Castle tours UD solar research facility, urges increased funding

Robert Birkmire, director of UD’s Institute of Energy Conversion, and U.S. Rep. Michael Castle

6:09 p.m., Oct. 4, 2005--The U.S. must invest more in research for alternative energy sources to remain economically competitive, Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.) said during a fact-finding tour of the University of Delaware’s Institute of Energy Conversion (IEC) on Friday, Sept. 30.

While meeting with Castle, Robert Birkmire, IEC director, said the U.S. has lost its lead in the technology and production of solar panels to Japan and more federal funding is needed to support solar research.

“If you look at the research and development budget under the renewable energy program, it has been flat or declining in the last four or five years,” Birkmire said. “You are undercutting the technology that supports the growth of the industry. If you look at the funding that we have here in relation to other countries, proportionally it’s not very high.”

Castle said he supports the investment of more federal funds in alternative energy research and believes that increasing use of advanced solar technology will eventually reduce the cost for the consumer.

“As we expand the research as we are seeing here at UD that gap is going to be closing more and more.” Castle said. “We need to do everything in our power to develop these alternatives.”

Castle also met with Carolyn Thoroughgood, UD's vice provost for research; Mark A. Barteau, Robert L. Pigford Chair of Chemical Engineering; Ardeshir Faghri, professor of civil and environmental engineering and director of the Delaware Center for Transportation; Ajay Prasad, professor of mechanical engineering; Suresh Advani, George W. Laird Professor of Mechanical Engineering; and Jingguang Chen, professor of chemical engineering.

Founded in 1972, IEC is a multidisciplinary laboratory devoted to the research and development of thin film photovoltaic solar cells. In 1992, IEC was designated a University Center of Excellence for Photovoltaic Research and Education by the Department of Energy and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Article by Martin Mbugua
Photo by Kaitlin Hoffman

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