Our History

Australian ingenuity.Since 1985.

What started in 1985 with the world's first universal MPPT is now an Australian energy systems company designing, integrating and supporting commercial and industrial projects across Australia and beyond.

AERL's story starts in a home laboratory and continues today as an Australian energy systems company. Four decades of engineering — beginning with the world's first universal MPPT — now spans power conversion, energy storage, monitoring and the integrated commercial systems we design, deliver and support.

Explore the people, prototypes and field experience that shaped AERL — from Stuart Watkinson’s first experiments to the team engineering and supporting our systems today.

1985

Foundation & Innovation

Australian Energy Research Laboratories (AERL) was founded by Stuart Watkinson (BE Elec. Eng., Grad. M.I.E.A) after developing the groundbreaking "Power Optimizer" — the precursor to what would become the world's first Universal Maximum Power Point Tracker (MPPT).

Unlike many inventors, Stuart possessed not only a great idea but also the entrepreneurial skill to turn it into a commercially viable product. The "Power Optimizer" would eventually become known as the AERL MAXIMIZER™.

1984-1986

From Solar Tandem to Global Recognition

Stuart's journey began with a solar tandem pushbike where he devised an electronic unit to efficiently extract maximum electrical power from a small photovoltaic array. This experiment proved that a hybrid system of human and photovoltaic energy could eliminate the need for conventional batteries.

In September 1984, the "Solar Tandem" took Equal First Prize for "Engineering and Innovation" in the Courier Mail's "Great Paper Chase." By 1986, AERL received the "Award for Excellence in Innovation" and the Queensland "Austrade Qantas Export Award for Initiative and Enterprise."

Late 1980s

Expanding Horizons

Following the success of the MAXIMIZER™, AERL developed a specialized Cathodic Protection controller for off-grid systems protecting oil, gas, and water pipelines. The ICCP CATHODIC CONVERTERS™ quickly established a worldwide reputation for efficiency and reliability.

Early Field Trial Partners (1980s)

These pioneering organizations partnered with AERL in the 1980s to test and validate our revolutionary technology.

US Department of Energy's Solar Energy Research Centre

The US Department of Energy's Solar Energy Research Centre in Colorado, along with Florida State University's Solar Research Centre at Cape Canaveral were involved in early trials of the product.

General Fertilizers PTY LTD (A division of ICI Chemicals)

General Fertilizers Pty Ltd conducted several field trials using the MAXIMIZER™ on Remote Area PV Solar Water Pumping Systems resulting in an 100% increase in the volume of water pumped.

ARCO Solar

ARCO Solar (wholly owned by the Atlantic-Richfield Oil Company) – the largest manufacturer of Photo-Voltaic Modules in the world at the time – endorsed the MAXIMIZER™ thanks to its revolutionary performance.

Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E)

PG&E, the fifth largest power utility, was responsible for the largest Photo-Voltaic test program in the world sponsored by the US Department of Energy. Their testing had stalled until the advent of AERL's MAXIMIZER™.

1990s-2000s

Solar Racing Success

AERL entered the automotive industry with a lightweight version of the MAXIMIZER™ for Solar Racing Cars. By 1990, 8 of the top 10 finishers in the World Solar Challenge raced with an AERL MAXIMIZER™.

Between 1993 and 2007, over 75% of teams competing in the World Solar Challenge and US Solar Car Races used the AERL MAXIMIZER™. More than 1000 specialized Solar Race Car MAXIMIZER™ units were shipped to 200+ teams worldwide, including 60+ leading universities.

2006-2008

In memory of

Stuart
Watkinson

Founder of AERL

The Loss of a Pioneer

On June 23rd, 2008, the renewable energy world lost a true visionary when Stuart Watkinson passed away after a 15-year battle with the rare auto-immune disease Churg-Strauss Syndrome.

Stuart was widely regarded as a pioneer in the renewable energy industry. His passion for sustainable solutions and his remarkable engineering mind laid the groundwork for innovations we now take for granted. More than just an inventor, Stuart was known for his generosity in sharing knowledge and his dedication to advancing renewable energy when it was still in its infancy.

His legacy lives on in every AERL product and in the countless systems around the world that use his groundbreaking technology. Stuart paved the way for household and commercial solar power as we know it today.

2017

A New Chapter

In 2017, Stuart's son, Peter Watkinson, launched a revitalized AERL, intent on seeing his father's original vision to fruition. Under Peter's leadership, the company adopted a forward-looking approach, investing heavily in research and development.

Building on the foundation laid by its founder, AERL has since grown from an MPPT specialist into an end-to-end energy systems company — designing, integrating and supporting solutions for Australia's commercial and industrial sites.

Today

AERL Today

At the heart of AERL is a team of people who care deeply about renewable energy and the difference good engineering can make. We bring curiosity, practical experience and a shared pride in our work to every project. From developing new technology to helping a customer solve a problem on site, that passion is what keeps us moving forward.

Today AERL designs, integrates and supports commercial and industrial energy systems across Australia. Our work spans the projects that keep critical sites running — mining and resources, telecommunications, agribusiness, off-grid and remote infrastructure, and grid-tied commercial sites — wherever reliable energy is non-negotiable.

Behind every AERL solution is the same principle that drove our first MPPT: technology only matters if it works under real conditions, year after year. That's still the test we engineer to.

Talk to our team

Whether you're specifying a system, planning a project, or need technical support — we're here to help.

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