVRS), Prof Shen has been at the forefront of building a much-needed circular economy for solar energy in Australia. With millions of the nation's solar panels approaching the end of their working life over the next decade, his research addresses a critical and growing sustainability challenge.

Prof Shen has developed a low-cost recycling system that diverts solar panel waste from landfill, recovering valuable materials such as silver and copper for reuse in new panels and other applications.

"Solar panels have a vital role to play in helping us reach global net zero targets," Prof Shen said. "However, we need to move away from sending panels to landfill when they've reached their end and instead move towards recycling them with a circular economy where materials are recovered and reused."

His work has built collaborations with more than 20 local and international industry partners across the solar supply chain, with results published, patented, and translated into real-world industry practice.

Our Deputy Director, Scientia Professor Xiaojing Hao, has been recognised for her work making solar panels more efficient, durable and affordable through the development of next-generation tandem solar cells.

Prof Hao and her team at UNSW's School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering have used a diagnostic platform to identify and fix energy-loss defects in four leading tandem cell materials — kesterite, antimony chalcogenide, perovskite and chalcopyrite — achieving world records for solar cell efficiency along the way.

"By tackling defects that waste captured sunlight, we can make tandem solar cells more efficient, durable, sustainable and affordable," Prof Hao said. "Our research breakthroughs will help fast track the development of this technology, which is expected to be worth more than $10 billion by 2030."

This double nomination is a wonderful reflection of the impact our Hub is having on Australia's renewable energy future — and a proud moment for the entire ARC Hub PVRS team. Congratulations, Professor Shen and Professor Hao, on this well-deserved recognition!

We'll be cheering you both on ahead of the winners' announcement on 3 September.