8:32 a.m., May 11, 2009----The bad news is oil is running out, and the good news is that oil is running out and must be replaced by renewable energy. That was the message from Hermann Scheer, who was awarded the prestigious 2009 Karl Böer Solar Medal of Merit at UD's Roselle Center for the Arts on Thursday, May 7, in a ceremony attended by some of the world's experts and leaders in solar energy research and policy.

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Both Böer and his wife Renate were among those present.

Sheer was selected for the award for his outstanding contribution to the worldwide understanding of the necessity to replace fossil and nuclear resources by renewable energies, especially solar energy.

A member of the German Parliament since 1980, he has served as president of EUROSOLAR, chairman of the World Council for Renewable Energy (WCRE), president of the International Parliamentary Forum on Renewable Energies and was a strong supporter of IRENA (International Renewable Energy Agency).

Among his honors, Scheer has received the World Solar Prize from the second World Conference on Photovoltaic Solar energy Conversion in 1998 and the Alternative Nobel Prize in 1999. He was named Hero for the Green Century by TIME magazine in 2002, received the Global Leadership Award from the American Council on Renewable Energy in 2004, the World Wind Energy Award in 1994 and the SolarWorld Einstein Award in 2005.

Scheer received his doctorate in economic and social science from the Free University of Berlin.

Robert Birkmire, director of the UD's Institute of Energy Conversion, welcomed the audience and recognized former winners of the Böer Medal, Larry Kazmerski and Allen Barnett, who were present.

Birkmire also introduced Monica Oliphant from Australia, who is president of the International Solar Energy Society and served on the nominating committee. Oliphant spoke about Scheer and his accomplishments.

UD President Patrick Harker gave a brief history of the award, pointing out that former President Jimmy Carter was the first recipient in 1993 and Scheer is the ninth, saying that “Events like these reaffirm and support and University's own leadership in photovoltaics and solar cell efficiency.”

Wolfgang Palz, chairman of the WCRE, introduced Scheer, who received the award from Harker and Böer.

Scheer gave a talk on “The Global Acceleration of the Promotion of Solar Energy,” saying we are in a race against time in developing renewable energy and warning that without energy, nothing goes or works.

The reality is, Scheer said, that there are fewer places where oil, coal and uranium are available, whereas renewable energy is everywhere and we have to decide how to make it available.

“We have become dependent on conventional energy and have to decide how to think our way out of the current energy system. Societies cannot wait,” he said, adding, the argument that we need time is wrong.

He called upon people to fight for renewable energy, which is clean and non-polluting, as opposed to conventional energy, saying that when encouraged, more and more people will follow. Scheer received a standing ovation after his talk.

The program concluded with remarks from Birkmire, who spoke of UD's goal to reduce its carbon footprint and become a model for other universities.

The Böer Medal recognizes pioneers in the promotion of solar energy through research, development or economic enterprise or to others who have made extraordinary contributions to the field of solar energy in other ways.

The award is given every two years and includes a medal and $50,000 and honors Karl Wolfgang Böer, a longtime University of Delaware faculty member and founder of UD's Institute of Energy Conversion and a distinguished scientist in the field of solar cells.

Article by Sue Moncure
Photo by Duane Perry