McMaster home to new solar photovoltaic network
A new research network to advance Canada's standing in the development
of solar photovoltaics will be based at McMaster University.
The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
(NSERC) announced $5M in funding today for the establishment of the
NSERC Photovoltaic Innovation Network. The Network is comprised of 29
top scientists and engineers working in the field of advanced solar
cell research at 13 universities across Canada. Eleven private sector
companies are also part of the network.
"By supporting the
research being done by these networks, we are building the economy of
tomorrow and helping our universities blaze the way to greater
long-term prosperity and innovation that will benefit Canadians for
years to come," said Tony Clement, Minister of Industry.
The Network aims to raise the status of solar photovoltaics (PV)
as a renewable energy option in Canada by accelerating research and
development and commercializing the outcomes.
"In particular, the network will develop new intellectual
property in PV for adoption by Canadian industry to supply strong
domestic demand currently met by foreign companies," explained Rafael
Kleiman, Scientific Director of the Network and a professor of
engineering physics at McMaster. "It will help Canada compete globally
in this rapidly growing sector."
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Mo Elbestawi, McMaster's vice-president, research &
international affairs, said the establishment of the network at the
University speaks volumes of its reputation and leadership in green,
sustainable and renewable energy.
"This new network epitomizes
what we're about," he said. "We're building on our strengths to create
a critical mass of expertise in energy research and, in turn, helping
Canadian companies remain competitive."
The Network anticipates
training 88 research personnel over five years to provide highly
skilled and creative employees for positions in industry and academia.
PV cells convert light from the broad solar spectrum directly to
electricity, with the energy conversion efficiency and cost (in $/W)
being the most important device metrics.
The proposed collaborative and multi-disciplinary research
program has the specific objectives of increasing the device conversion
efficiency and/or reducing the device cost to make large scale PV
deployment more competitive against electricity generation from fossil
fuels.
Click here to go to McMaster Daily Newsposted: 2/3/2010
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