G.J. ‘Gus’ Nathan, Adelaide University | Chair of SWC2027
Solutions to the energy trilemma
On behalf of the local, national and international organisers, I am very pleased to invite you to attend the 2027 Solar World Congress, taking place at Adelaide University on 29 November to 3 December 2027.
The 2027 Solar World Congress will bring leading specialists from around the world to develop solutions to the complex energy trilemma of how to simultaneously achieve a step change in affordability, reliability and sustainability of global energy systems in which renewable energy plays a growing role. We invite researchers, industry and government agencies from all disciplines in all spheres of the energy eco-system to present original research, discuss ideas, establish new collaborations and, together, develop new pathways to solve this challenge.
The Solar World Congress will help to shape the future not only for the renewable energy technologies themselves and for their integration with storage and smart management into electrical networks, but also for their wider integration into transportation ‒ spanning road, rail, shipping and air ‒ and industry ‒ spanning light to heavy. It invites contributions to novel integration of renewable energy into all aspects of energy systems that offer rapid mitigation of CO2 emissions including with CO2 capture, storage and re-use and nuclear energy. The Congress invites interdisciplinary contributions, spanning all spheres of relevant technology to policy, markets, finance, regulation and social licence, recognising their combined importance in meeting the challenge. SWC-2027 particularly invites contributions that address how to harness the opportunities and mitigate the challenges arising from the growing role of artificial intelligence ‒ how to accelerate innovation and lower cost, while also meeting the growing energy demands from the data centres on which they depend.
Hosted jointly by the International Solar Energy Society, the Australian Photovoltaic Institute and Adelaide University, the Solar World Congress will bring local, regional and global perspectives and flavours. The SWC-2027 will be preceded by a tour, which will offer delegates the opportunity to visit South Australia’s electrical grid, which is at the forefront of integrating variable renewable energy. With a renewable penetration that has already reached a 75% penetration, it is on track to achieve 100% average by 2027. The tour will also include a pilot-scale solar photo-catalytic hydrogen production plant, demonstrations of electrified-transport hubs and laboratories developing net-zero technologies for both large, high temperature industrial processes and for smaller low-temperature ones. The Congress is hosted in a state that also offers a rich variety of local delicacies in food and wine, as the supplier of 80% of the nation’s premium wines.
We look forward to welcoming you to Adelaide to jointly develop Sol utions to the energy trilemma!
G.J. ‘Gus’ Nathan, Adelaide University
Chair of the Solar World Congress, 2027