Greg Hanket, research associate III at the Institute of Energy Conversion, discusses the institute's work during a tour for those attending the Third SunShot Thin-Film Photovoltaics Workshop.

SunShot Workshop

Institute of Energy Conversion hosts photovoltaics workshop

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5:53 p.m., Oct. 23, 2014--Some 55 attendees from universities, companies, national labs and the Department of Energy (DOE) joined researchers and students from the Institute of Energy Conversion (IEC) for the Third SunShot Thin-Film Photovoltaics Workshop at the University of Delaware on Oct. 20–21. 

Sponsored by IEC and DOE with support from the University of Delaware Energy Institute (UDEI), the workshop included technical talks on several thin-film semiconductor systems used for solar cells, posters presented by students and postdoctoral researchers, feedback from industry and an open house at IEC.

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The Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative is aimed at making solar energy cost-competitive with other forms of electricity by the end of the decade. SunShot drives research, manufacturing and market solutions to make solar energy resources more affordable and accessible for Americans.

“Thin-film technologies show great promise for meeting our goal of bringing the cost of solar energy down to 5 to 6 cents per kilowatt hour by 2020,” said Marie Mapes, photovoltaic technology manager for the SunShot Program in the DOE Solar Energy Technologies Office. “Delaware is to be commended for setting up this top-notch meeting and convening experts from across the country in thin-film technology.”

Established at UD in 1972, IEC is devoted to the research and development of thin-film photovoltaic solar cells and other photonic devices. The institute was named a University Center of Excellence for Photovoltaic Research and Education by DOE and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in 1992. In 2011, UD won $9.1 million for solar energy research and development — the highest funding awarded to a university — through the SunShot Initiative.

Kannan Ramanathan, principal scientist with NREL, said, “IEC and NREL have been collaborating for 30 years. That’s what nucleated a lot of this research, and we’re still partnering to bring people together to discuss scientific issues, take stock, and identify the next set of problems to solve.”

The workshop organizing committee was chaired by William Shafarman, senior scientist at IEC and an associate professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.

“It’s always exciting to share research results and discussion with colleagues from around the country,” Shafarman said. “To host such a meeting is a great opportunity for IEC scientists and especially students to interact with the U.S. solar cell community. Additionally, having many of the expert attendees visit IEC’s laboratories can stimulate future research collaborations.”

Article by Diane Kukich

Photo by Fan Wenbo

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