Rong Deng

Dr. Rong Deng is a Lecturer at the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Australia. She completed her PhD in 2021 on 'End-of-life Recycling of Silicon Photovoltaic Modules: Towards A Circular Economy' and a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours Class I) in 2018, both from UNSW. Her research focuses on sustainable end-of-life management of silicon photovoltaic modules, integrating technological innovation with economic analysis.

Research Interests:

• End-of-life management of photovoltaic panels
• End-markets for recycled module materials
• PV sustainability and circular economy
• Techno-economic assessment of recycling processes
• Large-scale PV modules and their lifecycle impacts

Her work has been recognized as a 'PV Recycling textbook' by industry experts, particularly her 2019 paper 'A techno-economic review of silicon photovoltaic module recycling'.

Scientific Awards:

• 2022: Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia List – Healthcare & Science
• 2023: UNSW Women in Engineering Excellence Awards
• 2020: Australia Global Talent, Department of Home Affairs
• 2021: 1st Runner-up, SPREE Three Minute Thesis Competition
• 2019: Best Oral Presentation Award, GPVC 2019, Gwangju, Korea
• 2019: Best Poster Presentation Award, 36th EUPVSEC, Marseille, France
• 2019: Best Poster Award, UNSW Engineering PG Symposium

Grants & Funding:

• ACAP-Neoen Collaboration: Scoping study on solar panel end-of-life management in Australia – AUD 160,000
• ACAP-Solarcycle Collaboration: Techno-economic assessment of CdTe panel recycling – AUD 40,000
• NSW EPA: Scipher Advanced Solar Panel Recycling – AUD 1,790,000
• EUCD Climate Dialogue: PV Circularity in Australia – €145,000

Teaching & Academic Service:

Dr. Deng is the course convenor for SOLA5051 Life Cycle Assessment, contributing to the education of future renewable energy engineers.