The South African inventor who revolutionised solar power
In 2005, former University of Johannesburg physics professor Vivian Alberts invented solar panel technology that uses a thin metallic film instead of the considerably more expensive and thicker silicon-based solar cells.
Alberts spent 20 years developing the technology, which was patented in more than 100 countries by the Photovoltaic Technology Intellectual Property (PTiP), starting in 2007.
PTiP is a spinoff company from the University of Johannesburg that Alberts helped found in 2005 to commercialise his invention.
The PTiP obtained financing from the University of Johannesburg, the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), and the Germany-based engineering firm Singulus.
In 2014, it opened the first plant for producing thin-film solar panels in Technopark, Stellenbosch.
“In terms of cost and quality, the technology and product can compete with any similar product worldwide,” said Alberts.
“The facility at Technopark was designed and equipped with highly sophisticated equipment to ensure constant improvements to the product. It is a highly promising technology which can now proudly be used commercially.”
The thin-film technology features a homogenous semiconductor alloy comprising five chemical elements.
Its total thickness measures three microns, compared to the 300-micron thickness of traditional first-generation silicon technology.
In his earlier life, Alberts obtained a PhD in physics from Nelson Mandela University in 1993 after enrolling there ten years earlier.
After his studies, he became a professor at the University of Johannesburg, where he was the person mainly responsible for the research and development of the solar technology.
He worked at the university from July 1993 until June 2019. During that time, he helped launch PTiP and held the company’s CEO position from January 2008 to September 2018.
After leaving PTiP, Albrts worked as managing director of Independent Solar Africa from September 2019 to May 2021 before leaving South Africa for Dubai.
Alberts now holds the Head of Solar Research position at the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority.
Legal battle over patent “hijacking”
In April 2023, Afriforum served the University of Johannesburg with court papers over a Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) application, seeking information regarding the alleged “hijacking” of Alberts’ and PTiP’s intellectual property.
The non-profit civil rights organisation said the hijacking of PTiP’s intellectual and commercial assets came after the technology was successfully commercialised in Germany and China.
Afriforum said its PAIA application was made on behalf of Alberts and was to obtain a forensic audit report on the alleged corrupt activity surrounding the exploitation of his intellectual property.
“By gathering this information, AfriForum hopes to uncover and address possible corruption and fraud at UJ,” said Afrifroum campaign officer for strategy and content, Ernst van Zyl.
“It is unacceptable and illegal if prominent role players at UJ abused their power to illegally transfer intellectual property to a private company for the purpose of self-enrichment.”
The Johannesburg High Court was set to hear Afriforum’s case on 6 June 2024. In feedback to MyBroadband, the organisation said it was confident its application would succeed.
“We are convinced that the information which UJ is refusing to provide will be damning in showing that various top management officials at UJ irregularly diverted thousands of rands and stole the IP,” it said.
In 2021, the University of Johannesburg responded to a News24 article regarding the involvement of senior officials in the attempted embezzlement of the PTiP’s intellectual property and assets.
The university claimed that none of the officials allegedly involved in the embezzlement were still employed. However, it didn’t specify whether they were fired or left on their own accord.
News24’s report came after Alberts shared documents, including board minutes, the vice-chancellor’s overview, and the university’s commercialisation reports, with the publication.
The documents reportedly detailed how numerous individuals at the University of Johannesburg were involved in attempting to take over PTiP. Some are included in the forensic report Afriforum is seeking.
Alberts also argued that UJ’s assertion that all the alleged involved parties were no longer working for the university was false.