Biography

Dr Ernst studied in Braunschweig and Hannover, Germany and received a Physics Diplomaph degree with distinction from the Leibniz Universität Hannover in 2008. In 2009, he joined the Si thin-film technology group at the Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin (ISFH), Germany as a PhD researcher and received a PhD (Dr. rer. nat.) for his research on kerf-free macroporous silicon solar cells from the Leibniz Universität Hannover in 2013. Currently, Dr Ernst is a research fellow and lecturer at the Australian National University. He has published over 50 scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals and international conferences, delivered over 10 international talks and seminars, and is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the German Physical Society (DPG).

As part of his entrepreneurial activities, Dr Ernst co-founded Sinaki GmbH, which develops and distributes on- and off-grid solar energy to developing countries, including Sierra Leone and Indonesia. He developed the free mobile iPhone app TrackYourDose to raise awareness of exposure to ionizing radiation, which has been downloaded over 10000 times and highlighted in many international media releases.

Research

Dr Ernst's research focuses on the performance, characterisation, and modelling of photovoltaic (PV) devices and modules, with particular attention to cell-to-module (CTM) effects, with the aim of improving the understanding, evaluation, and reliability of solar energy systems operating under real-world conditions. 

His work combines experimental characterisation and computational modelling to investigate photovoltaic module behaviour and performance. This includes indoor and outdoor testing of PV modules, including technologies such as PERC, TOPCon, and back-contact cells, as well as monofacial and bifacial module architectures. 

Dr. Ernst also develops and applies advanced modelling approaches for photovoltaic systems, including high-fidelity ray tracing of PV modules and arrays to capture complex optical effects such as reflection, shading, and irradiance distribution. These simulations support improved analysis of module performance, energy yield, and field performance, and inform the design and evaluation of advanced module and system configurations.

Interests

Photovoltaics; Solar modules; PV performance; PV characterisation; PV modelling; Cell-to-module (CTM) effects; Outdoor PV testing; Indoor PV testing; Electroluminescence imaging; Solar module diagnostics; Bifacial photovoltaics; PERC; TOPCon; Back-contact solar cells; High-fidelity ray tracing; PV optical modelling; PV system modelling; Energy yield analysis; PV reliability; Solar energy systems

Activities Awards

Dr Ernst received the College of Systems and Society Dean's Award for Teaching Excellence in 2018.

For more details of his activities and work, please see his website.