Engineering, PhD, Photovoltaic

Dr. Basnet studied Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering at the Institute of Engineering (Pulchowk Campus), Kathmandu, Nepal. He then completed his Master's in Renewable Energy Management from the University of Freiburg, Germany, in 2015. In 2020, he completed his PhD in the field of solar photovoltaics (PV) at the Australian National University (ANU). Since then, he has worked as a researcher in the solar PV group at ANU.

Dr Basnet’s research focuses on improving the performance and cost-effectiveness of current solar cell technologies and their end-of-life management. His primary work includes assessing the quality of silicon wafers for high-efficiency solar cells, developing doped poly-Si contacts, innovating Si bottom cells for tandem applications, and exploring the reuse potential of PV modules. He was awarded the ACAP Postdoctoral Fellowship in 2023 to improve the passivation quality of doped poly-Si contacts on textured surfaces. Currently, he is working on developing and improving TOPCon-based Si bottom cells for perovskite-based tandem solar cells. Additionally, he has presented his work at several international conferences and serves as a program committee member. In 2023, in collaboration with PV Lab Australia, Dr. Basnet received a grant from the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) government to investigate the reuse potential of silicon PV modules. He also maintains close working relationships with leading PV manufacturers and serves as a co-investigator on several large ARENA-industry co-funded projects.

Teaching

Dr Basnet has been involved in teaching ENGN4524/ENGN6524 Photovoltaic Technologies since 2020. He is also co-lecturing ENG8832 Urban Energy and Energy Efficiency.

Student supervision

Dr Basnet has supervised several coursework students (undergraduate and postgraduate) over the years. He is open for supervision.