Brisbane start-up Redback Technologies has opened new offices at The University of Queensland (UQ) campus which will be used as a research and development (R&D) facility for software and hardware that enables homeowners to store, monitor and manage solar energy more efficiently.
Founder and managing director of Redback Technologies, Philip Livingston said he hopes to employ 60 new team members ranging from software and hardware developers to client service.
“The growth in clean energy has created a promising new market that is driving employment opportunities for those in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) sectors," he said. "We’re hoping to bring on employees that have experience in industries like manufacturing and mining as these skills can be repurposed."
Redback has been working closely with UQ since announcing in February the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with UQ’s commercialisation company UniQuest.
The partnership involves taking an equity position with Redback in return for exclusive licences to UQ research across its engineering and science sectors to develop disruptive technologies providing consumers with a faster return on investment.
“Our current team has extensive experience in renewable energy generation, engineering, manufacturing, software development and energy market regulation. We’re looking forward to expanding the business, bringing on new talent to further develop our current solutions to make them even smarter,” Livingston said.
Redback’s success in the solar sector has come at a time when government rebates, subsidies and tariffs have contributed to an increased number of solar PV system owners, which is having a profound impact on the way Australians consume electricity.
“We are currently at the cusp of a solar revolution as consumers begin to understand how solar can save them money, and the huge benefit it can have on the environment by eliminating dependency on fossil fuels. We are innovating to ensure cleaner energy for future generations,” Livingston said.
Redback is a technology company focused on the development of advanced, low cost solar solutions for residential and commercial users. Details at http://redbacktech.com/